Toledo Opera and Toledo Spirits are set to host “Get Into the Spirit of Opera” on Jan. 31, 2023. The showcase will shine a spotlight on the opera company’s upcoming production of “The Merry Widow.” “Toledo Opera is excited to be producing this comedic operetta – the first comedy we’ve produced since before the COVID-19 pandemic. We are especially happy {…}
Toledo Opera is set to present Franz Lehár’s “The Merry Widow” on Feb. 10 and 12, 2022. The production is set to star Alyson Cambridge as Hanna Glawari and Keith Phares as Count Danilo. The cast will be rounded out by baritone Jason Budd (Baron Zeta), baritone Justin Bays (Njegus), tenor and Toledo Opera Resident Artist Brendan Boyle (Raoul de {…}
Toledo Opera has canceled its Outdoor Opera performance on Sept. 21, 2022. The company announced via email that the performance was canceled due to a forecast of high winds the possibility of precipitation. The Outdoor Opera series kicked off on Sept. 7 and was set to run through the 21st for a total of five performances. The showcase featured such {…}
Toledo Opera has announced that Grace Wipfli will be its new education and development coordinator. Wipfli hails from Toledo and was a Resident Artist with Toledo Opera in 2020-21 and 2021-22 where she appeared in “Il Trovatore” and was part of the Toledo Opera Galas in 2021 and 2022. She has also appeared at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival and {…}
Toledo Opera has announced the return of its outdoors series. Starting on Sept. 7, 2022 and running through Sept. 21, 2022 for a total of five performances (Wednesdays and Saturdays), the company will showcase the fifth installment of the popular series at the Toledo Botanical Garden and Toledo Farmer’s Market. The program will feature soprano Sara Mortensen, mezzo Imara Miles, {…}
Toledo Opera along with the African American Police League, Toledo Police Museum, WGTE Public Media, and the Lucas County Public Library join forces to promote the upcoming run of Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s new opera, “Blue.” “Blue” follows the realities of a Black family in Harlem who navigate the father being a police officer as their son grows up {…}
Toledo Opera will present Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s new opera “Blue.” The work will be presented on August 26 and August 28 at 2 p.m. at the Valentine Theatre in Toledo, Ohio. The work, which is influenced by gospel music and uses vivid flashbacks, places timely issues at the forefront of modern opera. Since its world premiere in 2019 {…}
Baritone Daniel Rich, soprano Angeli Ferrette, soprano Amber Cierra Merritt, and mezzo-soprano Ikpemesi O were named the winners of the 2022 Black Brilliance Competition. Rich came in first place for his performance of “The Glory of the Day Was in Her Face” by Florence Price. Second place was given to Ferrette for “Don’t Feel No-Ways Tired” arranged by Jacqueline Hairston. {…}
Toledo Opera has announced its Resident Artists for the 2022-23 season. The artists include soprano Julia Swan Laird, mezzo-soprano Imara Miles, tenor Brendan J. Boyle, and baritone Matthew Payne; joining the group will also be pianist Steven Naylor. The resident artists will all be part of the Opera on Wheels program which visits educational institutions and brings live opera throughout Toledo. For {…}
On May 23 at 7 p.m., Toledo Opera and Maumee Valley Country Day School will host” Activating the Arts for Racial Justice: A Documentary Film Screening and Panel Discussion featuring “Blue: Stories From Toledo.” This will be the third screening presented by Toledo Opera of the documentary. Eboné Waweru, Toledo Opera soprano and parent at the co-hosting school, will deliver {…}
Toledo Opera’s Opera Outdoors concert has been canceled. The concert was set to be performed on May 21 at the Toledo Farmers’ Market. The evening was set to feature resident artists Grace Wipfli (soprano), Katherine Kincaid (mezzo soprano), Fran Daniel Laucerica (tenor), Andrew Payne (baritone), and Mercy Olson (pianist) performing iconic vocal selections from the classical repertoire, along with musical theatre and other American standards. The series began {…}