Puccini ed Amici                                                       

A Celebration of Puccini and Friends in the Garden!

Saturday, October 11 at 3:00 pm                                       

Doors open at 2:00 pm for museum viewing and seating

Springs, East Hampton, New York: The Leiber Collection is delighted to announce Puccini ed Amici (Puccini & Friends) with world-class opera singers, soprano Ashley Bell and baritone Daniel Sutin, back by popular demand following their sold-out August concert in the Garden at The Leiber Collection. Accompanying them on piano will be accomplished pianist Christine Sutin.

This special afternoon will honor the genius of Giacomo Puccini, whose operas have captivated audiences in the United States for more than a century. The program will include beloved arias and duets from La Bohème and Madama Butterfly, as well as rarely performed gems from Edgar. In the spirit of friendship and artistic exchange, the concert will also feature works by Puccini’s contemporaries and colleagues, including Ruggero Leoncavallo, best known for the timeless Pagliacci.

With the powerful voices of Bell and Sutin bringing these masterpieces to life, Puccini ed Amici promises an unforgettable afternoon of music, passion, and artistry amidst the beauty of the Leiber Collection’s gardens.

VIDEO TRAILER: https://vimeo.com/1116043571?share=copy

Tickets: $55

To reserve tickets, click HERE.

Rain date: October 13 at 3 pm

The Leiber Collection is located at 446 Old Stone Highway in the East Hampton, NY hamlet of Springs.

For more information, please visit www.leibercollection.org, email info@leibercollection.org, or call 631-329-3288.

About the Performers:

DANIEL SUTIN, baritone

Baritone Daniel Sutin recently sang the role of the villainous police chief Baron Scarpia in the Northern Lights Music Festival’s critically acclaimed production of Tosca, the first North American opera production to be performed with social distancing. Recent engagements include Don Fernando in Fidelio with Polish National Opera, and the title role in Rigoletto with Opera North. 2001-02 marked Daniel’s Metropolitan Opera debut, as the Journalist in Lulu. His European credits include performances at the opera houses of Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Darmstadt, Krefeld/Mönchengladbach, Zurich, and Basel. His repertoire included, in addition to roles listed earlier, the title role of Eugene Onegin, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Harlekin in Ariadne auf Naxos, and Sid in Albert Herring.

Throughout his career in the US and internationally, he has sung the principal roles of Iago in Otello, Paris in Romeo et Juliette, Sonora in La Fanciulla del West, Don Fernando in Fidelio, One-Eyed Brother in Die Frau ohne Schatten, Giacomo in Giovanna d’Arco, Paolo Albiani in Simon Boccanegra, Sergeant Belcore in L’elisir d’Amore, Orest in Elektra and Ford in Falstaff, among others.

 As a concert artist, Daniel has performed as soloist in Carmina Burana and in Open Air Concerts opposite José Carreras. In 2014, he sang the title role of Wozzeck at the Metropolitan Opera, stepping in at the last moment for an indisposed Thomas Hampson. In addition to numerous opera houses in the US, his career has taken him onto the prestigious stages of Lyric Opera of Chicago, L’Opera de Montreal, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and the Spoleto, Savonlinna Opera and Lincoln Center Festivals. With Boheme Opera NJ, Daniel has sung the roles of Baron Scarpia in Tosca (twice), Conte di Luna in Il Trovatore, Enrico Ashton in Lucia di Lammermoor, Valentin in Faust,Escamillo in Carmen, Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana, Tonio in Pagliacci and Sharpless in Madama Butterfly.

ASHLEY GALVANI BELL, soprano

Soprano Ashley Galvani Bell has performed as a soloist in the US, Italy, Spain, France and Russia. This season, she was thrilled to make her role debut as Leonora in Il Trovatore with Boheme Opera New Jersey, her debut in Denmark, and sing Cio Cio San in Palm Desert, California. Her 2023 appearances alone included her debut with ABAO Bilbao Opera(Spain) as Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte; her debut with Teatro Perez Galdos in Gran Canaria (Spain) as the title role of Klara; Cio Cio San with both Boheme Opera NJ and Daytona Beach Symphony Society; her debut in Milan, Italy, as soprano soloist in Exultate Jubilate with Orchestra UNIMI and Violetta in La Traviata, the title role in the world premiere of Penelope’s Dream & soprano soloist in Zemlinsky’s Lyrische Symphonie, all with Spain’s Musica en Villafranca.

Other recent highlights include her debut at Carnegie Hall as soprano soloist in Hadyn’s “Nelson” Mass and Schubert’s Mass in C with MidAmerica Productions, her debut with Seville’s Teatro de Maestranza as Violetta in La Traviata, performing her signature role of Cio Cio San multiple times in 5 different states, and soprano soloist with New York City Opera in a Puccini 100 anniversary celebration in front of more than 11,000 people in Bryant Park. During the pandemic, Ashley produced and starred in the documentary film Rival Queens featuring music from Maria Stuarda, which has won 20 awards in international film festivals, including Best Documentary at Madrid Art Film Festival and Tokyo Film Festival.

Ashley is a Phi Beta Kappa Graduate of Yale University, a recipient of Yale’s Browne Irish Award for the Performing Arts, and is fluent in five languages.

CHRISTINE SUTIN, accompanist

Christine Sutin (Accompanist) has served as a musical director and accompanist in both her native New York City and throughout the world. Throughout her long and eclectic career, Christine’s credits include numerous concerts and recitals, musical theater, cabaret, and accompanying for several voice studios . Most recently, Christine has worked on productions of JERSEY BOYS, SIX: THE MUSICAL, and KINKY BOOTS for Norwegian Cruise Lines. Opera credits: WEST SIDE STORY(Boheme Opera of NJ) and SWEENEY TODD(Nevada Opera). Toured nationally with ANNIE, ALTAR BOYZ, THE RAT PACK-LIVE AT THE SANDS, and A CHORUS LINE.