Robert Honeysucker, Marie Ferrante
In June of 2000, COB and CpM had one of its most successful performances to date, Verdi's Otello in concert at Jordan Hall.   Metropolitan Opera tenor Allan Glassman starred as Otello, Maria Ferrante was the touching and beautiful Desdemona, and Boston favorite Robert Honeysucker sang the role of the evil Iago.  The audience and critics were moved and thrilled by the performance:

"[the performance] moved this listener more than many an all-star staging... [Allan Glassman] has intelligence, musicality, a voice equal to the role, and dramatic involvement ... he delivered the death scene with remorseful dignity and tragic power ... Robert Honeysucker, for decades Boston's most complete and compelling operatic artist, sang his first Iago ... his delivery of the whispered questions in the credo of evil were terrifying.  But he was also charming and audacious as an Iago must be ... [he] sang everything else with ringing tone and insidious inflection.  This was a world-class performance ... Maria Ferrante made a touching Desdemona.  She looks wonderful in the role; this passionate woman had spine; both her tenderness and her terrors held conviction ... Ferrante sings honestly and truthfully, responding fervently and imaginatively to music, text, character, and spun some shimmering pianissimos ... Much credit is owed to Jeffrey Rink, celebrating his 10th anniversary as Music Director of Chorus pro Musica with this performance.  Rink is determined to keep concert opera alive in Boston.   Once again, he proved himself a capable and committed operatic conductor; he knows the way to establish concert opera is to do it right."
Richard Dyer, Boston Globe

to support and expand
   ' opera in concert'
as a thriving presence
in the Boston music scene