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Biography and Operatic RepertoireAdmired on stages from New York to California, Jay Lesenger's directing skills are reflected in a wide repertory of opera and operettas that includes Werther, Turandot, Lohengrin, Il Trittico, The Merry Widow, The Turn Of The Screw, La Rondine, Die Fledermaus, L'Elisir d'Amore, The Coronation of Poppea and the five Mozart comedies. He made his New York City Opera debut with a critically acclaimed production of Anna Bolena, quickly followed by productions in San Diego, Sarasota, Pittsburgh and Hawaii. This past year Mr. Lesenger was named Artistic Director of the Chautauqua Opera Festival and directed critically heralded new productions of The Tales of Hoffmann, Falstaff and Cosi fan tutte. 1996 brought productions of Carmen in Fort Worth, Der Rosenkavalier in Atlanta, as well as The Magic Flute, The Ballad of Baby Doe and A Little Night Music for Chautauqua Opera with a 1997 debut in New Orleans for Zauberflote, a new production of Smetana's Two Widows for the Mannhattan School of Music, a 1997 summer at the Chautauqua Opera for Regina, Gianni Schicchi, Suor Angelica and Pirates of Penzance and Maria Stuarda, She Loves Me and Madama Butterfly for summer 1998. Upcoming engagements include a return to Opera Pacific for Brundebar, and Der Rosenkavalier, Madison Opera for Falstaff, Opera Grand Rapids for The Tales of Hoffmann, The Ballad of Baby Doe and Lucia di Lammermoor in New Orleans, and Chautauqua 2000 for Falstaff, La Traviata and Hansel and Gretel. Recent engagements include Street Scene for the New York City Opera, Samson And Dalilah for Michigan Opera Theater and Opera Pacific, Turandot and Macbeth for Atlanta Opera, La Boheme for Portland, L'Elisir d'Amore for the Kentucky Opera and Ariadne auf Naxos for the opera companies of Atlanta, Milwaukee and Virginia. This highly acclaimed production was televised by PBS in Wisconsin to critical acclaim. |
