virginia opera
audited financial statements represent the combined financial position of both the virginia opera association and the virginia opera foundation .
the vision of virginia opera is enriching the cultural community of the commonwealth of virginia through the passion, power and beauty of opera. the mission of virginia opera is to engage, educate and excite a diverse base of audiences, volunteers and professionals through the production of quality opera performances in the commonwealth of virginia .
browse the virginia tourism website for a calendar of local and state events in virginia .
virginia railway express is a commuter rail service between northern virginia and washington, dc .
in march of 1994, by unanimous vote of the virginia general assembly, virginia opera was named
the official opera company of the commonwealth of virginia
in recognition of the organization' s contribution to the commonwealth, and to the world of opera .
der freischűtz: virginia opera hits the target with a winning freischütz. – washington classical review
edythe c. harrison' s love of music led her to help found the virginia opera association .
but when the virginia opera moved in in the mid - 1970s, there were some obvious shortcomings .
volunteer at food banks throughout virginia. regional food banks include central virginia food bank, foodbank of southeastern virginia & the eastern shore and the capital area food bank .
for more information on virginia opera' s in - school touring program, e - mail education @ urltoken .
prior to his seven years in ballet, allen served as general manager for the atlanta opera, following his six years at virginia opera. his work with virginia opera in the 90s saw the organization through both its 20th and 25th gala seasons, and through six years of growth in both audience size and contributed revenue. now looking ahead to its 44th season in 2018 - 19, allen will plan with virginia opera’s board of directors the direction of the next phase of growth and development for virginia opera .
one of the most popular programs presented by virginia opera is operation opera offering entertaining and insightful presentations to statewide community venues. presentations can be customized to suit your particular group .
virginia opera is one of the finest regional opera companies in the nation and is the only company to perform regularly in three separate mainstage venues. in addition, virginia opera reaches more than 120, 000 students and community members each year through its impressive variety of innovative education and community outreach programs .
as a renewing subscriber, you will have guaranteed seats and the special benefits you have come to expect at virginia opera .
megan marino (left) as rosina and will liverman as figaro join the cast of virginia opera’s “barber of seville. ”
virginia opera regularly seeks talent from the local area for the chorus, dance, and supernumerary actors for our upcoming productions .
supervising those has been virginia opera marketing director lisa jardanhazy, a onetime opera innocent who arrived in norfolk eight years ago from her native pittsburgh, fresh from marketing pickles for heinz foods .
speaking of virginia opera, that company' s repertoire choices are savvy and adventurous, certainly more interesting than the standard fare lyric opera has focused on so far. – the baltimore sun
virginia opera is a professional chorus offering competitive compensation. transportation and lodging are provided as appropriate for the richmond and fairfax performances .
venue: harrison opera house, grand lobby *, 160 w. virginia beach boulevard norfolk, va 23510 * please use the main entrance of the harrison opera house, near the box office
in a sunday arts story on the virginia opera, several statistics were incorrect. the opera company stages 36 performances in the localities each year and hosts education programs that reach some 250, 000 virginia schoolchildren. the capacity of the harrison opera house in norfolk is 1, 600. (published 03 / 26 / 96 )
this year’s project marks the library of virginia’s participation in the 2010 statewide program “minds wide open: virginia celebrates women in the arts. ”
from the beach to the beltway, virginia opera’s 2017 - 18 season roars to life in september and doesn’t stop until next spring .
silent night, commissioned and premiered by minnesota opera, has been produced at fort worth opera, cincinnati opera, the wexford opera festival, calgary opera, montreal opera, and the lyric opera of kansas city, with upcoming productions at atlanta opera, opera san jose, and michigan opera theatre. in 2013, his choral works to touch the sky and if i were a swan were performed and recorded by conspirare. his second opera, also commissioned by minnesota opera, the manchurian candidate, based on the novel, had its world premiere in 2015. a new vocal work for soprano renee flemming and orchestra, based on the personal letters of georgia o’keeffe, will have its world premiere in new york in fall 2016 and his first chamber opera, an adaptation of peter ackroyd’s gothic novel the trial of elizabeth cree commissioned by opera philadelphia will have its world premiere in 2017 .
every virginia opera mainstage production has a corresponding study guide created specifically to correlate with virginia standards of learning. these guides include background information, student worksheets, and library activities which encourage educators to incorporate the arts into the existing curriculum. it is virginia opera’s objective to support the academic and artistic growth and development of students across the commonwealth .
as
the official opera company of the commonwealth ,
virginia opera is dedicated to serving as a leader not only in the field of opera specifically, but in the performing arts in general. each main stage season, the company employs and collaborates with artists and performance groups throughout the state, including, but not limited to, virginia symphony orchestra, governor' s school for the arts, richmond symphony, richmond ballet and virginia arts festival. virginia opera has been producing professional main stage performances since 1974 and now serves the commonwealth' s largest metropolitan areas - hampton roads, richmond and fairfax, with a combined population of five million. virginia opera mainstage productions represent virginia citizen' s best, and often
only ,
opportunity to experience the richness of opera at a fully - staged performance .
this cornerstone of virginia opera’s education and outreach effort features our acclaimed herndon foundation emerging artists. age appropriate live opera productions travel across the state and provide in - school performances for ages k - 12 .
there is no doubt you will be tempted by the powerful, emotional, involving and otherworldly experiences virginia opera has in store for you in the 2018 - 2019 season! become a subscriber to the 2018 - 2019 season and be a part of a passionate community of opera lovers, celebrating the dynamic power of opera found here in virginia .
hailed by opera today for her “pleasing and pliant voice, ” iranian canadian mezzo - soprano, shirin eskandani, recently made her metropolitan opera stage debut as mercédès in carmen. she is the recipient of several prestigious awards including first place at the gerda lissner foundation vocal competition and fourth place at the licia albanese - puccini competition. recent career highlights include company debuts with the metropolitan opera, the rossini opera festival, sarasota opera, and opera southwest. her recent roles include dorabella in così fan tutte, angelina in la cenerentola, zaida in il turco in italia, the mother in hansel and gretel, and ragonde in le comte ory. a midwest district finalist at the metropolitan opera national council auditions, ms. eskandani has worked as a young artist with merola opera, palm beach opera, opera theatre st louis, syracuse opera, the ash lawn opera festival, and banff opera .
virginia opera' s education and community outreach programs offer a number of innovative and entertaining activities for children and adults of all ages. from community concerts to behind - the - scenes tours, the opera brings imaginative programming to schools and community venues throughout the commonwealth. virginia opera currently travels statewide to provide age - appropriate programs and services to k - 12 students and community groups that include: in - school and community performances; student night (s) at the opera; student matinee performances; operation opera; and emerging artists program. annually, the opera offers over 250 age - appropriate opera education performances and / or residencies in schools and community venues in 35 regions throughout virginia. members of virginia opera’s emerging artists program, a comprehensive training and professional development course, have been featured in each season’s casts and cover (understudy) all principal roles .
the virginia opera celebrated the closing of its 41st season with gala 2016, voyage to our future. the event, co - sponsored by altria and dominion resources, featured dinner, live and silent auctions, and arias and duets performed by virginia opera stars jill and jake gardner. virginia opera herndon foundation emerging artists kelly glyptis, molly hill and kyle oliver also captivated guests with favorite selections from opera and broadway. co - chairs dr. cora t. huitt and patti pusey led the gala committee of twelve, who work year - round to produce the event. the evening netted $ 125, 000, and elevated awareness of virginia opera’s compelling vision to secure the youngest opera audience in the united states by 2025 .
and if its $ 4. 9 million annual budget is only half that of the washington opera, where placido flamingo' s namesake now reigns, the virginia opera may well provide more operatic bang for the buck .
founded in 1929, the chautauqua opera company is north america' s oldest continuously operating summer opera company and 4th oldest opera company after the metropolitan opera, cincinnati opera and san francisco opera. the chautauqua opera company offers more than 40 operatic events each season, including fully staged productions in chautauqua institution' s 4000 - seat amphitheater and in the historic 1, 300 - seat norton hall, concerts with the chautauqua symphony orchestra, weekly recitals, music theater revues, opera scenes programs, and operatic revues for young audiences. chautauqua opera productions feature internationally recognized guest artists as well as promising young singers from our young artist program .
mr. wilson’s 2013 - 2014 calendar featured debuts with hawaii opera, as timur in turandot, sarasota opera as daland in der fliegende holländer, and dayton opera for ramphis in aida, as well as a return to the metropolitan opera to cover the police commissioner in der rosenkavalier .
copyright © 2009 — 2018, oratorio society of virginia. all rights reserved .
the virginia opera has regular performance schedules (and separate trustees) in richmond and northern virginia as well as norfolk, plus its own $ 500, 000 - a - year scenery production business, which manufactures sets for operas from orlando to sacramento and owns and rents out some 30 different productions. opera showplace
these special performances offer students in hampton roads and central virginia the opportunity to experience their own “night / afternoon at the opera” at a reduced ticket price .
virginia opera’s education and outreach programs touch the lives of community members of all ages. our diverse programs enable students across the commonwealth to experience live mainstage productions as well as in - school performances designed specifically for younger opera lovers .
virginia state parks needs both individual and groups for short and long - term volunteer projects. contact virginia state parks on 703. 583. 5497 for more information .
auditions for virginia opera’s 2018 - 2019 season choruses will be held at the harrison opera house in downtown norfolk on may 7 and 8 from 5: 30pm until 8: 00pm each day. you must schedule your audition in advance .
virginia opera’s in - school touring programs are specifically designed to bring children all that opera has to offer in a compact experience that is fun and engaging, customizable to any classroom, auditorium, or community setting. each program is approximately 40 minutes long, featuring performers from virginia opera’s herndon foundation emerging artists program in productions that are fully staged, complete with costumes, scenery, and props .
virginia opera’s main stage performances serve the commonwealth’s three largest metropolitan areas - hampton roads, richmond and northern virginia. by offering performances across multiple venues, the company is able to spread the fixed cost required to mount each production, making the company one of the lowest cost producers of opera in the united states when compared to similarly sized companies performing in comparable venues. from its inception, virginia opera has been staunchly committed to enriching the lives of young people by instilling in them an appreciation for the arts. with the increased demand for the opera’s programs—because of the decrease in arts programming in public schools— virginia opera travels statewide to provide age - appropriate programs and services to k - 12 students and community groups .
virginia opera’s statewide expansion began by producing in richmond in 1977 with the encouragement of governor mills godwin and mrs. t. fleetwood (anna) garner. under their leadership, the richmond friends of opera was formed to present virginia opera productions annually in the capital city. by 1983, the richmond and central virginia board of virginia opera formed and a richmond office was opened. in november 1992, the company presented its first mainstage performance at the center for the arts at george mason university in fairfax. this development was hailed as “one of the major local operatic events of the year” by the washington post, and deemed a special day in music history for the washington d. c. area by opera news .
virginia opera association, inc. , in its 44th year of operation, is known and respected nationwide for the identification and presentation of the finest young artists, for the musical and dramatic integrity of its productions, and for the ingenuity and variety of its education and outreach programs. the company has a working budget of $ 5. 3 million with over 28 mainstage performances, reaching nearly 50, 000 attendees. in march of 1994, by unanimous vote of the virginia general assembly, virginia opera was named the official opera company of the commonwealth of virginia in recognition of the organization’s contribution to the commonwealth and to the world of opera .
taking up painting early in her sixties, queena stovall created works that recalled her life in rural virginia and earned her the title the
grandma moses of virginia .
it was a wonderful moment. it showed us what a powerful teaching tool opera can be... how much it can reach people across all sorts of barriers of age and culture that in the end prove not to matter. and i guess my ultimate dream is for the virginia opera to make an experience like that possible for everyone .
caption: zehava gal, james bobick and keith buhl in the virginia opera' s
barber of seville .
caption: peter mark, virginia opera' s general and artistic director, hope mihalap, one of the company' s founders, and lisa jardanhazy, its marketing director. caption: the virginia opera' s sparkling home opened in november 1993 .
american conductor adam turner is quickly gaining momentum as a conductor to watch on international opera stages. currently in his fourth season as principal conductor and artistic advisor at virginia opera, maestro turner garners critical acclaim for the breadth of his repertoire, artistic vision, and polished technique. of his recent performance of der freischütz with virginia opera, opera news hailed: “conductor adam turner…ensured crackling rhythms as much as lyrical spaciousness, resulting in a performance that felt vital and spontaneous throughout. ”
organized in 1974 by founding president edythe c. harrison, virginia opera was launched with two productions in the norfolk center theater, and has since expanded to four productions including 20 performances at the edythe c. and stanley l. harrison opera house in norfolk, eight at the landmark theater in richmond, and eight at george mason university' s center for the arts in fairfax. virginia opera' s history in richmond began in 1977 with the encouragement of then - governor mills godwin and mrs. t. fleetwood (anna) garner, under whose leadership the richmond friends of opera was formed to present virginia opera productions annually in richmond .
today, 21 years later, the mark - norfolk opera nexus has spread to encompass the entire state of virginia. from seedy beginnings in a former uso theater and wrestling arena, the virginia opera has grown into a hard - charging regional company with a four - opera season, 19 performances in three cities and an aggressive educational program reaching more than 18, 000 students in 500 schools across the state .
clearly, mark says, the virginia opera has a huge potential audience in northern virginia, and there, as in the rest of the state, it works to win its audience through partnerships with public school arts programs. they are so effective, jardanhazy says, that
an enormous number
of first - time ticket buyers
tell us they first learned of the virginia opera from their kids at school .
charlottesville opera, the newly renamed ash lawn opera, kicks off its fortieth anniversary season on march 23 and 24 with the east coast premiere of middlemarch in spring, presented in collaboration with the virginia festival of the book. the exciting and ambitious season, which also features rigoletto and oklahoma! this summer, is a celebration of the company’s growth and achievements as charlottesville, virginia’s premier opera company. to accompany this special anniversary, charlottesville opera has also announced a new logo and redesigned website .
the virginia opera brings an evening of opera & broadway, highlighting some of the most beloved arias and ensemble pieces that opera has to offer, as well as popular musical theater show tunes. the program features members of the virginia operas acclaimed herndon foundation emerging artists program, accompanied by principal coach & director of emerging artists, shelby rhoades. the program will include play - by - play commentary that gives audience members insight into this exciting repertoire, provided by robert cinnante, virginia operas director of education .
the mission of virginia opera encompasses much more than staging world - class operas each season. as hard as we work to present only the highest quality productions, we work even harder to ensure that opera and culture continue to have a future in virginia. by teaching our young people about opera, opening our doors to all families, bringing awareness to our communities, and cultivating the opera stars of tomorrow, we are helping to build a virginia that includes in the vibrant spirit of its citizens a love for the cultural arts that contribute to greatly to the richness of our society .
yet nothing exemplifies the vision and energy of the virginia opera more than harrison opera house, a glittering new 600 - seat showcase built on the physical and cultural foundations of the brawling world war ii liberty town that was norfolk half a century ago .
continuing in his post at virginia opera, maestro turner will conduct performances of samson and d e lila h and a midsummer night ’ s dream during the 2017 - 2018 season. on top of his productions at virginia opera, he will also conduct händel’s messiah with the virginia symphony and theo popov’s the halloween tree, which he conducted last season as well, with american lyric theater at arizona state university. last season, mo. turner conducted three decembers with hawaii opera theatre, a domingo - cafritz young artist program holiday concert with washington national opera, carmen with central city opera, and der freischütz and a double bill of the seven deadly sins / pagliacci in his post as principal conductor at virginia opera. as the inaugural recipient of the julius rudel / kurt weill conducting fellowship in 2015, he collaborated with renowned conductor john demain on washington national opera’s production of kurt weill’s final stage composition lost in the stars .
the virginia film festival in november is presented by the university of virginia in charlottesville and includes classic films, hollywood movies, documentary films and experimental videos from filmmakers in virginia and elsewhere. lectures and discussions are also held during the event and are open to the public .
virginia opera is ambitious here, going for over - the - top entertainment while never underserving or disrespecting the beauty and majesty of the opera itself. from the sublime to the ridiculous, it all works. the show is beyond memorable. it’s unforgettable .
mr. wilson’s 2014 - 2015 season began with the dayton opera singing works by mussorgsky and tchaikovsky in a gala concert. subsequently, the american bass debuted with opera memphis, as the commendatore in don giovanni, joined the metropolitan opera for its production of die meistersinger von nürnberg, and made appearances with tulsa opera, for frère laurent in roméo et juliette, and opera colorado, for sarastro in die zauberflöte .
virginia opera is committed to finding and training the outstanding artists of tomorrow. those selected to participate in the program will be challenged and supported by an outstanding staff. the program offers significant opportunities for professional growth for those truly committed to the field of opera .
some people in virginia had started an opera company and were looking for professional help. would mark be interested in talking to them about moving to norfolk to direct the entire operation ?
to find other local public transit systems in virginia, visit the american public transportation association website .
virginia office on volunteerism & community service lists opportunities and information on volunteer centers throughout the state .
next friday and sunday, washington area opera - goers can make up their own minds about how much that buys when the virginia opera brings to george mason university an ambitious production of rossini' s
the barber of seville
- - a production that often equals and at times surpasses the washington opera' s own knockout
barber
staged earlier this year .
virginia opera’s third installment in their 2013 american series, a streetcar named desire, an opera in three acts premiered at george mason university’s center for the arts on friday, march 1, 2013 at 8: 00 pm. originally written in 1947 by american playwright thomas “tennessee” williams, who received the 1948 pulitzer prize for drama, streetcar was finally presented as an opera by first - class composer andré previn and premiered at the san francisco opera in 1998 .
will liverman as figaro in virginia opera' s
the barber of seville
on stage at the carpenter theatre at dominion arts center in richmond, nov. 18 and 20, 2016 .
ethel bailey furman was one of the earliest african american women to work as an architect in virginia .
purchase fresh produce and local goods at one of the many virginia farmers’ markets found across the state .
habitat for humanity virginia provides low - cost housing for families in need. volunteers need no construction experience to help with habitat for humanity. to volunteer, find a local affiliate on the virginia website .
during regular appearances with virginia symphony orchestra and the richmond symphony, mr. turner conducted young people’s concerts and additional outreach activities. his leadership of virginia opera’s annual “opera in the park” series, featuring both of the aforementioned orchestras in their respective communities, reaches nearly 10, 000 attendees across the commonwealth of virginia with a program of opera and popular hits, ensuring the next generation of prospective opera lovers, and bridging the gap between popular and classical music genres. he appeared in concert with singer - songwriter ben folds, conducting “ the orchestra experience ” during a recent tour stop in virginia beach. additionally, maestro turner conducted at the david oistrakh festival in estonia, featuring appearances with the st. petersburg festival orchestra, pärnu city orchestra, and the kaiserslautern symphony orchestra .
virginia opera is ambitious here, going for over - the - top entertainment while never underserving or disrespecting the beauty and majesty of the opera itself. from the sublime to the ridiculous, it all works. the show is beyond memorable. it’s unforgettable. – the richmond - times dispatch
we at the virginia opera mourn the passing of our long time friend, mr. richard miller. over many years he has supported our organization by serving on our statewide board of directors, …
other recent guest conducting engagements include: rom éo et juliette at lyric opera baltimore, sweeney todd at hawaii opera theatre and eugene opera; le nozze di figaro, dead man walking, carmen, la boh è me, man of la mancha and oklahoma! with central city opera; don giovanni, le nozze di figaro, carmen, brigadoon, my fair lady, camelot, and britten’s biblically inspired noye ’s fludde during his tenure as resident conductor at ash lawn opera; and der fliegende holländer, la boh è me, h. m. s. pinafore, carmen, ariadne auf naxos, the mikado, carousel, and camelot for virginia opera .
virginia opera’s herndon foundation emerging artists perform leading and comprimario roles and / or cover leading roles in the company’s mainstage productions. further, some herndon foundation emerging artists perform leading roles in fully - staged education and community outreach productions, touring schools throughout the state of virginia. community concerts and company promotional events offer artists the opportunity to perform standard arias and ensembles in concerts with piano. in addition, virginia opera has a rich history of re - engaging herndon foundation emerging artists for mainstage productions in future seasons
amtrak serves many communities in virginia, including major cities like alexandria, newport news, williamsburg and richmond .
virginia opera is dedicated to serving as a leader not only in the field of opera, specifically, but in the performing arts, in general. each season, the company employs artists and partners with performance groups throughout the state, including, but not limited to, virginia symphony orchestra, richmond ballet, richmond symphony orchestra, governor’s school for the arts, virginia arts festival, virginia children’s chorus, d’art center, and festevents, providing collaborative opportunities for professional statewide programs. the opera’s president and ceo russell p. allen, has served on the virginia commission for the arts review panel and has served as a panelist, moderator, and professional consultant for agencies across the country. numerous members of board leadership are active non - profit advocates, serving on the boards of our arts partners throughout the state – most recently, one member served as chairman of the virginia commission for the arts and one served as executive director of virginians for the arts. the company is an active participant in numerous local, regional, and statewide private and institutional arts initiatives. as mentioned, the opera continues to pursue local as well as national cooperative projects and will continue its popular opera in the park program in both norfolk and richmond, in cooperation with virginia symphony orchestra, and the richmond symphony, among others, as well as a new collaboration with wcve - tv. just recently, virginia opera provided the content for a virginia currents twelve - minute video on the making of opera. this broadcast aired in richmond on january 16, 2014. it is anticipated that another broadcast will be developed for the 2014 - 15 season .
celebrating its bicentennial, rossini’s masterpiece “the barber of seville” is a staple of opera companies around the world. presented by virginia opera on friday in the carpenter theatre at dominion arts center, this “barber of seville” is a perfect example of how to update and breathe new life into a beloved classic .
the secret to central city opera' s success: bonfils - stanton foundation artists training program which develops young opera singers to launch their careers. the general / artistic director talks about the business and the joy of opera. this story is from arts district episode 506. learn more »
excerpts from the opera arranged by the composers for double wind quintet plus trumpet and double bass .
equally comfortable on the concert stage, mr. wilson recently sang the bass solo in beethoven’s 9th symphony with the tulsa symphony. among the orchestras he has performed with in concert are indianapolis symphony, yakima symphony, deutsche oper orchester, hallesche philharmonie, brandenburgische philharmonie frankfurt, seattle symphony and staatskappelle orchester berlin. previous us engagements have included contracts with santa fe opera (don giovanni, la traviata), opera carolina (nabucco and lucia di lammermoor), lyric opera of kansas city (lucia di lammermoor), florentine opera (a midsummer night’s dream), palm beach opera (tannhäuser), minnesota opera (die entführung aus dem serail), opera theatre of st. louis (the grand duchess of gerolstein and miss havisham’s fire), and glimmerglass opera (salome) .
prior to his appointment as one of the youngest artistic leaders in virginia opera’s history, turner proved he has a vision for the future of the industry as a member of the next generation of leaders while holding several administrative and music staff appointments at houses across the country including seattle opera, florida grand opera, central city opera, portland opera, tulsa opera, syracuse opera, and ash lawn opera. in these positions, turner worked side - by - side with world - renowned maestri including asher fisch, steuart bedford, john demain, gary thor wedow, and broadway veteran rob fisher. turner holds a bachelor of music degree from morehead state university, and a master of music degree from the catholic university of america. he furthered his training with internationally acclaimed conductors and pedagogues neeme järvi, paavo järvi, marin alsop, jorma panula, gustav meier, kenneth kiesler, and kate tamarkin .
commuter bus services from northern virginia take many residents to nearby washington, dc. companies providing commuter services include :
[ 1 ] mackenzie, ross .
chautauqua opera, 1929 - 2004: a history .
[ 2 ] mackenzie, ross .
chautauqua opera, 1929 - 2004: a history .
santiago received his musical training at the buenos aires university and the opera studio of opera argentino. in the us he has furthered his training under the guidance of legendary baritone sherrill milnes in “voice experience” .
here in norfolk it' s possible to see an entire season of opera for $ 55, little more than half the cost of a single orchestra seat for one performance at the kennedy center opera house .
many graduates of our bel canto mentoring program have gone from the caramoor stage to the world stage. we rely on the incredible support of opera enthusiasts to help these emerging opera stars receive priceless career encouragement .
audition call for young people to be part of the children’s chorus in virginia opera’s upcoming production of kurt weill’s street scene, as part of our 2018 - 2019 mainstage season. the children will perform alongside international opera singers, in a fully staged and costumed production, with orchestra and sung in english at the harrison opera house in norfolk, dominion energy center in richmond, and george mason university’s center for the arts in fairfax .
the company produces four mainstage productions including performances at the edythe c. and stanley l. harrison opera house in norfolk, carpenter theatre at dominion arts center in richmond, and at george mason university’s center for the arts in fairfax. virginia opera is the only opera company to perform a full season of opera in multiple mainstage venues and to reach more than 150, 000 students and community members each year through its innovative education and community outreach program. building upon past accomplishments, the 2018 - 2019 season features an exciting level of artistry and diverse programming. while remaining committed to securing the highest caliber of vocal talent, the opera will invite brilliant conductors and directors, assisted by the next generation of gifted artists, to challenge audiences and create new opera experiences .
sean christensen has been recognized as a tenor with a full, warm, and lyrical timbre, steadily establishing himself professionally in new york city. he has recently appeared as le chevalier de la force in sarasota opera’s production of dialogues des carmélites, des grieux in dell’arte opera ensemble’s production of manon, fernando in bare opera’s production of granados’ goyescas, don ottavio in opera in williamsburg’s production of don giovanni, azaël in bare opera’s production of ravel’s l’enfant prodigue, normanno in lucia di lammermoor with opera in williamsburg, as well as tamino in the magic flute with the metropolitan guild. he was a young artist with bel canto at caramoor in 2016 where he performed as oraspe in aureliano in palmira, and was an apprentice artist at sarasota opera in 2016 where he was awarded the leo m. rodgers award for outstanding apprentice artist. he was also a studio artist at chautauqua opera in 2015, and an opera north young artist in 2014. he currently studies with michael chioldi .
hampton roads: 757. 627. 9545 central & northern virginia: 804. 644. 8168 email: info @ urltoken
virginia’s 35 state parks offer many outdoor activities, including camping, hiking and running trails, fishing, boating and picnicking .
as splendidly as the harrison opera house anchors the virginia opera in norfolk, however, the concept of the company, mark says ,
has been statewide from the start .
four years after its first production, the virginia opera was trucking its sets and singers to richmond for regular performances, and in november 1992 it made a similar move into the new center for the performing arts at george mason university in fairfax. each has been a highly calculated - - and ultimately successful - - move. but each left mihalap, among other norfolk partisans, holding her breath .
by 1983, the richmond and central virginia board of virginia opera was formed and a richmond office was opened. in november 1992, the company presented its first mainstage performance at the center for the arts at george mason university in fairfax. this development was hailed as
one of the major local operatic events of the year
by the washington post; and deemed
a special day in music history for the washington, d. c. area ,
by opera news .
jean miller skipwith, lady skipwith, assembled one of the largest libraries owned by a virginia woman early in the nineteenth century .
intercity and interstate bus services in virginia include megabus and greyhound, which travel to many cities and regions in the united states .
the oratorio society of virginia • box 5073, charlottesville, va 22905 - 5073 • 434. 295. 4385 info @ urltoken
( left to right) will liverman as figaro, megan marino as rosina and andrew owens as count almaviva. virginia opera 2016 production ,
the barber of seville
by gioachino rossini. conductor: john baril. director: michael shell .
virginia opera produces / performs at mainstage venues throughout the commonwealth including but not limited to: the harrison opera house in norfolk, carpenter theatre at dominion arts center in richmond, and at george mason university' s center for the arts in fairfax, va. offices are maintained in both norfolk and richmond. education and outreach program activities are conducted at venues statewide .
organized in 1974 by founding chair edythe c. harrison, virginia opera was launched with two productions in the norfolk center theater. shortly thereafter, peter mark was appointed artistic director, a position he held for over 35 years. peter mark was named artistic director emeritus in 2012. russell p. allen, appointed president and ceo in 2011, currently leads the company – returning to virginia opera after six years as general manager from 1994 - 2000. adam turner was appointed artistic director in 2018 .
( left to right) megan marino as rosina and andrew owens as count almaviva in virginia opera' s
the barber of seville
on stage at the carpenter theatre at dominion arts center in richmond, nov. 18 and 20, 2016 .
and though the state is famous for its conservatism, he says ,
whenever i' ve come to the virginia opera board with some wild idea, instead of telling me i' m crazy they just ask how soon we can start .
the present chautauqua opera guild was established in 1974. to this day, the guild is instrumental in supporting and encouraging the opera' s young artists with an adopt - an - artist program in the community, pre - performance operalogues presenting a background and selections of the evening' s opera, and substantial end - of - season young artist awards .
virginia born lucretia west, age 93, started her career singing german classical and gospel mezzo - soprano in post - wwii europe .
dash provides bus services throughout alexandria and also connects to other transit services like washington, dc’s metrobus and metrorail and virginia railway express .
the barber of seville: an updated ‘barber of seville’ has verve, vitality and buckets of humor…. virginia opera’s new production of gioachino rossini’s ‘the barber of seville, ’ which opened friday at the harrison opera house, has it all: truly gorgeous singing, john baril’s crisp conducting, michael shell’s inventive direction and, not least, laughs galore. – the virginian - pilot
overture and 6 movements adapted from the composer' s opera
nina
. rich sounding suite for augmented harmonie ensemble .
will crutchfield has been director of opera at caramoor since 1997, leading over thirty operas by rossini, bellini, donizetti, and verdi, and establishing caramoor as a center for operatic scholarship, training of young singers, revival of rare masterpieces, and influential reinterpretations of familiar works. he has also held conducting posts with the polish national opera in warsaw and the opera de colombia in bogotá, and has appeared as a guest conductor in many theaters elsewhere, recently including a pair of productions at the rossini opera festival in pesaro. the second of those, rossini’s aureliano in palmira, recently won first place for “rediscovered opera” at the international opera awards ceremony in london, and was given its american premiere at caramoor in the 2016 season .
but the company has limited access to george mason' s center for the performing arts, due to other activities there, and so far has not been able to bring in the most ambitious - - and costly - - of its productions. in northern virginia, jardanhazy says, the company encounters the state' s most culturally sophisticated and opera - minded clientele but also fights competition from hundreds of other performing arts events in the washington area. and though virginia opera tickets are on average more expensive in northern virginia ($ 32 - $ 50) than in richmond ($ 23 - $ 60) and norfolk ($ 19 - $ 68), they remain both far cheaper and more available than those of the washington opera, which are almost unobtainable without a season subscription .
virginia beach is a popular place to be in the summer thanks to the many beaches in the area. some other popular attractions include :
harold wilson begins his 2016 - 2017 season in a return to opera colorado, singing ashby in la fanciulla del west. he continues the season debuting the role of mustafa in l’italiana in algieri with sarasota opera. last season included returns to several companies for the bass: covering timur in turandot with the metropolitan opera, ramfis in aida with opera colorado, and the roles of rocco and marcovaldo in productions of fidelio and la battaglia di legnano, respectively, with sarasota opera. additionally, he debuted the role of polonio in opera delaware’s anticipated production of amleto. in concert, he made a company debut with the grand junction symphony as the bass soloist in verdi’s requiem, and as the bass soloist in mozart’s requiem with mcp at carnegie hall .
looking to meet up with other young professionals who share your love of opera? learn more about our prism young professionals packages .
marian anderson, the famed opera singer who sang for a crowd of 75, 000 in front of the lincoln memorial after being denied a prestigious opera hall stage because of her race, was 25 years west’s senior and one review dubbed her anderson reincarnate .
turandot: virginia opera’s ‘turnadot’ is an unforgettable production – bold in its vision and entirely enthralling in its execution. the richmond symphony orchestra, conducted by john demain, is exciting and dynamic, alternately swirling, swelling, crashing and easing, and always seamlessly blending with the singers to deliver the full measure of the beautiful music of puccini’s final opera. bravos all around. – richmond times - dispatch
the virginia opera herndon foundation emerging artists program provides training, performance opportunities, and access to industry connections and resources to a group of opera’s talented rising stars. as one of the most competitive training programs in the nation, the herndon foundation emerging artists program receives over 650 applicants annually for an average of 12 - 20 artist contracts. led by shelby rhoades, virginia opera principal coach and director of the emerging artists program, emerging artists appear in virginia opera mainstage productions, tour in fully - staged educational programs, and perform in recitals, donor events, and the vo master teacher series. in addition, emerging artists receive regular coachings with vo’s artistic staff, including artistic director adam turner, as well as guest conductors and mainstage artists. recent alumni of the herndon foundation emerging artists program include: megan marino, david blalock, courtney miller, david pershall, brian jagde, jeni houser, shannon jennings - holman, and nathan stark .
soprano lara lynn cottrill performs throughout the us and teaches in the pittsburgh region. ms. cottrill most recently performed donna anna with opera western reserve and pamina with undercroft opera. with opera theater of pittsburgh, she portrayed antonia in tales of hoffmann and mamah in shining brow. she covered frasquita in carmen as an apprentice artist with sarasota opera and performed the foreign women in menotti’s the consul with opera new jersey. other operatic roles include: susannah in carlisle floyd’s susannah, sandrina, lauretta, papagena, adina, and her pittsburgh opera debut as barbarina. upcoming engagements include alice front in a new kind of fallout with opera theater of pittsburgh, shahrazad with amiche artists, and covering marguerite with berks opera company. awards include: 1st place winner of the 2014 coeur d’alene symphony competition, 2014 finalist of jtva competition, 2013 2nd prize winner of the noa competition, 2011 finalist for opera columbus, 2009 winner of the pittsburgh concert society, and 2005 first place of friends of eastman opera. lara graduated with her master’s from eastman school of music and her bachelor’s from university of miami. her recital appearances include the eastern united states, idaho, italy, austria, and south africa. she currently teaches at st. vincent college, washington and jefferson, and point park community .
( left to right) will liverman as figaro, megan marino as rosina and andrew owens as count almaviva in virginia opera' s
the barber of seville
on stage at the carpenter theatre at dominion arts center in richmond, nov. 18 and 20, 2016 .
apprentice coaches should have attained at least a bachelor of music degree in piano and have exceptional experience in vocal accompanying. graduate work is strongly preferred. individuals should be capable of managing artists on tour and overseeing non - artistic aspects of the virginia opera’s herndon foundation emerging artist program .
pamunkeynet, then a casino. how an indian tribe that' s been in virginia for over 10, 000 years plans to secure its future .
nascar is a popular sport in virginia and international visitors can watch live races at places like martinsville speedway, richmond international raceway and bristol motor speedway .
in hampton roads, we' ve got a mature market ,
jardanhazy says .
everybody pretty much knows what the virginia opera is and what it does. our job is keeping people coming back and luring in those who know who we are but have never bought tickets .
virginia opera has experienced significant organizational change in recent years. the staff leadership of the administrative operation and the staff leadership of the artistic operation have been consolidated into one position – a paid president and ceo. under the president and ceo’s direction, there is an artistic director and a producing director, who together oversee all productions and public offerings of virginia opera and supervise respectively the operations of the artistic components and the technical components. additionally, there are directors of finance, development, marketing and education who organize, direct and supervise operations and staff to fulfill the function of each department. this group comprises a senior staff of seven for virginia opera, each of whom reports to the president and ceo. the senior staff meets weekly with the president and ceo to ensure a seamless operation in developing the resources for and the product of virginia opera. all senior staff positions are currently filled by permanent staff members. the senior staff members, including the president and ceo, have an average of 5. 5 years of experience as full - time staff of virginia opera. four of the senior staff members have significant institutional knowledge dating back to 1994. though there has been transition at the top, there remains significant institutional stability in staff leadership. both leadership and membership of the organization have responded most favorably to recent changes as evidenced by early sales for the 2017 - 18 season as well as donor response. all of the opera’s funders have been encouraging and overwhelmingly positive in their replies to inquiries. further, requests for statewide arts partnerships and collaborations have significantly increased, providing new program and resource opportunities .
in hampton roads: street address: 160 w. virginia beach boulevard norfolk, va 23510 mailing address: p. o. box 2580 norfolk, va 23501
enjoy one of the state parks, city parks or national refuges in the virginia beach area for wildlife viewing, walking trails, kayaking and other outdoor activities .
a “spaghetti western” follows, a first for virginia opera, in november and december. puccini’s “the girl of the golden west” tells the tales of the 1800s california gold - mining rush and the landscape that defined the wild wild west. (on stage in richmond, nov. 17 and 19. )
virginia opera has presented some of the nation’s most promising singers on its stages including diana soviero, ashley putnam, john aler, rockwell blake, renée fleming, barbara dever, grant youngblood, fabiana bravo, lawrence brownlee, nmon ford, jake gardner, mary elizabeth williams, david portillo, ginger costa - jackson, david pershall and nadine sierra. attracting acclaimed directors from the theater and opera world, audiences have enjoyed the work of gian carlo menotti, gordon davidson, greg ganakas, arvin brown, dorothy danner, lillian groag, sam helfrich and stephen lawless, among others, in new productions designed by the nation’s top opera and theater designers. virginia opera has continued its tradition of commissioning / co - commissioning new works as illustrated by the world premieres of a christmas carol, harriet – the woman called moses, simón bolivar, pocahontas, and, most recently, rappahannock county.
virginia opera is an opera company based in the commonwealth of virginia which was first organized in 1974 by a group of norfolk , virginia community volunteers . in 2014 it is celebrating its 40th anniversary season . the company presented its first productions in 1975 , and in the following four decades has become known and respected nationwide for the identification and presentation of the finest young artists , for the musical and dramatic integrity of its productions , and for the ingenuity and variety of its education and outreach programs . the company has an annual budget of $ 5 million with over 30 performances , reaching nearly 50,000 attendees each season . in march 1994 , by unanimous vote of the virginia general assembly , virginia opera was named the official opera company of the commonwealth of virginia in recognition of the organization 's contribution to the commonwealth , and to the world of opera . virginia opera currently presents four productions a year at four major virginia venues : norfolk 's harrison opera house , richmond 's carpenter theatre at richmond centerstage , george mason university 's center for the arts in fairfax , and the sandler center for the performing arts in virginia beach . virginia opera is the only opera company to perform a full season of operas in multiple mainstage venues and to reach more than 150,000 students and community members each year through its innovative education and outreach program . 
virginia opera is an opera company based in the commonwealth of virginia which was first organized in 1974 by a group of norfolk, virginia community volunteers. in 2014 it is celebrating its 40th anniversary season. the company presented its first productions in 1975, and in the following four decades has become known and respected nationwide for the identification and presentation of the finest young artists, for the musical and dramatic integrity of its productions, and for the ingenuity and variety of its education and outreach programs. the company has an annual budget of $ 5 million with over 30 performances, reaching nearly 50,000 attendees each season. in march 1994, by unanimous vote of the virginia general assembly, virginia opera was named the official opera company of the commonwealth of virginia in recognition of the organization's contribution to the commonwealth, and to the world of opera. virginia opera currently presents four productions a year at four major virginia venues: norfolk's harrison opera house, richmond's carpenter theatre at richmond centerstage, george mason university's center for the arts in fairfax, and the sandler center for the performing arts in virginia beach. virginia opera is the only opera company to perform a full season of operas in multiple mainstage venues and to reach more than 150,000 students and community members each year through its innovative education and outreach program.
virginia opera is an opera company based in the commonwealth of virginia which was first organized in 1974 by a group of norfolk, virginia community volunteers. in 2014 it is celebrating its 40th anniversary season. the company presented its first productions in 1975, and in the following four decades has become known and respected nationwide for the identification and presentation of the finest young artists, for the musical and dramatic integrity of its productions, and for the ingenuity and variety of its education and outreach programs. the company has an annual budget of $ 5 million with over 30 performances, reaching nearly 50,000 attendees each season. in march 1994, by unanimous vote of the virginia general assembly, virginia opera was named the official opera company of the commonwealth of virginia in recognition of the organization's contribution to the commonwealth, and to the world of opera. virginia opera currently presents four productions a year at four major virginia venues: norfolk's harrison opera house, richmond's carpenter theatre at richmond centerstage, george mason university's center for the arts in fairfax, and the sandler center for the performing arts in virginia beach. virginia opera is the only opera company to perform a full season of operas in multiple mainstage venues and to reach more than 150,000 students and community members each year through its innovative education and outreach program.