The Western New York Chamber Orchestra teams with the Hillman Opera for the Saturday performance of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” in King Concert Hall at the State University of New York at Fredonia.

Eleven student vocalists at the State University of New York at Fredonia will be featured in a presentation of one of the world’s most beloved operas.

The Western New York Chamber Orchestra in conjunction with the Hillman Opera, presents Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” (The Marriage of Figaro) on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Harry A. King Concert Hall on the SUNY Fredonia campus.

General admission tickets are available online at www.fredonia.edu/tickets, by phone at 716-673-3501 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and at the door the day of the event.

“This performance of Mozart’s ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ is the continuation of many wonderful years of operatic collaboration between WNYCO and the Hillman Opera,” said Don Marazzo, Hillman Opera producer. “Initiated by Glen Cortese and Hillman Opera’s longtime and distinguished former producer, Julie Newell, these collaborations – which can range from scenes of operatic repertoire to concert versions of full operas, to world premieres of new operas.”

Marazzo said these collaborations provide Fredonia students with “invaluable opportunities to learn, perform, and grow from working with Maestro Cortese and the WNYCO, which is a wonderful professional chamber orchestra.”

The student cast for this production includes:

— Jackson Kelly (Figaro), a junior from Amherst, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and Music Education.

— Mia Sorgi (Susanna), a junior from Hamburg, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and Music Education.

— Gabrielle Gance (Countess), a graduate student from Endicott, NY, who is pursuing a master’s in Voice Performance.

— Dominic Townsend (Count), a senior from Youngstown, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance.

— Danai Kalpaki (Cherubino), a graduate student from Corfu, Greece; pursuing a Master’s in Voice Performance.

— Kaitlin Owen (Marcellina), a senior from Floral Park, NY, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Voice Performance.

— Carter Converse (Bartolo), a senior from North Tonawanda, who is pursuing a dual degree in B.S. Music Industry and B.A. Music with a concentration in Voice.

— Adrian Otero (Antonio), a senior from Wheatley Heights, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Voice Performance.

— Andrew George (Don Basilio), a graduate student from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; pursuing a master’s in Voice Performance.

— Zachary Formhals (Don Curzio), a junior from Mastic Beach, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Education.

— Lauren Shilansky (Barbarina), a senior from West Hartford, Conn.; who is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre.

Mozart wrote “Le Nozze di Figaro” in six weeks and its debut came in Vienna in 1786. Subtitled “A Day of Follies,” the libretto is based on Beaumarchais’ 1784 comedy “The Mad Day.” It follows the events on the wedding day of Figaro and Susanna.

“‘The Marriage of Figaro’ is not only timeless because of Mozart’s extraordinary music and Da Ponte’s sparkling libretto, but also because it explores extremely relatable human experiences including love, jealousy, forgiveness, and social hierarchies,” Marazzo said. “This relatability is what makes The Marriage of Figaro a perpetually relevant masterpiece and a must-see for audiences.”

This WNYCO Classics Series Event is presented as part of the 2025-26 Lake Shore Bank Season at Rockefeller Arts Center.

WNYCO, an ensemble in residence at the Fredonia School of Music, is led by Artistic Director and Conductor Glen Cortese. The orchestra is comprised of professional musicians from throughout Western New York and northwest Pennsylvania.

The Hillman Opera is a project of the Fredonia School of Music in collaboration with the Department of Theatre and Dance under the auspices of the Hillman Memorial Musical Association. For more than 60 years, the Hillman Opera has provided one of the only full opera opportunities for undergraduate singers in the country.