The Academy of Vocal Arts will present its award-winning Resident Artists in the first professional Philadelphia production of Italo Montemezzi's opera L'amore dei tre re ("The Love of Three Kings") in over half a century January 23 & 26 in the Kimmel Center's Perelman Theater and February 2 at Centennial Hall in The Haverford School. This production will be performed "in concert" with Maestro Christofer Macatsoris leading the AVA Opera Orchestra.

Combining the passionate lyricism of Puccini with the impressionism of Debussy, Montemezzi's L'amore dei tre re opened at La Scala in Milan in 1913 and was once among the most popular operas in the repertoire. Arturo Toscanini conducted the Philadelphia debut in 1915 at the Metropolitan Opera House. After World War II, it slid into an undeserved obscurity – the last of 66 performances at The Metropolitan Opera was in 1949 and the most recent professional production in Philadelphia was in 1960 at the Academy of Music.

The opera follows the story of King Archibaldo, conqueror of Altura, as he seeks to reveal the adulterous affair his Alturan daughter-in-law Fiora is having with an Alturan prince. The King's obsession with finding out the truth spins rapidly out of his control.

2015 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions National Winner Marina Costa-Jackson is scheduled to sing the role of Fiora – joining an impressive list of sopranos who have sung the role in Philadelphia including Beverly Sills, Licia Albanese and Lucrezia Bori. Wayne native Anna Moffo sang the role opposite Placido Domingo on the 1998 London Symphony Orchestra recording.

2015 MONCA Grand Finalist Jared Bybee is scheduled to sing the role of the King's son, Manfredo, and 2015 Loren L. Zachary First Prize winner André Courville is scheduled to sing King Archibaldo.

Casting is subject to change and there will be split roles in the production.

PERFORMANCE LOCATIONS
January 23 & 26, 2016 – 7:30 PM
Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 260 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA

February 2, 2016 – 7:30 PM
Centennial Hall, The Haverford School, 450 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA

TICKETS
All tickets are reserved seating for $50.
Student tickets for the Haverford performance are $10 and may bring a friend for free.

For Kimmel Center/Perelman Theater tickets: 215.893.1999 or click here for January 23 or here for January 26. For Haverford tickets: 215.735.1685 or click here