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Opera Orlando opens season with Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Opera Orlando’s 2022-2023 season opened up with a production of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.”

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It was held throughout last week at the new Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

The show, based on Mozart’s classic opera, follows the journey of Prince Tamino into the mythical realm of Ozymandia as he navigates a treacherous new world in his quest of self-discovery.

The production featured the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and puppetry from Michelee Puppets.

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Learn more about the actors below:

Tyler Nelson

Tyler Nelson plays the main character, Tamino.

He has performed the Britten “Serenade” with the Utah Valley Symphony, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Saginaw Bay Symphony, Mozart’s “Requiem” and Bach’s “St. John Passion” with Salt Lake City Choral Artists and Orff’s “Carmina Burana” with the California and Reno Symphonies.

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He has also appeared as a soloist on the stages of the Kennedy Center and at Carnegie Hall.

“The Magic Flute” marks Nelson’s Opera Orlando debut.

Brian James Myer

Brian James Myer plays Papageno in the production.

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Myer has performed with the Hawaii Symphony as a baritone soloist in Carmina Burana,” Henderson Symphony as Maximilian in “Candide,” American Lyric Theater on their “InsightALT: Opera in Eden” concert at Merkin Hall, the Phoenicia Festival of the Voice as Moralès and Le Dancaïre in “Carmen” and the Grand Teton Music Festival as Snowboy and Big Deal in “West Side Story” under the baton of Donald Runnicles.

In 2019, Myer debuted with the New York City Opera as Young Erich in Ted Rosenthal’s jazz opera, “Dear Erich,” and Carlos in the world premiere of “Stonewall.”

He has been seen on the Opera Orlando MainStage as Schaunard in “La Bohème” and On the Town as Fiorello and Bert (formerly known as Berta) in “The Barber of Seville” at Casa Feliz.

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This show marks his return to Orlando.

Magdalena Kuźma

Polish American soprano Magdalena Kuźma plays the princess Pamina.

In the 2022-2023 season, Kuźma made her house debut at Santa Fe Opera as Frasquita in Bizet’s “Carmen” alongside international stars Isabel Leonard and Michael Fabiano.

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This fall, Kuźma is slated to sing recitals with LyricFest and sing Giannetta in Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” at The Metropolitan Opera, where she has started her first year as a Lindemann Young Artist.

Kathryn Bowden

Soprano Kathryn Bowden is making her mark as the Queen of the Night in this show.

The role served as Bowden’s 2015 San Francisco Opera debut vehicle and her entry onto The Metropolitan Opera roster as a cover for the 2016 family performances of “The Magic Flute.”

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In October 2017, Bowden made her official debut with The Metropolitan Opera as the Queen in the company’s German-language MainStage production and covered the role during the Met’s English-language family performances later in the season.

Bowden reprised the role making her Symphony Hall debut in Boston with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra in March 2019 and with Opera Maine in July 2019.

Bowden also rejoined The Metropolitan Opera roster in 2019, covering the role in the English-language family performances and performed the role for her Pittsburgh Opera debut in the fall of 2021.

This production marks her Orlando debut.

View the gallery for the show here.

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