Opera Steamboat will present a screening of “Everest – A Graphic Novel Opera” on Oct. 22, 2024 at the Bud Werner Memorial Library. The screening will showcase the new film production by Opera Parallèle. The one-act opera by Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer focuses on the 1996 Mount Everest Disaster during which several mountaineers died after a severe storm hit {…}
Opera Parallèle has announced its 2024-25 season. First up is “Everest,” which will be presented at the California Academy of Sciences, Morrison Planetarium. The immersive opera fuses graphic novel imagery and operatic storytelling to explore the 1996 famed expedition of the landmark. The opera stars Sasha Cooke, Nathan Granner, Kevin Burdette, Hadleigh Adams, Charlotte Fanvu, Shawnette Sulker, Whitney Steele, and {…}
On August 8 and 9, Opera Parallèle and The Transgender District is set to present “Expansive: A Showcase of Transgender & Nonbinary Classical Artists.” The showcase will feature baritone Lucas Bouk, bass-baritone Wilford Kelly, and violinist Queen Angelina as they take on music by such composers as Giordani, Brahms, R. Strauss, Vaughan Williams, Mozart, Verdi, Massanet, and Gershwin, among others. {…}
Opera Parallèle will join forces with The Transgender District to present “Expansive.” The program, set for August 8 and 9 at the A.C.T. Strand Theater in San Francisco will feature nonbinary and transgender artists in concert. Among the performers are Lucas Bouk, Wilford Kelly, and Queen Angelina. Afrika America will accompany at the piano. Opera Parallèle has commissioned a song {…}
Opera Parallèle and Presidio Theatre are set to present the West Coast premiere of “Fellow Travelers” by Gregory Spears. The company will salute LGBTQ+ Pride Month with the opera which will be performed three times between June 21 and 23 at the Presidio Theatre. The opera is based on award-winning author Thomas Mallon’s novel, which was recently adapted into a {…}
Photo credit: Cory Weaver Opera Parallèle was founded in 2007 by conductor Nicole Paiement to develop and produce contemporary opera. It continues to pioneer the commissioning of new works and exploring underperformed musical creations and landscapes. Coming up in April 2024, Opera Parallèle (OP) joins with SFJAZZ to present “Birds & Balls,” a program of multimedia opera, pairing two short {…}
Opera Parallèle has announced that it has received three major grants to support its upcoming projects. First up, the organization was awarded $25,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in support of its upcoming performances. The grant supports the premiere of “Birds & Balls.” Additionally, the company received $21,250 from the California Arts Council to support its “Expansive: {…}
(Photo credit: Destiny Grace) Opera Parallèle has announced the details of its annual benefit event, “Boum!” taking place on March 14. Mezzo-soprano, activist, and current San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow Nikola Printz previews the upcoming world premiere of “Birds and Balls,” singing the lead role of Billie Jean King. Printz is accompanied by pianist Keisuke Nakagoshi. This year Opera Parallèle {…}
Opera Parallèle will continue its 14th anniversary season with the world premiere of “Birds & Balls,” an ingenious pairing of two witty one-act operas regarding sportsmanship, competition, and gender equality. The operas are David T. Little and Royce Vavrek’s “Vinkensport, or The Finch Opera,” Laura Karpman and Gail Collins’s “Balls.” The works will be presented in collaboration with SFJAZZ, “Birds {…}
Opera Parallèle has commissioned multi-faceted Japanese composer Kenji Oh for his very first opera along with prolific librettist Kelley Rourke to create an adaptation of “The Emissary.” The new family opera is based on the award-winning novel by celebrated Japanese author Yoko Tawada, featuring an English translation by Margaret Mitsutani. The new opera will be performed on Oct. 27 and {…}
(photo by Philip Groshong) San Francisco’s Opera Parallèle has unveiled its 2023-24 season. The season opens with the world premiere of Kenji Oh and Kelley Rourke’s “The Emissary.” Per the official press announcement, the ”audience will journey through a fractured future, a dystopian satire that addresses the alarming environmental angst of today, and the ever-increasing psychological stress on the younger {…}