Mary Stuart painted by Scipione VannutelliĮlizabeth is fond of the Earl of Leicester, who loves Mary Stuart. Talbot urges Elizabeth to show clemency Cecil warns her that Mary is a dangerous rival. Elizabeth discusses Mary with two advisors, Talbot and Cecil. But she’s also popular, controversial (due to her Catholicism) and not to be trusted. As Elizabeth’s nearest kin, Mary is heir to the throne of England. Elizabeth’s cousin, the Queen of Scotland, has been languishing in house arrest for years. And then there’s the Mary Stuart problem. She is toying with the idea of marrying the King of France, although she seems to be in love with someone else. What’s Going On? At Westminster in London, Queen Elizabeth I is being indecisive. When our opera begins, Mary has been condemned to death for treason. But Henry’s sister Margaret married the King of Scotland their grand-daughter, Mary Stuart (also known as Mary, Queen of Scots), became Elizabeth’s rival for the throne of England. His daughter by Anne eventually became Elizabeth I. What Has Come Before Henry VIII of England broke with the Catholic Church and founded the Church of England, in part so he could divorce his first wife and marry Anne Boleyn. Cecil, who fears a Catholic uprising, advises Elizabeth to have Mary killed. Talbot, who advises Elizabeth to go easy on Mary. Leicester (pronounced “LESS-ter"), Elizabeth’s favorite, who is in love with Mary. Hannah is Mary’s companion in her house arrest.Įlizabeth, the Protestant queen of England, has yet to choose a husband. Her husband died in mysterious circumstances. Mary Stuart is the Catholic queen of Scotland. rendering of the opera's central confrontation scene Who’s Who? As a member of the Young Singers Project at the Salzburg Festival, he appeared in concert performances of Haydn’s Die Jahreszeiten and Stravinsky’s Le rossignol.Īndrew is an award recipient from the Francisco Viñas Competition, Marilyn Horne Foundation, Mario Lanza Competition, Gerda Lissner Foundation, and the George London Foundation. At the Bayerische Staatsoper as part of the Opernstudio, Andrew appeared in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Sigurd der Drachentöter, and Das schlaue Füchslein. He also debuted with the Caramoor Music Festival as the title role in Rossini’s Aureliano in Palmira and as Jaquino in Fidelio.Īndrew is a recent graduate of the Junges Ensemble at Theater an der Wien where he appeared in a number of productions including La bohème, La cambiale di matrimonio, La Cenerentola, La clemenza di Tito, La Mère coupable, and Semiramide (Vinci). In the 2015-2016 season, Andrew debuted with Florida Grand Opera and North Carolina Opera in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Seattle Opera as Leicester in Maria Stuarda. The 2016-2017 season included numerous debuts, including Virginia Opera and Opera San Antonio ( Il barbiere di Siviglia ) the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam ( I due Foscari ) the Orquestra Filârmonica de Minas Gerais in Brazil ( Così fan tutte ) and Arizona Opera ( La Cenerentola ) He also returned to Theater an der Wien in Vienna as Mads in Werner Egk’s Peer Gynt. American tenor Andrew Owens has quickly built a reputation as one of the most promising singers of his generation, exhibiting a beautiful Italianate timbre, soaring top notes, and effortless agility.