Tempe native has sung the titular role of Mozart鈥檚 鈥淒on Giovanni鈥 with Opera Hong Kong, Lyric Opera Chicago and on a handful of other stages.
This weekend, he will bring it to Tucson鈥檚 Linda Ronstadt Music Hall in his debut with his hometown .
鈥淭his is a big deal to me not just because it鈥檚 my hometown but it鈥檚 an opportunity for me to give back to the community that helped me early on,鈥 the 36-year-old Corona del Sol High School alumnus said. 鈥淓verything that I set out on for my academic education and early career has its foundation here.鈥
He joins a cast that includes conductor making her fourth Arizona Opera appearance after having conducted 鈥淔ellow Travelers鈥 in 2019, the film version of 鈥淐opper Queen鈥 in 2021 and Puccini鈥檚 鈥淭辞蝉肠补鈥 last January.
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鈥淚t鈥檚 so much fun coming back here every time,鈥 Candillari said during a phone call from Phoenix early this month, where rehearsals were entering the homestretch to last weekend鈥檚 Phoenix performances. The show moves to Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave., on Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28.
鈥淚 feel like every time I come to do a project, I鈥檝e been always blessed with a really great cast,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 think the cast is what makes the experiences unique for us and carries the story forward.鈥
This marks Candillari鈥檚 debut conducting 鈥淒on Giovanni,鈥 although she has been behind the podium for the two other operas 鈥 鈥淐osi fan tutte鈥 and 鈥淭he Marriage of Figaro鈥 鈥 in the so-called Mozart-Da Ponte Trilogy, Mozart鈥檚 collaborations with the librettist Da Ponte that resulted in his three most popular operas.
鈥淭his is the only one of the Da Ponte trilogy that I haven鈥檛 done before so this is a completely new world for me in a way,鈥 Candillari said. 鈥淭he question that I had for myself when starting this piece is why do we come back to the pieces that were written 300 years ago and what is it about them that makes them resonate with us and why do we keep coming back to these pieces? I think with 鈥楧on Giovanni,鈥 the question was also sort of how do we make it sound as if it was written yesterday.鈥
Ollarsaba has a 10-year history with 鈥淒on Giovanni,鈥 having played Commendatore, who Don Giovanni kills early on and who returns as a statue; and Masetto, one of the victims.
He ascended to the title role about 10 years ago.
鈥淎s a low voice in opera, if you are a baritone or bass or a bass-baritone as I identify myself, this is a role that fits perfectly in your voice because the character is so chameleon-esqe, this person who can kind of flitter his way into any capacity of society,鈥 he said.
Ollarsaba, who now calls Florida home, remembers the first time he experienced live opera. He was 14 and he went to see Arizona Opera鈥檚 production of Puccini鈥檚 鈥淢adama Butterfly鈥 at the Phoenix Symphony Center, where he had performed violin as a member of the Phoenix Youth Symphony.
鈥淭hat got the creative juices flowing,鈥 said Ollarsaba, who had been playing violin since he was 8 and had started singing in musical theater at age 12.
In opera, he said, he found 鈥渢his beautiful marriage of classical music and singing.鈥 When he graduated high school four years later, he decided to pursue opera at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where he earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree. He went on to earn a master鈥檚 degree from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts before doing a resident artist stint for a year with Minnesota Opera and three years at the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Candillari, who in addition to a classical music background earned a degree in jazz studies from Indiana University鈥檚 Jacob School of Music, said the thing that has intrigued her most about 鈥淒on Giovanni鈥 is the society surrounding the character, one of opera鈥檚 truly bad guys whose crimes against humanity included murder, assault and physical abuse.
鈥淎re they letting him get away with things until they don鈥檛 anymore?鈥 she asks herself. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a great morality question: How do we react when we see that things are wrong? What do we do with that information and how do we react to that? It鈥檚 been an incredible discovery of a piece that is now becoming one of my favorite pieces, actually.鈥
Arizona Opera will perform 鈥淒on Giovanni鈥 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The performance runs 3 hours, 30 minutes, with one 30-minute intermission. Tickets are $30-$145 through .
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Twitter @Starburch