Pittsburgh Opera is set to broadcast the world premiere of “In a Grove” on May 15, 2022. The showcase, which is based on the short story by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, will be available to stream on YouTube for free. The opera, which is based on the source material that was also the basis for the historic and award-winning film “Rashomon,” will {…}
Pittsburgh Opera and the National Opera House have announced a long-term programmatic and strategic partnership. The National Opera House is the steward of the legacy of the National Negro Opera Company, the first African-American opera company in the United States and was founded in Pittsburgh by Mary Cardwell Dawson in 1941 and operated until her death in 1962. The House, {…}
Opera singer and amateur harpist Richard LeBeau has become a member of the board of directors of the Pittsburgh Opera. Born in Louisville, KY, LeBeau moved to Pittsburgh in 1987 and joined the Mendelssohn Choir, becoming a member of the professional group under the direction of Robert Page. He sang as a chorister in more than 70 Pittsburgh Opera productions {…}
Pittsburgh Opera has announced the creation of The Henry J. and Mary Louise Gailliot Fund for Classical Opera. The new fund is being seeded by a $3 million gift from Henry and Mary Louise Gailliot and it will support the production, performance, and staging of operas composed before 1950. In a statement, General Director Christopher Hahn said, “This gift will help {…}
Pittsburgh Opera is set to present Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s “Blue.” The opera, which is reflective of an all-too-familiar American headline, “Blue” centers on the hopes and fears of a young Black couple as they raise their son. The cast will include Kenneth Kellogg, Briana Elyse Hunter, Aaron Crouch, Andrew Turner, Gordon Hawkins, Yazid Gray, and Adrianna Cleveland. Glenn {…}
The Pittsburgh Opera has announced its 2022-23 season with six operas, performed across a total of four different venues—the Benedum Center, the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Pittsburgh CAPA School Theater, and Pittsburgh Opera’s headquarters the Bitz Opera Factory. Dvořák’s “Rusalka” opens the season with Antony Walker conducting and Kristine McIntyre directing. Ekaterina Siurina stars in the title role {…}
Pittsburgh Opera’s fashion show “Diva Dreams and Fashion Queens” is set to be presented on April 4, 2022. The show will be presented at the Bitz Opera Factory and will showcase the Pittsburgh Opera partnering with Eons Fashion Antique and Studio Booth on this fashion retrospective from the Eons Archives. Owned by Pittsburgh fashion maven Richard Parsakian, Eons offers vintage clothing {…}
(Credit: Pittsburgh Opera official website) Pittsburgh Opera has announced that it will stage the world premiere of Christopher Cerrone and Stephanie Fleischmann’s opera “In a Grove.” “In a Grove” is based on a short story of the same name by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa and follows seven witness testimonies to a murder, each clashing in perspective; the work is famously the inspiration {…}
(Credit: Pittsburgh Opera official website) The Pittsburgh Opera has announced the largest individual gift in the company’s 83-year history, a $5MM sum being donated by tech entrepreneur and real estate developer Francois Bitz. Bitz’s gift is part of Pittsburgh Opera’s $50MM Comprehensive Campaign under the name Forever, with the objectives to promote Pittsburgh Opera’s cornerstones of Art, Community, and Resilience; {…}
Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumnus Rolando Villazón is set to return to Pittsburgh for a recital to benefit Pittsburgh Opera’s acclaimed Resident Artist Program. The recital will be held on Nov. 21, 2021 at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters with pianist Carrie-Ann Matheson. In a statement, the tenor said, “Being a Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist was a wonderful, transformative experience. In fact, {…}
Pittsburgh Opera and Point Park University have announced a new partnership, titled “Opera Animations,” as they explore new ways of presenting the art form to audiences. The partnership saw students from the Cinema Arts Department of Point Park Conservatory of Performing Arts making new, animated videos set to operatic selections from Pittsburgh Opera. The students were led by Assistant Professor {…}