Arias and Celebrations – Andrew Simpson, Bass – Sept 25, 2022

Please join the Puccini Society of Dallas for

An Afternoon of Arias and Celebrations

Presenting

Andrew Simpson, bass
Brian Bently, piano

and

Honoring our Founder, Bettie Francis,
on the occasion of her 90^th birthday

Sunday, September 25, 2022

3:00 pm

Catering provided by Crescendo Culinary

Valet Parking provided

Puccini Society of Dallas
P.O. Box 1782
Colleyville, TX 76034-1782

Happy Birthday to Puccini Society Founder Bettie Francis

Program

Brahms – Four Serious Songs
Finzi – Four Songs
Puccini – Vecchia Zimarra from La Boheme
Verdi – Come dal ciel precipita from Macbeth
Massenet – Quand apparaissent les etoiles from Don Quichotte
Rogers – Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific

Singer Bio

Andrew Simpson is a bass-baritone from Dallas, TX. He studied with the great bass Samuel Ramey at Wichita State University. He has sung the roles of Angelotti in Tosca with the Wichita Grand Opera and Virginia Opera, Betto di Signa in Gianni Schicchi with the Chicago Opera Theater, the footman in Vanessa at the Santa Fe Opera, and Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Opera in the Rock. During his two years with the Palm Beach Opera he sang the Imperial Commissioner in Madama Butterfly, Count Ceprano in Rigoletto, the Jailer in Tosca, and Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro. Afterwards he went on to perform the roles of Colline in La Bohème in concert style with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, Zuniga in Carmen with Annapolis Opera and First Soldier in Salome with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. As an apprentice artist he has also been given the opportunity to cover many roles including Masetto in Don Giovanni, and Sid in La fanciulla del west at the Santa Fe Opera as well as The Bonze in Madama Butterfly, Sparafucile and Monterone in Rigoletto, The Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with the Palm Beach Opera, and Amonasro in Aida with the Virginia Opera.

During the pandemic, performances were supposed to include The Commentator in Scalia/Ginsburg with the Virginia Opera, Doctor Granville in La Traviata, Elmiro in Rossini’s Otello, Senator Potter/General Arlie/Bartender in Fellow Travelers, and to cover Mephistopheles in Faust with the Florida Grand Opera, but all of these shows have been postponed or cancelled at this time due to COVID-19. Fortunaly, Andrew was able to continue singing in some capacity playing the roles of Sam in Trouble in Tahiti with the Florida Grand Opera, Count Ceprano while covering Sparafucile in Rigoletto, and the following year, Frank in Die Fledermaus with Central City Opera. Andrew is currently working on future engagements with the Sarasota Opera, but these will remain hush hush until the company has announced them.