Pittsburgh Festival Opera has announced that due to the COVID-19 crisis, it will be reimagining its entire festival. First off, the company will move its two mainstage productions of “Pagliacci” and “Lysistrata” to the 2021 season. It’s other two productions of “Siegfried,” “Götterdämmerung,” and “Virgula Divina” will then get slotted into the fall 2020 timeframe. Meanwhile all 2020 Second Stage {…}
The Pittsburgh Festival Opera has unveiled its 2020 Young Artists Program. The program has been revamped to include singers, pianists, and stage directors. The Young Artists include soprano Maureen Brabec, soprano Natalie Marie Butchko, mezzo-soprano Autumn Capocci, mezzo-soprano Sadie Cheslak, soprano Lindsey Chinn, soprano Anissa Clay, stage director George Cole, soprano Jessica Crowell, tenor Brent Doucette, mezzo-soprano Taylor-Alexis DuPont, soprano {…}
The Pittsburgh Festival Opera has unveiled its 2020 season which will include several operas, concerts, a poetry reading, and lectures. It all kicks off with the Gather of the Goddesses Gala Concert at the Playhouse at Pont Park University. The concert will feature Marianne Cornetti, Alexandra Loutsion, and Christine Goerke. Performance Date: June 20, 2020 “Pagliacci” will take the stage {…}
The Pittsburgh Festival Opera has announced the winners for the Mildred Miller International Voice Competition, with sopranos taking all of the high honors. In the ninth edition of the competition, soprano Teresa Castillo took home the First Prize as well as the Eugene N. and Barbara L. Myers Audience Favorite Accolade. Second Prize went to soprano Elisabeth Rosenberg and The {…}
The Pittsburgh Festival Opera is set to present the ninth annual Mildred Miller International Vocal Competition on Oct. 26 and 27, 2019. The showcase will be hosted by Kip Soteres, the host of Aria 412’s “Opera for Everyone” series. The semifinals are set for Saturday the 26th with the grand finals set for the following day. Eight singers will be {…}
Later this month, twenty-one semi-finalists, selected from a pool of over two-hundred, will compete at the ninth annual Mildred Miller International Vocal Competition. A panel of judges, led by company founder and competition namesake Mildred Miller Posvar, will choose eight finalists, and ultimately three winners. A fourth competitor will be chosen as Audience Favorite. Winners will receive a prize of {…}
(Credit: Seattle Opera / Jacob F. Lucas) This weekend, we are recommending some of the best-known works of the repertory in a bevy of productions across the U.S. One repertory staple will be getting a new arrangement in a English. Here are our top five operas to see this week (in chronological order by company). Cincinnati Opera – Porgy and {…}
The Pittsburgh Festival Opera has received a Bronze World Medal for Excellence in a Production Dealing with Society and Societal Issues award at the NY Festivals International TV and Film Awards. The production in question is “A Gathering of Sons,” which the company commissioned as part of its 2017 season. The 90-minute gospel-infused opera tells the story of a black {…}
On May 11, 2019, the Pittsburgh Festival Opera will host its annual gala celebrating Fred Rogers and his work as both television producer and composer. The event is titled “A Beautiful Night in the Neighborhood,” a nod to the theme song of Rogers’ long-running PBS program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood which was filmed at Pittsburgh’s WQED Studios. Throughout Rogers’ career, he {…}
The Pittsburgh Festival Opera has announced its 2019 slate of performances. All of the operas will be sung in English. Everything gets off to a unique start with Strauss’ rarely performed “The Love of Danae” appearing for one performance at the Falk Auditorium. Performance Date: July 12, 2019 “Mister Rogers’ Opera” takes the stage on the second night of the {…}
The Pittsburgh Festival Opera has announced that Christopher M. Powell will be its new Executive Director. He will take up the position on March 12, 2019, and lead the festival into its 42nd edition. Powell has worked as Director of Artistic Initiatives at the Glimmerglass Festival and was also Co-Executive Producer of the podcast “Breaking Glass.” He also served as {…}