Untitled by Hadi Ghaffar-Tehrani C/O Creativity Explored
November 22, 2015 - 3:00pm
Herbst Theatre
Rossini: William Tell Overture
Barber: Knoxville: Summer of 1915
hope Briggs, soprano
Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra
About our soloist...
HOPE BRIGGS, a native of New Jersey, drew a rave review from Opera News for her San Francisco Opera debut as the Duchess of Parma in Busoni’s Doktor Faust “… Hope Briggs was stellar, delivering one of the evening’s highlights with her lusciously intoned, lovelorn aria.”
In 2015 she makes her debut as Cio Cio San in Madama Butterfly with Opéra Louisiane under the baton of Michael Borowitz, and sings Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with Redwood Symphony under Eric Kujawsky and with Symphony Parnassus under Stephen Paulson.
As a critically acclaimed Verdi soprano, Ms. Briggs is known for the depth and beauty of her voluptuous voice. Ms. Briggs is hailed as “an artist of vocal sensitivity, theatrical wisdom and integrity.” Her commanding stage presence and moving interpretations have brought her to great success singing the title role in Aida with Nevada Opera, Sacramento Opera and Cedar Rapids Opera and Leonora in Il Trovatora with El Paso Opera, Opera Roanoke and Festival Opera of Walnut Creek as well as Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera with Festival Opera of Walnut Creek.
Other career highlights include Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and The First Lady in Die Zauberflöte at Frankfurt Opera, the Duchess of Parma in Busoni’s Doktor Faust at Staatstheater Stuttgart, the role of Paula in the world premiere of Hector Armienta’s River of Women/Rio de Mujeres with Theater Artaud San Francisco, Donna Elvira with Opera San José and Opera Company of Brooklyn, Serena in Porgy and Besswith Tulsa Opera and New Orleans Opera as well as the title role in Suor Angelica with Pacific Repertory Opera and Opera Company of Brooklyn.
On the concert stage, Ms. Briggs has performed: Verdi’s Requiem, Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Villa-Lobo’s Bachianas Brasileiras, Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Dvorak’sStabat Mater, Hanna in scenes from The Merry Widow with Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Hailstork’s I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes with the San Antonio Symphony and Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915.
As a featured soloist, Ms. Briggs’ numerous performances include: The Opening Night Gala Concert with Oakland East Bay Symphony, The Symphony Parnassus at Herbst Theater, The Wondrous Sounds of Christmas at the San Francisco Symphony, Hope Briggs and Friends: A Musical Valentine at San Francisco’s Herbst Theater, and the world premiere of Marion J. Caffey’s Three Mo’ Divas at the Lyceum Theater. A highly-acclaimed recitalist, she has performed for Oberlin Conservatory, African-Americans for Los Angeles Opera, Madewood Music Festival, Afrosolo Music Festival at the Yerba Buena Performing Arts Center, Concerts at the Abbey in Seattle, and Caio Melissa in Spoleto (Italy). By special invitation, Ms. Briggs performed for Jessye Norman at Alliance Française Trophée des Arts Gala and for Rev. Billy Graham at the Billy Graham Crusade.
Hope Briggs is a Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions National Finalist, Metropolitan Opera International Vocal Competition Award Winner, and recipient of an Encouragement Award from the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation. Hope Briggs is also an ABC KGO-TV 2012 African American Salutes Honoree, Marion Anderson Historical Society Scholar and a 2013 Heritage Keeper Award Recipient from Friends of Negro Spirituals.
About the artist...
Hadi Ghaffar-Tehrani, Artist
Hadi Ghaffar-Tehrani was born in 1965 in Iran and has been working at Creativity Explored since 2001.
With careful attention to repetition of form and color combination, Hadi creates complex drawings and paintings that are reminiscent of textiles in the intricacy of their patterned surfaces. These compositions are a combination of abstract and figurative elements, usually recognizable symbols like stars and crosses, animal figures, and geometric forms. Hadi tends to use earth tones and warm colors in his artwork, combining different hues and levels of saturation for a layered effect. Ghaffar-Tehrani has also begun to delve into other media, recently exploring digital art.