Event
Coppélia
Naples Ballet with the Naples Philharmonic
Naples Ballet
Christophe Maraval, artistic director
Naples Philharmonic
Radu Paponiu, conductor
Coppélia
Music of Léo Delibes
Libretto by Charles-Louis-Étienne Nuitter
Naples Ballet and the Naples Philharmonic present Coppélia, a full-length ballet set to music by Delibes. In this romantic comedy ballet, Dr. Coppélius the toymaker creates a life-size dancing doll named Coppélia. The doll is so lifelike that young Franz becomes romantically attracted to her... much to the dismay of his fiancée, Swanilda. Naples Ballet is honored to feature the return of professional dancers Autumn Klein and Erik Thordal-Christensen from Oklahoma City Ballet who recently performed in the Naples Ballet production of The Nutcracker.
Naples Ballet
Naples Ballet
The Naples Ballet is a nonprofit organization dedicated to setting new standards for artistic excellence, providing the art of ballet as a component of education and promoting cultural enrichment and awareness of the art of dance within the Naples community.
The company aims to provide dancers of all ages with performance opportunities that meet expert standards of artistic development, to instill professional values and qualities through art education and to offer free professional dance instruction through scholarship funding while serving as a training ground for local dancers possibly seeking professional careers in dance or related fields.
Naples Philharmonic
Naples Philharmonic
Founded in 1982, the Naples Philharmonic performs over 140 orchestral and chamber concerts, as well as opera and ballet, education, community and special event concerts from September through June each year.
Meet the Musicians
Andrey Boreyko
Sharon and Timothy Ubben Music Director Meet Andrey
Jack Everly
Principal Pops Conductor Meet Jack
Radu Paponiu
Associate Conductor Meet Radu
Radu Paponiu
Radu Paponiu
Radu Paponiu is the associate conductor of the Naples Philharmonic and director of the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Since 2017, Radu has conducted the Naples Philharmonic in more than 70 different classical, education and pops programs. As a guest conductor, Radu has appeared with the Transylvania State Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania, Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony and National Repertory Orchestra. Radu has collaborated with notable soloists such as Yefim Bronfman, Vladimir Feltsman, Robert Levin, Nancy Zhou, and the Ébène Quartet. Radu regularly serves as cover conductor with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Konzerthausorchester Berlin, and he has assisted conductors including Andrey Boreyko, Iván Fischer, Fabio Luisi, Stéphane Denève, Hans Graf, Donald Runnicles, Cristian Măcelaru, Bernard Labadie and Ludovic Morlot. Radu has served on the conducting faculty of the Juilliard Pre-College, as well as conductor for the Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard in Shanghai, China, and the Southeast Asia Music Festival in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Radu completed his Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Hugh Wolff. While in Boston, Radu was also conductor apprentice with the Handel and Haydn Society. In the summer of 2017, Radu was appointed assistant conductor of the National Repertory Orchestra in Colorado, as well as conducting fellow for the Cabrillo Festival Workshop in California. Radu participated in the prestigious American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and School as the recipient of both the Albert Tipton Aspen Fellowship and the David A. Karetsky Memorial Fellowship. In Aspen, Radu furthered his studies under the guidance of Robert Spano, Larry Rachleff, Leonard Slatkin, Patrick Summers and Federico Cortese.
Radu began his musical studies on the violin at age 7, studying privately with Carmen Runceanu and Ștefan Gheorghiu. After coming to the United States at the invitation of the Perlman Music Program, Radu completed two degrees in violin performance under the guidance of Robert Lipsett at the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles. As a soloist and chamber musician, Radu has appeared in festivals throughout Europe and North America, collaborating with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Clive Greensmith, Martin Beaver, Merry Peckham and Vivian Hornik Weilerstein.
Radu currently resides in Naples, Florida, with his wife, flutist Blair Francis Paponiu. In his spare time, he enjoys chamber music reading parties, fishing, biking and playing tennis.
Program Information
Program Information
View this month's program book to get general information about Artis—Naples and to read articles about this month’s activities. View the program insert* for specific information about this event.
Program Book
Program Insert
* Program inserts will be available online approximately ten days prior to the event.
