The Ellie's Opening Concert Celebration was a grand night for singing, indeed! Some of opera's brightest luminaries came, led by superstar soprano Renée Fleming who made her Opera Colorado debut that evening. She sang to a rapturous audience three of opera's best loved arias and (with tenor Ben Heppner) the duet from Otello.

With her luscious, seamless legato (Ebben? Ne andrò lontana from Catalani's La Wally and "O mio babbino caro" from  Puccini's Gianni Schicchi), her thrilling coloratura ("Merce, dilette amiche" from Verdi's I Vespri Siciliani), and her soaring Desdemona in"Gia nella notte densa" - the emotion-laden love duet in Act One of Verdi's Otello, America's "Beautiful Voice" supremely lived up to her star billing.

Photo © Decca/Andrew Eccles, courtesy of Opera Colorado

CLICK on the titles below to hear clips from the album Renée Fleming which features two of the arias she sang at The Ellie's opening concert.  There's more of Renée Fleming in FanFaire.