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Knoxville Opera Presents Puccini's Breathtaking "Turandot"

On Friday, February 23rd at 7:30 and Sunday February 25th at 2:30, Knoxville Opera will present Puccini's breathtaking and beloved opera, Turandot. Everything about this opera is grand in size and, as such, requires the larger space provided by the Knoxville Civic Auditorium, where it will be performed. Turandot requires big voices to compliment the thickly orchestrated and romantic score, while the plot demands a large, colorful set, costumes and makeup. 

Soprano, Othalie Graham, sings the role of Princess Turandot and tenor, Jonathan Burton, sings the role of the man who is in love with her, Prince Calaf. In this interview, we discuss the plot, their characters, and some historical information surrounding the opera's composition.

Melony calls the beautiful mountains of Boone, N.C., home, although she was born near Greensboro, N.C. There’s just something about those Blue Ridge Mountains that got in her blood and never left after she moved there to attend Appalachian State University (ASU). While at ASU, she majored in piano performance and music therapy and began to cultivate a love for accompanying and for collaborating with other musicians. This soon led her to earn a master’s degree in collaborative piano at the University of Tennessee, which she attended from 2006-2008.