Opera San José & ArtSmart Partner to Hold Fundraiser Featuring Michael Fabiano and Maria Natale

By Nicolas Quiroga

Opera San José (OSJ) and ArtSmart have partnered to provide free voice lessons, musical opportunities, and mentorship for low-income middle and high school students.

To celebrate this new collaboration, OSJ and ArtSmart invite Bay Area music lovers to their “Arts for All” fundraising initiative on May 6, 2023, to be hosted at Angelicas in Redwood City’s historic downtown district.

The evening’s highlight will be a performance by ArtSmart co-founder, world-class tenor Michael Fabiano and artist-in-residence soprano Maria Natale. Natale made her role debut as the title character in OSJ’s production of “Tosca.”

OSJ Director General Shawna Lucey will join Fabiano and Natale to deliver a mini-class in which guests will have the rare opportunity to learn from some of the world’s leading figures in opera.

Attendees will enjoy an evening of witnessing the magic of opera and enjoy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar as they peruse unique auction items, such as European Viking Rivers Cruises, a private at-home concert, one-on-one time with opera industry leaders, unique artwork, and the chance to be a supernumerary in an OSJ production next year.

“With arts education cut out of schools, it is up to organizations like ours to step in and work to remove the economic barriers to accessing the arts, by working together we lessen the impact on our communities, because everyone deserves the opportunity to express themselves through music,” said OSJ CEO Shawna Lucey.

This is a ticketed event, with all proceeds going directly toward supporting Opera San José and ArtSmart’s shared vision.

Michael Fabiano, a world-renowned tenor, will headline the upcoming San Francisco Opera’s production of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” in June 2023. Shawna Lucey, the General Director and CEO of Opera San José is an acclaimed theater and opera director who will launch OSJ’s 2023 season with a new production of Gounod’s “Romeo & Juliet.” Soprano Maria Natale has received numerous awards from prestigious vocal competitions nationwide.

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