<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Dear Friends,</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>I'm pleased to inform you of an exciting production coming up soon, when the CWRU Music Department presents Henry Purcell's highly entertaining opera, "Dido & Aeneas," in two free performances at Harkness Chapel. Because the dates are imminent, we would be most grateful if you would list these events in your program calendars and help us spread the word. If you have any questions, or need additional information, please contact Adam Evans, CWRU Music Department, 216-368-2400; <a href="mailto:axe@case.edu">axe@case.edu</a></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Thank you!</div><div>Sincerely yours,</div><div>Beverly Simmons</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>=============</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>PRESS RELEASE</div><div>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</div><div>Press Contact: Adam Evans, 216-368-2400; <a href="mailto:axe@case.edu">axe@case.edu</a></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br></div><div><b>CWRU MUSIC DEPARTMENT PRESENTS PURCELL'S "DIDO & AENEAS" IN TWO FREE PERFORMANCES</b></div><div> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p align="">CLEVELAND—The Case Western Reserve University Department of Music presents a semi-staged version of Henry Purcell's famous opera, "Dido and Aeneas," on Thursday and Friday, April 3 & 4 at 8 pm in Harkness Chapel. The performances, stage-directed by Ellen Hargis and music-directed and choreographed by Julie Andrijeski, are free and open to the public, although tickets are required.</p><p align="">Based on a story from Virgil's <i>Aeneid</i>, the opera tells of the romance between Dido, the Queen of Carthage, and the Trojan refugee Aeneas. When he and his crew are shipwrecked in Carthage, he and the queen fall in love. However, he is called away to found Rome, and Dido then dies of a broken heart. With a cast that includes a scheming sorceress and her three conniving witches, as well as dancing sailors and courtiers, it's not surprising that this musical drama has remained popular since its début in 1689.</p><p align="">Director Ellen Hargis, an internationally-acclaimed baroque singer, has been a Kulas Visiting Artist at Case Western Reserve University for the past nine years. She has sung baroque opera around the globe and attended the recent Grammy Awards, for the Boston Early Music Festival's production of Lully's Thésée, nominated for Best Opera Recording. Musical direction and original choreography for Dido is by Julie Andrijeski, who has earned international renown for her virtuosic baroque violin playing and her exquisite baroque dancing. Having earned a D.M.A. in Early Music from Case, she is now on the university's Music Faculty, directing the Case/CIM Baroque Orchestra and teaching courses in performance practice and baroque dance. </p><p align="">Recognizing that the original prologue to the opera has been lost, Ms. Hargis has expanded the opera to include a opening set of masques, setting the stage dramatically for the action that is to come. Through the clever use of other appropriate works by Henry Purcell, the cast will introduce the characters and the romance between Dido and Aeneas. This will be the world premiere of this new, expanded realization by Ms. Hargis.</p><p align="">The all-student cast includes graduate and undergraduate students from the Case Early Music program, as well as other students from the Case Music department, the Case/CIM Baroque Orchestra, Dr. Andrijeski's baroque dance class, and others.</p><p align="">Tickets to the performances are free, but must be obtained in advance through the Music Department office (216-368-2400; 201 Haydn Hall, 11118 Bellflower Road). </p><p align="">Harkness Chapel located at 11200 Bellflower Road. It is wheelchair-accessible. For more information, call 216.368.2400.</p><p align="">###</p><div> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Case Western Reserve University's Early Music Program is one of the premiere programs of its type in the world. A signature program of the Music Department, its graduates perform in the most highly-regarded musical ensembles in the US and Europe (including Sequentia, Chatham Baroque, Ciaramella, Piffaro, Apollo's Fire) and teach at the leading academic programs throughout the country (including University of Southern California . Head of the program, Kulas Professor Ross W. Duffin, is joined by assistant professors Peter Bennett and David Rothenberg, as well as lecturers Julie Andrijeski and Debra Nagy, and Kulas Visiting Artists Ellen Hargis, Greg Ingles, Mitzi Meyerson, Nigel North, Scott Metcalf, and Jordi Savall (for 2007-08). To compliment the academic program, the Music Department also sponsors "Chapel, Court & Countryside: Early Music at Harkness," a concert series which presents internationally touring early music artists in residency and concert.</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div></body></html>