PREVIEW: Savannah VOICE Festival to stage 'The Pirates of Penzance'

When pianist and conductor Jorge Parodi met acclaimed operatic baritone Sherril Milnes and soprano vocalist Maria Zouves, he knew his life would be forever changed. In 2002, all three were in northern Italy performing separately in a music festival when they realized their unique artistic synergy. The trio stayed in contact, and when Milnes and Zouves initiated the Savannah VOICE Festival in 2012, it was a given Parodi would be included.

More than two decades after that fateful meeting, the Savannah VOICE Festival celebrates 12 years in the Hostess City. Running August 8 through August 18, “Homecoming” lifts up festival artists, audiences, and the city herself with opera productions, recitals, musical theater, and masterclasses. Tickets and performance locations available at the organization’s website.

Parodi, graduate of the National Conservatory in Buenos Aires and with more than 20 years’ experience as faculty at The Julliard School, serves as artistic director with Savannah VOICE. He emphasizes the variety of performances and mission of the organization.

'A pirate head and a pirate heart'

“Along with smaller concerts and recitals, this year, we are presenting 'The Pirates of Penzance,' in the Yamacraw Center for Performing Arts. It’s a collaboration of professional artists, VOICE Studio students, and community members,” said Parodi. “This opera is a large production that takes about two weeks to rehearse before bringing to the public and is excellent example of how the Savannah VOICE Festival highlights accomplished international artists while fostering aspiring vocal talent and working with the community.”

Parodi, recently appointed music director of the Moores Opera Center and assistant director of orchestras at the University of Houston, regularly teaches conducting to undergraduate and graduate students. He returns to Savannah every August, reconvening with colleagues to work with rising singers and community members.

Community partnerships give rising talent a voice

From the start, Savannah VOICE Festival has fostered the next generation of operatic vocalists.

Milnes, also a three-time GRAMMY winner and considered foremost baritone of his generation, co-founded the organization with wife and operatic soprano, Zouves. Together, they are committed to guiding emerging talent. For Savannah VOICE Festival, the duo hires top vocalists from around the world and brings in a cohort of accomplished students who have been selected to learn from industry mentors and perform alongside them.

The organization also partners with Deep Center, Savannah Historical Foundation, Savannah-Chatham County Schools, and Hospice Savannah such that students and residents from these groups also perform in some productions. Vocalists from all walks of life, from all over the world, attend the festival to learn, rehearse, and perform, making the two-week event a showcase of local, regional, and international talent.

Savannah VOICE Festival also welcomed a new executive director earlier this spring, Evelina Erickson, who comes to the arts organization after a successful fundraising career with conservation heavy hitters like the National Parks Conservation Association and American Farmland Trust. She and her husband moved about three years ago to the area, where she now sings in the Unitarian Universalist Church choir.

A lifelong fan of the arts, Erickson looks forward to getting to know the artists and audience at this year’s festival.

“We have members that have attended all 12 years, and they know where to go, where to arrive early at the best places to meet the artists,” said Erickson. “What I also really appreciate is that there’s something for everyone. While VOICE emphasizes opera, there are musical theater programs, music to dance to, intimate performances, and large-scale productions like 'Pirates of Penzance.'"

Erickson also references the festival’s different master classes, three of which are free to attend. They provide a lens for viewing rising talent under the direction of accomplished professionals.

“In a master class, students sing their best song in full presentation style, then avail themselves to Sherrill Milnes and other experts on how to most fully bring a character to life,” considered Erickson. “This is a fascinating exchange that allows the audience a glimpse inside the process of becoming a great performer.”

Another must-see performance opportunity, according to Parodi, is the “Homecoming Concert,” Saturday, Aug. 10, at the National Mighty Eighth Air Museum, 175 Bourne Ave. in Pooler. Here, performers sing beneath the wings of the B-17 Flying Fortress.

“This is a great venue,” emphasized Parodi. “We performed in this space last year, and it was a terrific event. We’ll be performing songs about returning home after a journey, and some of those are specifically about returning from war. It is a powerful concert.”

Parodi also recommends “Sanctuary,” a curation of revered opera scenes set in churches and sacred spaces performed Sunday, Aug. 11, at Christ Church Episcopal, 28 Bull St. The festival’s VOICE Studio artists along with First Baptist and Christ Church Episcopal choirs will perform. Professional vocalists take the solos with accompaniment from the church’s organist.

“Each of these performances are special, and I encourage people to attend any event and get to know what we do,” said Parodi. “Once people hear the voices, it brings them back. If you choose one show, you’ll be hooked, and you’ll be back. And for of this to happen in venues around Savannah and Pooler, you couldn’t ask for a more beautiful location.”

For a full list of Savannah VOICE Festival performances and to purchase tickets, visit the website: savannahvoicefestival.org/season-12-homecoming/

If You Go >>

What: “Homecoming” Savannah VOICE Festival

When: August 8 through 18, various venues in Savannah and Pooler

Tickets: vivenu.com/seller/savannah-voice-festival-lrla

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: PREVIEW: Savannah VOICE Festival to stage 'The Pirates of Penzance'