(Photo courtesy of Opera Philadelphia) Opera Philadelphia has announced that every seat at every show will be $11 or “Pick Your Price.” The new price is officially available now for all productions throughout the 2024-25 season. In explaining his reason for the strategy, newly minted General Director and President of Opera Philadelphia Anthony Roth Costanzo noted that “price can be a {…}
The Music Critics Association of North America has announced that “10 Days in a Madhouse” was named the Best New Opera for 2024. The opera was composed by Rene Orth and features a libretto by Hannah Moscovitch. The work was commissioned by Opera Philadelphia and Tapestry Opera and was world premiered in 2023 as part of Opera Philadelphia’s Festival O23. {…}
The fall 2024 Works & Process season has been announced. The events will take place at the Guggenheim Museum, Manhattan West, and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Here is a look at the operatic events. The Metropolitan Opera will present “Grounded” by Jeanine Tesori and George Brant. The event will highlight parts of the opera which {…}
Spring was in the air in Philadelphia when I met with David B. Devan in Opera Philadelphia’s Center City offices. Warm temperatures and flowers heralded a new season, as clearly as the empty offices signaled change for the opera company. Devan is stepping down as Opera Philadelphia’s general director at the end of May. It was a decision prompted in {…}
Opera Philadelphia will preview its upcoming season with a free concert on June 20 at Dilworth Park. The showcase will feature music from “Don Giovanni,” “The Anonymous Lover,” and “Songs from the Uproar.” Performers include Tanisha Anderson, Sophia Santiago, Lauren Cook, Matthew Coules, Steven Humes, Brenton Mattox-Scott, Michael Miller, Julie Snyder, Chorus Master Elizabeth Braden, and pianist Grant Loehnig. “Opera {…}
Opera Philadelphia has appointed Anthony Roth Costanzo as its new General Director and President. The Opera Philadelphia Board of Directors unanimously approved the appointment which will see Costanzo shape the future of the company, and oversee fundraising and business strategies, audience development, community initiatives, and artistic planning. He will become the seventh General Director since the company was founded in 1975, {…}
Michael J. Bolton has been named the new executive director of the International Friends of Festival Verdi. Bolton began in this position on March 18. He now leads the organization in its mission to promote and support the Teatro Regio di Parma’s Festival Verdi, honoring the legacy of the renowned Italian composer. Bolton brings a wealth of experience in arts {…}
The Apollo in New York and Opera Philadelphia have announced a multi-year partnership to co-create new Black America operas. The two organizations previously partnered in 2016 and 2017 on such works as “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird” and “We Shall Not Be Moved.” As part of the partnership, they will “share resources, ideas, infrastructure and talent through joint research, artist residencies, workshops, {…}
Opera Philadelphia’s 2023-2024 Season closes with a new production of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The new production designed by Yuki Izumihara and directed by Ethan Heard seeks to explore ─ and explode ─ the opera’s core, damaging stereotype of “the submissive, self-sacrificing Asian woman.” In a statement, Izumihara said, “Puccini trapped his Butterfly in a beautiful score. In turn, ‘Madame Butterfly’ {…}
Opera Philadelphia will present Karen Slack in “To Sit and Dream” as part of its Sounds of America series. The concert will be held on March 17, 2024 at Philadelphia’s Tindley Temple United Methodist Church. Appearing in this program alongside the Philadelphia Opera Chorus in partnership with Wharton-Wesley Faith Ensemble, Slack is featured in a program of music by Black {…}
Opera Philadelphia is putting its O Festival on hold. The news comes as the company announced its 2024-25 season, which included three opera productions. In a statement to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Opera Philadelphia general director and president David B. Devan said, “It worked for a time, and then COVID happened and it’s not working the way it once did. We need {…}