New Orleans Opera has announced Dr. Tara A. Melvin as its new Director of Community Partnerships and Education. As the Director of Community Partnerships and Education, Melvin will build new relationships and foster current ones in addition to creating opportunities for all people to access and engage in the art form of opera. Melvin said, “I am so excited to {…}
The New Orleans Opera has announced its 2021-22 season. The season will open the first act of Wagner’s “Die Walkure” in a semi-stage production. Carlo Miguel Prieto will conduct the act with a cast that includes Felicia Moore, James Creswell, and Kevin Ray. Performance Dates: Nov. 12 & 14, 2021 Laquita Mitchell headlines the production of “An Homage to Josephine {…}
On April 16, 2021, New Orleans Opera will present the premiere of their first production created for film, Gian Carlo Menotti’s “The Medium.” With stage direction by James Mavel, conductor Robert Lyall leads The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and a cast comprised of Victoria Livengood as Madame Flora, Sarah Jane McMahon as Monica, Carlo Barrera as Toby, Amy Pfrimmer as Mrs. {…}
New Orleans Opera has announced a new Spring lecture series. The four lectures, which continue the “ALLONS!” series that kicked off last Fall, will all be hosted by General Director Clare Burovac. All events will take place via Zoom. “Opera is a centuries-old art form that has survived many trials including war, the Great Depression, and shifts in popular culture,” {…}
The New Orleans Opera has announced a virtual concert featuring opera stars Bryan Hymel and Irini Kyriakidou. The operatic duo will be joined by Maestro Robert Lyall, pianist Michael Borowitz, and a string quartet from the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Presented from the Guild Home of the New Orleans Opera, the program will feature arias and duets from works such as {…}
New Orleans Opera has postponed the opening of the 2020-21 season. The company announced the news in a statement noting “As eager as we are to see you again and enjoy live opera together, we must proceed with everyone’s well-being and safety as the topmost priority. The current climb in COVID-19 cases across the state has caused us to re-evaluate {…}
Clare Burovac has been named General Director – Designate of New Orleans Opera, effective immediately. Burovac is the first woman to take the helm of the historic arts organization and succeeds Robert Lyall who is stepping down as General Director, as of September 15, 2020. Lyall will continue serving as Artistic Director for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. “Clare {…}
Opera America has announced the recipients of the second cycle of Innovation Grants. The grants, which are “generously funded by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation,” were launched in 2016 in support companies that have shown tremendous innovation in diverse areas of the art form. The grants total $1.5 million. This year, 20 companies were awarded the prestigious grants. They {…}
For this week’s recommendations, we have two modern works coupled with three classic masterworks (or more like four with two in a double bill). Throw in a combination of small and big-name companies and this weekend’s recommendations run a wide and diverse gamut. Un Ballo In Maschera – Livermore Valley Opera First up on our list is the independent company’s {…}
It’s always a welcome sight when companies stage works that are underappreciated and lesser known. It’s also risky because such unfamiliarity can result in smaller audiences who would be more willing to come out for works that are more recognizable. With that in mind, it was admirable for New Orleans Opera to present Jacques Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld” last {…}