Author: New Orleans Opera

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News

Season’s Greetings!

We hope you’ll enjoy this first ever collection of New Orleans Opera Chorus holiday videos. No one knows better than I do that every season our productions feature many talented soloists who combine their voices to produce a glorious and powerful choral sound. We’re still reminiscing about Joan of Arc, performed in the Mahalia Jackson Theater this past February. This film, however, allows our choristers to shine as individual artists. Given free rein to choose music sacred or secular, a cappella or accompanied, they’ve come up with a true listening feast for all of you!

Several accompany themselves on guitar or piano, and some are singing in their native languages or presenting songs that are culturally significant to them. Others are just indulging in pure fun! I hope this video showcase will allow you to get to know more personally several members of the Opera Chorus. We love what we do, and we cannot wait to be together again onstage.

From all of us, to our treasured opera family, we wish you a safe and happy holiday celebration, and a bright and better new year in 2021!

Carol Rausch, Chorus Master

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Tip Jar

In this season of giving, if you are able to do so, please consider making a special gift to support New Orleans Opera during these difficult times. All donations connected to the chorus holiday video will go directly to supporting our local singers and providing opportunities for them to perform again for you.

Tip Jar

To donate, click the Tip Jar button above. Then, after signing in, click the drop down link in Donor Level and choose: Tip Jar! Holiday Chorus Donation.

Categories
Event News

Opera to Geaux

Performance Dates:

December 11, 2020 – December 24, 2020

It’s a great experience to enjoy during the holidays, for birthdays, or to celebrate any special event. A half-hour concert is $350 (includes a tax-deductible donation to New Orleans Opera). Does that sound like a lot? Gather some friends and share the cost (please be mindful of COVID limits, however!)

Book your concert here

OR call today to reserve your performance time, (504) 529-3000. Our Opera to Geaux singers are Spencer Reichman, baritone (pictured below), Nicole Heinen, soprano, and Kameron Lopreore, tenor.

Please reserve at least three days prior to the date of your concert. All performances will be subject to availability and certain limits will apply.

Please note: All COVID-19 regulations will need to be observed for the safety and health of both the recipient(s) and the performer including social distancing, masking, etc.

See you in your driveway!

Categories
Adult Education News

Masterclass Monday

Masterclass Monday

New Orleans Opera and Loyola University have a long and rich relationship, with a history of many partnerships, including Masterclasses. We are proud to collaborate again this year in the virtual environment, and we are excited that we can invite you to join us.

Masterclasses play a very important role in the development of a young singer. According to Fred Plotkin, “Masterclasses are one of the most fascinating aspects of the process of taking talented but inexperienced young singers and trying to polish and mold them while allowing them to retain what makes them special.”

New Orleans Opera is grateful to those participating in this Masterclass Series for allowing us a glimpse into the special journey of an opera singer. Join us! Click here for Greer Grimsley’s Masterclass and here for Jane Eaglen’s.

JANE EAGLEN – December 14, 2020

  • 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm CST
  • Sponsored by Loyola University
Students:

Antonio Domino, tenor
Julianna Espinosa, soprano
Julia Tuneberg, soprano
Jeremiah Tyson, tenor

About Jane Eaglen:

Jane Eaglen has enjoyed one of the most formidable reputations in opera for the past two decades. Her performances of roles such as Isolde in Tristan und Isolde, the title roles in Puccini’s Turandot, Bellini’s Norma, and Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, and Brünnhilde in Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen have earned her acclaim on stages of the leading opera houses of the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Teatro alla Scala, Vienna State Opera, and l’Opéra National de Paris.

Read more about Jane on her website here.

Jane Eaglen, photo courtesy of New England Conservatory

GREER GRIMSLEY – December 7, 2020

  • 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm CST
  • Sponsored by the New Orleans Opera Association
Students:

Samuel Ater, bass-baritone
Nora Cullinan, soprano
Veronica Samiec, soprano
Alysa Foster, soprano
Garrin Mesa, baritone

About Greer Grimsley:

Greer Grimsley is internationally recognized as an outstanding singing actor and one of the most prominent Wagnerian singers of our day. Continuing his reign as a leading interpreter of the god Wotan, he sang the eminent role once again in the Spring of 2019 for the Metropolitan Opera’s Der Ring des Nibelungen in the reprisal of Robert Lepage’s landmark production from 2013. New Orleans is lucky to have Greer and his family call the city home!

Read more about Greer on his website here.

Courtesy of Loyola University from a previous Masterclass, Carol Rausch, Kameron Lopreore, and Greer Grimsley
View upcoming Loyola Music Events Here.

Categories
2020 Education Virtual

Classroom Projects – Intermediate

Create an Opera Scene from Home!

We are replacing our in-class engagements with an engaging program, where the students learn about singing, opera history, and then, they create their own opera scenes at home. We will provide a step by step manual – written at a 6th grade level for accessibility – as well as an accompanied video that leads them through the project with physical and vocal exercises. The goal is to have them film their scenes at home, and then, via google classroom, they’ll send them to us. We edit these videos into one short clip and then we’ll share it back with the class for a GRAND FINALE!

Students can create scenes from the following famous operas:

  • Rigoletto
  • The Barber of Seville
  • The Pirates of Penzance
  • The Marriage of Figaro
  • The Valkyrie
  • Madama Butterfly
  • The Magic Flute

This program can be used any way you see fit!

You can make it a part of the curriculum, you can use it for extra credit, you can choose only one opera for everyone to focus on, or you can do all of them. It is entirely up to you. We built the program for students to distribute throughout an academic week – every day building on the skills from the previous day- requiring only about 15 minutes a day.

Usage fee: $500.00
Purchase Classroom materials here

There are discounts available to qualifying schools. Please reach out directly to Dr. William Mouat to discuss terms and how to apply for a discount or if you have questions about your order.

Categories
2020 Education Virtual Education

Scenic Songs: Off the Stage

Usage fee: $500.00

Place your order and print your ticket. The ticket includes the link and password.

Order here

There are discounts available to qualifying schools. Please email education@neworleansopera.org to find out how to apply for a discount or if you have questions about your order.

Click here for the STUDY GUIDE: Grades 7-12
Password protected video link

(Please chose the ‘print at home ticket’ offered to you during the payment process to receive your password.)

Scenic Songs: Off the Stage

GRADES 7-12

Study Guide

This study guide packet will serve three purposes:

  1. It will PROVIDE all kinds of interesting information about each larger work (opera, operetta or musical), including plot and character descriptions.
  2. It will EXPLAIN our unique re-telling of the story line within each scene.
  3. It will give CONTEXT regarding the historical period of each work, and your students will also have an opportunity to learn about the composers!

Created by:

William Mouat and Taylor Ott, Project Artistic Director and Executive Editor.

Featuring:

Hayden Guthrie, Amanda McCarthy, Taylor Ott, Rachel Looney, Imani Sarai Francis, Mark Anthony Thomas, and Frank Convit. Click the Study Guide button above for artist bios, full program outline, and more!

Categories
Adult Education Education News Opera at Home

ALLONS!

ALLONS: Adventurous Lectures for Lovers of Opera Now Streaming!

A New Adult Education Series – 7 pm on Zoom.
Dates, Topics, and Lecturers listed below. NEW DATES COMING SOON!

Individual Lectures

$12 – Click Here

October 22, 2020 – Parlez-moi d’amour: Love at First Sight in Romantic French Opera:

The first lecture in the series features guest presenter Amy Pfrimmer, voice faculty member and director of opera at Tulane University. Amy was, in fact, recently seen in the role of Juno in the NOOA Opéra Comique, Orpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach.From Georges Bizet’s Carmen to Jules Massenet’s Manon and Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saëns, Professor Pfrimmer will focus on the Femmes Fatales of this golden age of French opera.

NEW DATE!
Tuesday, November 17, 2020 – Mozart Operas and the Enlightenment:

Dr. William Mouat discusses W.A. Mozart and his last, great operas. From the 1786 Le Nozze di Figaro, which strikes at the very heart of the dreadful Droit du seigneur tradition, to the 1787 Don Giovanni, which sends a warning to all rakes and miscreants, to the 1790 Così fan tutte, which explores young love, we will unpack the famous Italian Trio. As a pièce de résistance, we will examine Mozart’s final operatic comedy and Singspiel, the 1791 Die Zauberflöte, translated into English as The Magic Flute.

November 5, 2020 – Origins and Evolution of the Rescue Opera:

From Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fidelio to Carl Maria von Weber’s Der Freischütz toRichard Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer, guest presenter, conductor, and collaborative pianist Michael Borowitz will discuss the various historic, social and artistic reasons that rescue operas came into being. Michael Borowitz is Associate Professor of Opera at LSU, and he works with New Orleans Opera on a regular basis. A seasoned and nationally renowned conductor, coach and pianist, Michael is also the artistic and musical director of Opera Louisiane, our Capitol City’s opera organization.

November 12, 2020 – When and where is it appropriate and effective to update an opera “classic”?

This topic asks a question that is frequently faced by modern opera companies, especially in the wake of a fluctuating world economy, and the paucity of donors and sponsors in the arts. By the time a great deal of money is spent on orchestras, singers, costumes and artistic direction, budgets are often strained and company managers must make the decision to update certain productions. Here, Dr. Sakinah Davis, Chair of Vocal Studies and Director of Opera at Xavier University will tell us the best ways to do this, and she’ll cite her personal experience with this topic of discussion.

November 19, 2020 – Cultural Appropriation in Madama Butterfly and Porgy and Bess:

This is a subject that is applicable to our contemporary world as we delve into Giacomo Puccini and George Gershwin’s masterpieces. Dr. Valerie Francis, Associate Professor of Voice at Nicholls State Uniiversity – having performed the roles of Cio Cio San as well as Bess – is uniquely qualified to relate her revelations and discoveries about these roles, and the performance history and traditions of these operas.

Categories
2020-2021 Opera News

New Orleans Opera and The Broadside Theater present:

Join us at the Broadside for Bergman’s The Magic Flute and a concert at highlighting the genius and variety of Mozart’s compositions, sung by New Orleans Opera singers. The concert is at 6:00 pm followed by the movie at 6:30. The tickets are $30 per person.

The Broadside is the sister business of The Broad Theater and is located at 600 N. Broad St., New Orleans, LA 70119. It’s an open air venue with a full bar, hot dogs and popcorn! They are following all Covid-19 safety rules (masks required). The seats are paired and safely distanced.

SOLD OUT!
Be among the first to hear New Orleans Opera news.
ABOUT THE MOVIE

Ingmar Bergman’s 1975 production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, originally made for television, has been re-released several times for Bergman retrospectives and was beautifully restored by the Criterion Collection.

“Bergman’s production is a cool, frank presentation of the opera, an imagined theatrical performance that begins by looking at members of the audience in turn, but in the course of the action periodically returning to a single young girl’s smiling or thoughtful face – infrequently enough for us to realize that we had forgotten about her, and that another, quieter narrative is running alongside the story: that of this girl’s enjoyment and judgement.

The Guardian

To see a clip and read more about the production including the cast, click here.

ABOUT THE BROADSIDE

“Local drive-in movie and concert events have sold-out quickly since the pandemic shutdowns began, but it’s restaurants that got The Broad Theater’s Brian Knighten thinking about opening an outdoor venue. When the city of New Orleans announced in May that restaurants could apply for permits to have outdoor seating, he started planning.”

Will Coviello, The Gambit

To read more about The Broadside, click here http://broadsidenola.com/.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR
  • November 20, 2020
  • Concert: 6:00 pm
  • Movie: 6:30 pm (running time: 2.5 hours)
  • The Broadside, 600 N. Broad St.
  • $30.00 per person

See you at the movies!

Categories
New Orleans Opera Video Series News

Meet us

Let’s get to know each other a little better!

Visit us on Facebook or Instagram and share your New Orleans Opera story – we’d love to hear from you.

Meet Mark-Anthony, NOOA Chorister and Outreach Artist, singer, arranger, educator, and more!
Meet Ranney Mize, Trustee of the New Orleans Opera Association
Meet Imani Francis, a recipient of the 2019 Donald W. Wood. Sr. Advancement Grant
Meet Julia Ernst, a winner of the 2019 Wood Competition
Clare Burovac, General Director-Designate
Categories
Adult Education Education News Opéra Nouvelle

Opéra Nouvelle: Mozart and The Garden

Join us in the Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art

November 8, 2020 at 2:00 pm

SOLD OUT!

New Orleans Opera and New Orleans Museum of Art are thrilled to continue our three-year collaborative partnership with the Opéra Nouvelle series. This year’s theme is “Mozart and the Garden.” The first half of this one-hour event is a fantastical journey through Mozart’s greatest hits – Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, Die Zauberflöte and, perfectly suiting the occasion, La finta giardiniera (set in a garden, about a noblewoman in disguise). During the second half, we will feature a plethora of fun-filled English songs and arias with a surprise finale from a noteworthy composer who is living in New Orleans!

  • Tickets to the concert are FREE, courtesy of New Orleans Opera, and include admission to NOMA’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden after the performance, courtesy of NOMA. See below for details on how to get your free ticket.
  • Indoor museum cost at NOMA as follows: Members are free, $15.00 adults, $10.00 seniors (65+) & active military with ID, $8.00 university students with ID and Free admission for visitors age 19 and younger courtesy of the Helis Foundation.

Opéra Nouvelle: Mozart and The Garden is directed by Dr. William Mouat, Director of Education at New Orleans Opera, and it features NOOA resident and emerging artists Rachel Looney, Zara Zemmels, Amanda McCarthy, Sakinah Davis, Valerie Francis, Mark Anthony Thomas, Frank Convit, Ivan Griffin, Dylan Trần, and Jesse Reeks.

Ticket Information

  • All of NOMA’s in-person events require prior registration due to crowd control and the Special Event Permit from the City of New Orleans.
  • Seating capacity is 100 and crowd gathering outside of the space is not permitted.
SOLD OUT!

There is no rain date scheduled, if the weather forecast is not in our favor we will post cancellation here and on our social media outlets.

Categories
2020 Education Virtual

Classroom Projects – Beginner

We are replacing our in-class engagements with an engaging program, where the students learn about singing, opera history, and then, they create their own opera scenes at home. We will provide a step by step manual – written at a 6th grade level for accessibility – as well as an accompanied video that leads them through the project with physical and vocal exercises. The goal is to have them film their scenes at home, and then, via google classroom, they’ll send them to us. We edit these videos into one short clip and then we’ll share it back with the class for a GRAND FINALE!

Students can create scenes from the following famous operas:

  • Rigoletto
  • The Barber of Seville
  • The Pirates of Penzance
  • The Marriage of Figaro
  • The Valkyrie
  • Madama Butterfly
  • The Magic Flute

This program can be used any way you see fit!

You can make it a part of the curriculum, you can use it for extra credit, you can choose only one opera for everyone to focus on, or you can do all of them. It is entirely up to you. We built the program for students to distribute throughout an academic week – every day building on the skills from the previous day- requiring only about 15 minutes a day.

Usage fee: $500.00

Purchase Classroom materials here

There are discounts available to qualifying schools. Please reach out directly via the email below to discuss terms and how to apply for a discount or if you have questions about your order.