Light Opera of New Jersey (LONJ) has announced its third annual “Stars of Tomorrow” vocal competition for New Jersey high school students. The competition includes an online video qualifying round followed by live finals on April 19, 2026, at 2 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Basking Ridge, N.J. The grand prize includes $1,000 and an appearance in a {…}
Light Opera of New Jersey will present Verdi’s “Rigoletto” on Feb. 7 and 8, 2026. The production, led by conductor Jason Tramm, is set to take place at the Sieminski Theater in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. It stars baritone Michael Nansel in the title role and soprano Jordan Bowman appears as Gilda. As the Duke of Mantua, audiences will see {…}
Light Opera of New Jersey (LONJ) has announced that Susan Speidel will be the company’s first Youth in Arts Director. In her new role, Speidel will design and oversee school- and youth-focused engagement programs, cultivate partnerships with educators and youth leaders, and develop initiatives that connect young audiences with LONJ’s artistic programming. The position also includes evaluating program impact for {…}
Light Opera of New Jersey (LONJ) has announced the principal artists for its annual “Holiday Pops Concert.” The showcase, set for Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, at the Ridge Performing Arts Center in Basking Ridge, NJ, will feature soprano Kristin Sampson and tenor Jeremy Brauner. Sampson has performed with the New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and the Festival Puccini {…}
The Light Opera of New Jersey is set to present Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The work will be shown on Feb. 8 and 9, at the Sieminski Theater, Basking Ridge NJ. The company will present a traditional production with the Light Opera of New Jersey Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Jason Tramm. Kristin Sampson will sing the title role of Cio-Cio-San, {…}
Light Opera of NJ will present Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore” on Nov. 8 and 9, 2024 at the Sieminski Theater in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. The showcase will be directed by Stefano Koroneos and conducted by Jason Tramm who leads the Light Opera of New Jersey Orchestra. The Donizetti opera will star Pedro Barrera and Zhedong Ren as Nemorino and Tiernan {…}
Light Opera of New Jersey has announced that Teresa Giardina will be its new Director of Outreach and Community Engagement. Giardina has been involved with the company for several years as a performer and volunteer. “Tess is extremely qualified for this position and has extensive experience working for arts companies like the New Jersey Symphony. We are delighted to have {…}
Light Opera of New Jersey is set o present “A Celebration of the Stage: Opera to Broadway.” The event, which is slated for Oct. 8 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Basking Ridge, will feature opera and musical favorites performed by baritone Troy Cook as well as numerous rising stars including Gemma Nha, Cesar Parreño, James Conrad Smith. Karen Delavan will {…}
Light Opera of New Jersey (LONJ) has been awarded a $10,000 Challenge America grant by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The grant aims to support LONJ’s initiative of providing no-cost tickets to underserved communities in central and northern New Jersey, which accounts for 10 percent of the total tickets. “We are thrilled to receive this grant and launch {…}
The Light Opera of New Jersey (LONJ) will present “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” starting on July 15 at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. The Tony-Award winning operetta, which is based on Israel Rank’s novel, “The Autobiography of a Criminal,” will be directed by Joseph Hayward, with Griffin Strout as the musical director, Matthew Lynady as the {…}
The Light Opera of New Jersey has unveiled its 2022-23 season which will feature two operas. First up will be a semi-staged version of Bernstein’s “Candide.” Executive Director, Jason Tramm will lead the Light Opera of New Jersey Orchestra and a cast of over 60 singers in the production. Soloists include both opera and Broadway performers such as Victor Starsky {…}