Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts announces its 2026-27 season. The “New Artist Recital” is held. Music Director and pianist José Meléndez accompanies. Performance Date: Sept. 25, 2026 Up next is the “Giargiari Bel Canto Competition.” Music Director and pianist Danielle Orlando joins. Performance Date: Oct. 3, 2026 Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” is directed by Damon Nestor Ploumis. Steven White conducts. Performance {…}
The Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) will present Verdi’s “Falstaff” in five performances this April and May. The production features two rotating casts drawn from AVA’s Resident Artists. On April 18, 23, and May 5, the title role will be sung by Raúl Morales Velazco, with Veronica Richer as Alice Ford, Maiya Williams as Mistress Quickly, Jasmine Ismail as Nannetta, {…}
Academy of Vocal Arts has announced its 2025-26 season. The season opens with a New Artist Recital under music director José Meléndez. Performance Date: Sept. 26, 2025 Then comes the Giargiari Bel Canto Competition under music director Danielle Orlando. Performance Date: Oct. 4, 2025 Tara Faircloth will direct Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” Joseph Colaneri conducts. The first cast, performing {…}
The Academy of Vocal Arts has announced its 2025-26 Resident Artists. The artists include sopranos Jasmine Ismail and Anna Thompson; mezzo-sopranos Dawson Franzino and Maiya Williams; tenor Matthew Sink; and baritone Ryan Wornall. Ismail is a Manhattan School of Music and Boston Conservatory graduate, while Thompson attended Rice University and Eastman School of Music. Franzino graduated from Florida State University, {…}
(Photo credit: AVA) In preparation for the “BrAVA Philadelphia! 90th Anniversary Celebration and Gala,” Scott Guzielek, President and Artistic Director of the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA), talked with OperaWire about the institution’s dedication to the arts for close to a century and its upcoming celebratory events. Guzielek started with the Academy in 2019 as Vice President and General Manager. {…}
The Academy of Vocal Arts has announced its 90th Anniversary Celebration and Gala, “BrAVA Philadelphia!’ to take place March 21. The program features AVA alumni and faculty members who have become luminaries in the opera world, performing at prestigious opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Royal Opera House, and many more. Performers include AVA Board Members {…}
The Academy of Vocal Arts has announced its 2024-25 Resident Arts. The artists include sopranos Alexa Franklin, Daniela Machado, and Beautiful Sheriff; mezzo-sopranos Katherine Dobbs and Juliana Smith; tenor Cole McIlquham; baritones Jacob Hanes and Alex Mathews; bass-baritone Joshua Klein; and bass Raúl Velazco. Audiences will get a chance to experience these vocal talents on Sept. 26, 2024 in the {…}
The Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) has announced the details of its 90th anniversary season. Staring off the 2024-25 season is the New Artist Recital, featuring the 10 resident artists of the incoming class. Performance Date: September 26, 2024 The Giargiari Bel Canto Competition comes next. Danielle Orlando accompanies. Performance Date: October 5, 2024 Steven White returns to AVA to {…}
Pike Opera is set to present “Opera! Pike! Park!” on August 27, 2023. The showcase, which features singers from the Academy of Vocal Arts, is set to kick off at 4 p.m. at Ann Street Park in Milford Borough, PA. Artists include Emily Margevich, Angel Gomez, Benjamin Dickerson, and Matthew Goodheart. The program will include excerpts from “La Traviata,” “Don {…}
The Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) has unveiled its 2023-24 season. It all kicks off with a few events prior to the official season launch. Among these is “Ocean City Pop’s ‘Opera Superstars of Tomorrow” at Ocean City Music Pier in New Jersey. The showcase stars Jenny Anne Flory and Angel Raii Gomez alongside conductor Vince Lee and the Ocean {…}
The Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) has announced the addition of six new singers to its Resident Artists roster. The newly appointed Resident Artists include tenor Joshua Berg, soprano Manli Deng, mezzo-soprano Ariana Maubach, soprano Veronica Richer, baritone Geoffrey Schmelzer, and bass-baritone Nan Wang. “We are thrilled to welcome these extraordinary artists to the Academy of Vocal Arts. They represent {…}