The Pittsburgh Festival Opera has announced its 2021 season, which will run between May and December.

“Since I began as artistic director here at Pittsburgh Festival Opera, my mantra has been to be visible, viable and victorious — even during a pandemic,” said Marianne Cornetti, artistic director of the Pittsburgh Festival Opera, in a press release. “Because we are still in a pandemic year, and not knowing how confident our audience would be in attending performances before July, we wanted to maintain being visible, but not having huge production costs. It was time to get creative.”

It all kicks off with an Open Air Series at Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park. The showcase will feature favorite arias and ensembles by such artists as Colin Aikins, Alice Chung, Brian Kontes, Danielle Pastin, John Pickle, Kevin Ray, Schyler Sheltrown, and Benjamin Taylor.

Performance Date: May 31, 2021

“Voce al Fresco: Fresh Voices Under the Stars” will feature members of the Hans and Leslie Fleischner Young Artists Program as they take on arias and ensembles as well as Broadway favorites.

Performance Dates: July 2 (Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall); July 9 (Schenley Plaza Oval Tent); July 23 (Varischetti Pavillon at La Roche University)

Pauline Viardot’s “Cendrillon” will be directed by Seamus Ricci. This filmed version of the opera will be shown in Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Streaming Date: July 16, 2021

“Legends in the Limelight” will feature the festival live at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. The showcase will include performances by Alexandra Loutsion, Michael Chioldi, Gregory Kunde, and Marjorie Owens.

Performance Dates: August 3 (Loutsion); Sept. 14 (Chioldi); Oct. 19 (Kunde); Nov. 16 (Owens) 

Adamo’s “Lysistrata, or The Nude Goddess” will be recorded in June and July with Derrick R. Brown directing members of the Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s Hans and Leslie Fleischner Young Artists Program.

Streaming Date: October 2021 

The 2021 season draws to a close with the “Holiday Spectacular,” also at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.