Los Angeles Opera will present “Omar” starring on Oct. 22, 2022. The new opera by composers Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels recounts American slavery written by a Omar Ibn Said who was kidnapped and forced to board a ship bound for South Carolina. Kazem Abdullah conducts and Kaneza Schaal directs. Tenor Jamez McCorkle headlines the cast as Omar. He is {…}
On June 12, 2022, LA Opera will host Los Angeles County Arts and Health Week, a series of events meant to promote a deeper understanding of the relationship between arts, health, and well-being. Acclaimed soprano Renee Fleming will serve as advisor for this joint initiative between LA Opera, LA County Department of Arts and Culture, and the World Health Organization’s {…}
Los Angeles Opera has announced that Jeremy Frank is its new Chorus Director. Frank has worked in over 60 productions with the company and has served as associate chorus director, assistant conductor, and faculty member with the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program. He has also assisted with the preparation of operas and vocal chamber music at the Los Angeles Philharmonic and {…}
(Credit: Cory Weaver/Metropolitan Opera) The Los Angeles Opera will present simulcast for Verdi’s “Aida” on June 4, 2022. The performance stars soprano Latonia Moore, tenor Russell Thomas, bass Peixin Chen, baritone George Gagnidze, bass Morris Robinson, and soprano Melody Moore. The work will be conducted by James Conlon. Using nine HD cameras, the company will transmit the showcase live from {…}
The Los Angeles Opera has announced the 2022 recipients for the Eva and Marc Stern Artist Award. This year’s recipients include Ben Bliss, J’Nai Bridges, and Liv Redpath. The trio will split the $60,000 award, which aims to recognize artists with deep connections to LA Opera. Bliss is a former member of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program from 2011-2013 and {…}
(Credit: LA Opera) Los Angeles Opera is set to preset “We Hold These Truths” starting on March 4, 2022. The short, which is part of the company’s Digital Shorts Series, features music by composer Tamar-kali and features musical settings to poetic works by such Black poets as Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Laurence Dunbar. The short film stars tenor Ashley {…}
The Los Angeles Opera is set to present Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion” in a new staging by John Neumeier. The showcase will be conducted by James Conlon and will star tenor Joshua Blue, baritone Michael Sumuel, soprano Tamara Wilson, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, tenor Ben Bliss, and bass Kristinn Sigmundsson. They will be joined by the Hamburg Ballet. “John Neumeier has {…}
Los Angeles Opera has received a major grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. In sum, the organization will receive $150,000 in support of the LA Opera Chorus for its remaining productions of the 2021-22 season, including “St. Matthew Passion” and “Aida.” “St. Matthew Passion” opens on March 2 while “Aida” is set to premiere on May 12, 2022. {…}
LA Opera is no stranger to livestreaming. Since the COVID-19 pandemic first shuttered theaters, they have been at the digital forefront, continuing to provide exceptional performances, albeit in new and exciting ways that worked within stipulated health regulations. But even before the pandemic, in 2019, LA Opera’s imaginative production of “The Magic Flute,” directed by Barrie Kosky, used state-of-the-art projection {…}
The Los Angeles Opera is set to celebrate the holiday season with a family-friendly production of Rossini’s “Cinderella.” The opera will be presented in Laurent Pelly’s staging with Roberto Abbado in the pit. The opera will star Serena Malfi as Angelina with Levy Sekgapane as Don Ramiro. Other cast members include Rodion Pogossov, Alessandro Corbelli, and Ildebrando D’Arcangelo. “Following the {…}
The Los Angeles Opera has announced that Annette Ermshar has been elected to the Board of Directors. Ershmar is a clinical and neuropsychologist who has her own private practice and is the Principal and CEO at Dr. Ermshar and Associates, Specialized Psychological Services. She has also supported such as organizations as National Ability Center, the Wheelchair Foundation, Foothill Family Services, {…}