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The 35th Anniversary Opera Gala is a tribute to Delos founder Amelia S. Haygood (1919-2007). There was nothing Amelia loved more than great singing; and this program offers familiar repertoire done to perfection, along with fresh, seldom-heard gems. The span of extraordinary singing ranges from Delos’ first great vocal artist, Arleen Auger, to superstar Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Dmitri anchors the program, which begins with the Pagliacci Prologue and soon takes us to less familiar but entrancing territory. The Duet from Arensky’s Raphael, written 15 years before Rosenkavalier foreshadows Strauss’s ecstatic Trio from the last act. Natalia’s Cavatina from Tchaikovsky’s Oprichnik takes us to an emotional climax within three minutes. Both Auger and Podles are stunning in Handel arias; Renee Fleming gorgeous in Villa-Lobos Sentimental Melody; and Alessandra Marc a magnificent Turandot. Dmitri sings the passionate encore “Core ‘ngrato
