Haymarket presents Leonardo Vinci’s operatic tour de force Artaserse, set to become Haymarket’s second recording with Chicago’s GRAMMY© Award-winning label Cedille Records. This landmark stage production offers audiences the rare opportunity to experience Vinci’s gripping 18th-century masterpiece that premiered to great acclaim in Rome in 1730 in its full dramatic splendor. Set to a libretto by the illustrious Pietro Metastasio, Artaserse is a work of striking emotional depth and virtuosic brilliance. Haymarket revives this Baroque gem featuring a sensational cast, a colorful orchestra of period instruments, and sets and costumes to evoke ancient Persia, showcasing its passionate commitment to historical performance. 

Cast
Artaserse: Kangmin Justin Kim, countertenor
Arbace: Key’mon Murrah, countertenor
Mandane: Emily Fons, mezzo-soprano
Semira: Elijah McCormack, male soprano
Artabano: Jack Swanson, tenor
Megabise: Ryan Belongie, countertenor
Stage Director: Drew Minter
Music Director: Craig Trompeter
Presented in a new fully staged production
Album recording with Cedille Records

You’re invited: Opening night toast
Join Haymarket’s cast, orchestra, and production team immediately following the performance on June 27 at 6pm. All ticket holders are invited!

Performance length: 4 hours, including two 15-minute intermissions

Craig Trompeter, praised for his “marvelous” conducting (Opera Magazine), leads Haymarket’s acclaimed period orchestra, bringing Vinci's rich score to life with a vibrancy and tonal color reminiscent of the original 18th-century performances. Gut strings, natural horns and trumpets, period kettle drums, oboes, strings, harpsichord, and theorbo create a warm and nuanced soundscape. The ensemble’s historically informed approach captures the subtleties of Baroque phrasing, ornamentation, and dynamic contrast, transporting the lucky listener to the 1700s. 

Vinci’s Artaserse premiered in 1730 featuring a cast of five superstar male castrati. For its 2025 Chicago premiere, Haymarket assembles a cast of virtuosic singers to take on the extreme vocal demands of the score. “Astonishing countertenor” (New York Times) Kangmin Justin Kim returns to Haymarket following his sensational performances as Cleopatra in Hasse’s Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra to lead an all-star cast in the title role of Artaserse. Rising star countertenor Key’mon Murrah, praised for his “resplendent, voluptuous tone” (Opera News), makes his Haymarket debut as Arbace, wrongly accused of murdering his best friend’s father. Mezzo-soprano Emily Fons, “one of the best singing actresses of her generation” (Opera News) takes the role of his betrothed Mandane. Male soprano and 2024 Handel Aria Competition winner Elijah McCormack plays the role of Artaserse’s betrothed Semira. Fresh from his Haymarket debut in the title role of Handel’s Tamerlano, countertenor Ryan Belongie portrays the conniving Megabise. Joining Haymarket immediately after his Metropolitan Opera debut, tenor Jack Swanson brings his “elegant, emotionally courageous sound” (New York Times) to the role of the murderous Artabano.

Internationally renowned countertenor and director Drew Minter joins Haymarket’s expert period creative team as stage director. Exquisite period-inspired costumes, designed by Stephanie Cluggish, with wig and makeup design by Megan Pirtle reflect the opulence and fashion of the era, transporting the audience to the courtly world of ancient Persia. Wendy Waszut-Barrett’s set designs, inspired by 18th-century theatrical conventions, offer painted backdrops and ingenious stage machinery creating dramatic effects and transitions. Light designer Brian Schneider evokes the flickering glow of candlelit performances, adding a sense of intimacy and immediacy to the production.

About the composer: Leonardo Vinici
Leonardo Vinci (1690–1730) was an influential Italian composer renowned for his contributions to the opera seria genre during the early 18th century. A master of melodic invention, Vinci revolutionized Italian opera with his emphasis on expressive, lyrical arias that showcased the virtuosity of contemporary singers. He was a central figure in the Neapolitan school of opera, collaborating with prominent librettists such as Pietro Metastasio. Vinci's works, including Artaserse and Didone Abbandonata, captivated audiences across Europe and helped define the aesthetic of Italian opera in his era. His untimely death at the height of his career marked a significant loss to the musical world. Reports suggest that his death in 1730 at the age of 40 was sudden and mysterious, leading to speculation that he was murdered, possibly due to political intrigue or personal rivalries, although definitive evidence is lacking. Vinci's connections to the Neapolitan aristocracy combined with his rumored romantic entanglements have fueled theories that his death may have been orchestrated.

Please visit the Haymarket Opera website for more information on this production.