Sweetheart Soiree with Angela De Venuto & Leo Radosavljevic
February 17, 2024 | 6pm - 8:30pm
Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods
Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods
Gather with us to celebrate love and music in the beauty of Ryerson Woods! Soprano, Angela De Venuto, and Bass, Leo Radosavljevic, bring their operatic talents to Brushwood with a curated program of your favorite romantic arias, accompanied by dinner by Pear Tree Catering.
Ticket options range from communal dining ($100 per seat) to private dining ($300 for a table of two). Private tables are limited to six tables with two seats each, and communal seating is limited to twenty seats (2 tables of 6 and one table of 8).
5:30 pm - Doors Open for arrivals and Check-in
6:00pm - Guests are seated and Dinner is served
7:00pm - Performance Begins
8:30pm - Performance Ends
Ticket options range from communal dining ($100 per seat) to private dining ($300 for a table of two). Private tables are limited to six tables with two seats each, and communal seating is limited to twenty seats (2 tables of 6 and one table of 8).
5:30 pm - Doors Open for arrivals and Check-in
6:00pm - Guests are seated and Dinner is served
7:00pm - Performance Begins
8:30pm - Performance Ends
This event is open to the public, but tickets are limited.
Please purchase tickets by Monday, February 12th.
Please purchase tickets by Monday, February 12th.
Menu
Appetizers
Blood Orange Brie Toasts - creamy brie, infused with blood orange puree and topped with fig jam
Lemon Lavender Sugared Nuts
Sweetheart Salad (gf, v) - Mixed greens, strawberries, orange segments, candied pecans, blue cheese, and blood orange
vinaigrette
Lemon Lavender Sugared Nuts
Sweetheart Salad (gf, v) - Mixed greens, strawberries, orange segments, candied pecans, blue cheese, and blood orange
vinaigrette
Dinner
(choice of one)
(choice of one)
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Option 1
Lemon Basil Chicken - Chicken breast encrusted with basil and thyme with a lemon basil sauce Mashed Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic (gf, v) Sautéed Pesto Zucchini (gf, df, vg) |
Option 2
Burrata Eggplant Parmesan (vg) - Our eggplant Parmesan topped with Burrata and homemade tomato jam Mashed Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic (gf, v) Sautéed Pesto Zucchini (gf, df, vg) |
Dessert
Lemon Sorbetto with Fresh Berries (v)
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Praised for her versatility and range, soprano Angela De Venuto is becoming known as a dramatic force in Classical music. In addition to the standard repertory, Ms. De Venuto's affinity for new music has made her a sought after interpreter by many of today’s established and up and coming composers of vocal music.
Ms. De Venuto most recently made her role debut as Musetta (La Bohème) with The Savannah Voice Festival and as the title role of Alice Riley (Michael Ching) under the baton of Andrew Bisantz. Ms. De Venuto has portrayed a wide range of characters, including: Emily Webb (Our Town), Mrs Grose (The Turn of the Screw), Drusilla (L’Incoronazione di Poppea), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), the title role of Angélique, Adele (Die Fledermaus), Amore (The Return of Ulysses) with DePaul Opera Theatre; Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), and premiered the roles of Sarah Davenport and Jane in Michael Ching’s Anna Hunter with The Savannah Voice Festival; Despina (Cosí fan tutte) with DuPage Opera Theatre; Miss Jessel (The Turn of the Screw) with Chicago Fringe Opera; Marzelline (Fidelio) with Intermezzi; Maria (West Side Story) with the Northwest Chicago Symphony. Most recently, Ms. De Venuto was a quarter-finalist in the 12th International Telemann Competition held in Telemann’s birthplace of Magdeburg, Germany and was named a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council competition (2019). Ms. De Venuto has been awarded first prizes in the Evanston Music Club Competition (2018), Classical Singer competition Emerging Professional Division (2017), Musician’s Club of Women (2017), the Sherrill Milnes Opera Idol competition (2016), and she won 2nd place in the Harold Haugh Light Opera Competition (2018). Working in collaboration with her husband, they received 2nd prize in Chicago’s 3rd annual SongSlam art song competition with his setting of Eleanor Roosevelt’s address to the United Nations in 1948 (Words of Eleanor). |
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Praised for his “steely power” (Voix des Arts) and “resonant bass” (Opera News), Leo Radosavljevic is a presence on the operatic stage. Mr. Radosavljevic is sought after around the world for his “excellent musicianship” and “expansive delivery”. A native of Chicago, he spent his childhood singing in the Lyric Opera Children’s Chorus and studying piano with his father. He then attended The Juilliard School where he received a bachelors degree with scholastic distinction and a masters degree. During his studies he performed many operatic roles such as Simone in Gianni Schicchi, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Tobia Mill in La Cambiale di Matrimonio, and gave the U.S. premiere performances of Willi Graf in Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Kommilitonen!. Since his studies, he has been heard with Opera Colorado as Bonze (Madama Butterfly), The New Philharmonic as Don Alfonso (Così fan Tutte), Opera Theater of Saint Louis as Manders (Regina), Teatro Nuovo as Orbazzano (Tancredi), and covered the role of the King in Aida with Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is the 3rd Prize winner of the 8th Klaudia Taev Competition in Estonia, Grand Prize winner of the 2017 Bel Canto Competition, and was a Regional Finalist in the 2020 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. On the concert stage, he has appeared as soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Metropolis Symphony, The Orchestra Now, New Juilliard Ensemble, and Juilliard415, with whom he performed Telemann’s rarely heard Die Tageszeiten to high acclaim from The New York Times, as well as made a studio recording in Vancouver with the Canadian Broadcasting Company. He has also appeared regularly as an art song recitalist at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago and Carnegie Hall in New York.
Mr. Radosavljevic is a proud recipient of the 2020 Marcella Kochańska Sembrich Award from the American Council for Polish Culture. In 2021 he returned to Teatro Nuovo to cover Bartolo (Il barbiere di Siviglia), as well as performed the roles of Colline in Puccini’s La Boheme with the Savannah Voice Festival, and Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with Opera in Williamsburg. He was also heard in a workshop of Proximity which will premiere later this season (2023)at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Mr. Radosavljevic began 2022 with a company debut with Opera San Jose, as Zuniga in Carmen. Later in the year, he jumped in as the title role in Le Nozze di Figaro with Manhattan School of Music, sang the role of Richard in Michael Ching’s Alice Riley with the Savannah Voice Festival, covered Archieros in Szymanowski’s King Roger with Chicago Opera Theater, and reprised the role of Zuniga with MasterVoices at Lincoln Center to great acclaim by The New York Times, OperaWire, and Opera News. |
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Whether you need drop-off catering for a casual luncheon, or on-site catering for a more formal corporate event, Pear Tree Catering™ will work with you to ensure all your needs are met. Pear Tree Catering is one the leading caterers in the Chicago Metro area. For over 25 years we have been serving up freshly prepared food and planning and executing memorable events. We even earned a Jean Banchet Award as one of the top five catering companies in Chicago. Whether we drop it off, or stay and serve, our consistent quality, thoughtful planning and first class service will truly have you being a guest at your own party!
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If you require certain accommodations in order to observe or attend our events, or have questions regarding accessibility of our facilities, please contact our Director of Public Programs and Music, Parker Nelson, at pnelson@brushwoodcenter.org or at (224) 633-2424 ext. 1.
