On Jan. 21 and 23, Opera Philadelphia will present a concert at the Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center featuring Igor Stravinsky’s “Oedipus Rex” and George Walker’s “Lilacs.” The evening will feature a distinguished group of soloists and will spotlight the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra and Chorus. Each concert opens with “Lilacs,” a 15-minute work scored for a soprano soloist and {…}
Opera Philadelphia has announced “New Directions,” a new series of digital collaborations created by Music Theatre Wales. The series aims to question the essence of opera and what it can be by commissioning and working with artists who are often ignored or excluded from creating opera. To that effect, the company turned to Tumi Williams and Sita Thomas to create {…}
Opera Philadelphia’s virtual channel is set to present the premiere of Rene Orth and Kanika Ambrose’s “Taktakshoo” starting on Nov. 19, 2021. The showcase, which will star Kristen Choi and a quartet of dancers, fuses opera and K-pop, marimba and electronics, with an aim to explore electronics in opera. “Opera is long overdue for live vocal electronic manipulation,” Orth said {…}
Opera Philadelphia has announced a free outdoor screening of “La Traviata” on Sept. 9, 2021. The showcase, which is set to take place at Dilworth Park, was originally scheduled for Sept. 8 at 8 p.m., but was rescheduled due to prognostications of rain. The opera stars Lisette Oropesa as Violetta, Alek Shrader as Alfredo, and Stephen Powell as Germont in {…}
Opera Philadelphia has announced programming changes for Season 2 of the Opera Philadelphia Channel. The company announced that the Glass-Handel program slated to premiere in October has been canceled. In May the company announced plans to stream a concert film and documentary created by American countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo in collaboration with producer Cath Brittan and avant-garde fashion/art company Visionaire. The concert film would have {…}
On August 26, 2021, Opera Philadelphia will present acclaimed tenors Lawrence Brownlee and Michael Spyres in “An Evening of Vocal Fireworks.” The concert will mark the North American performance premiere of their 2020 album, “Amici e Rivali,” and comes as part of the Mann’s Summer Picnic Series at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts. Selections include arias and duets {…}
(Credit: Dominic M. Mercier) “The Drama of Tosca,” a special concert adaptation of Puccini’s “Tosca” will be available on Opera Philadelphia Channel starting on June 17, 2021. The recording comes from the May 2021 performances which were held for socially distanced audiences at the TD Pavilion at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. The 90-minute {…}
Opera Philadelphia has announced its 2021-22 season, which includes both in-person and video productions throughout the year. So let’s kick it off with the onstage performances. On Stage It all starts with “Amici e Rivali” starring Lawrence Brownlee and Michael Spyres. This pre-season concert will showcase the two tenors alongside conductor Corrado Rovaris and the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra and Chorus {…}
On May 25, 2021, Opera Philadelphia, in partnership with arts organizations nationwide, will present the World Premiere of Daniel Bernard Roumain’s new short film “They Still Want to Kill Us.” The film is directed by filmmaker Yoram Savion and consists of an aria to be performed by mezzo-soprano J’nai Bridges. The project commemorates the 100th anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa {…}
Opera Philadelphia has announced that it will stream “The Island We Made.” The new digital offering will combine ethereal electronic music, personal storytelling, arthouse filmmaking, and the transformative art of drag lip-sync to form an art-opera film. “The Island We Made” was created by composer Angélica Negrón, drag superstar Sasha Velour, and filmmaker Matthew Placek and is based on the {…}
Opera Philadelphia has announced new programming for its digital channel. First up, the company will be presenting the 2016 premiere production of Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s “Breaking the Waves.” The presentation is in collaboration with Los Angeles Opera. The opera starred Kiera Duffy as Bess McNeill alongside John Moore, Eve Gigliotti, David Portillo, and Zachary James, among others. Streaming {…}