NYS Music 202​0

Tag: opera saratoga

  • Opera Saratoga to Collab with Caffe Lena for AMERICA SINGS

    Opera Saratoga has announced the first performance events as the start to the company’s 60th Anniversary Season. On Thursday, November 19, in partner with Caffe Lena, Opera Saratoga will launch AMERICA SINGS, a monthly concert series featuring diverse, internationally acclaimed artists.

    AMERICA SINGS

    The series looks to amplify the voices of artists from racial groups historically underrepresented on the concert stage and features a wide array of classical, jazz, and popular music. “Our focus on BIPOC artists in this series is one of our first steps in a multi-pronged plan to address diversity and equity not only in our programming at Opera Saratoga, but in the organization as a whole,” explained Lawrence Edelson, Opera Saratoga’s Artist and General Director.

    All AMERICA SINGS concerts in this series will be live streamed to the public for free, but viewers are encouraged to contributee through a virtual tip jar. All tips received will be split equally between Opera Saratoga and the artists, providing much-needed support to the artists impacted by the shutdown.

    Mezzo soprano Deborah Nansteel, who was featured in Opera Saratoga’s 2018 production of The Consul, will open the series on Thursday, November 19th at 7pm with pianist Giovanni Reggioli. This first concert will feature music by George Gershwin, Billy Strayhorn, Richard Rogers, Erroll Garner, Richard Wagner, and William Bolcom, along with a selection of traditional spirituals. 

    AMERICA SINGS
    Deborah Nansteel

    The December concert will take place on Wednesday, December 30th at 7pm, and will feature soprano Brandie Sutton with pianist and composer Damien Sneed, both debuting with the company at the turn of the new year. The series will continue through the 2021, with additional concerts to be announced early next year

    The events will be live streamed from Caffe Lena’s Youtube Channel as well as the Facebook pages of both Opera Saratoga and Caffe Lena.

    “The onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the racial awakening that has been taking place across the country, and the polarizing political climate leading up to the election has energized artists. While many singers have not been able to perform for live audiences due to the pandemic, they are engaged and craving the opportunity to share the transformative power of song and the intersection between music and what is happening in our country with audiences. I have not programmed this series, other than to invite an incredible group of artists to join us in Saratoga Springs. Rather, I have asked each artist to curate their own concert – to share music with us that speaks to how they are feeling about America today. I cannot wait to hear what each artist brings to us as they share their personal experience and perspective through the power of their incredible voices.”

  • Opera Saratoga Keeping the Love of Opera Alive with New Series

    Opera Saratoga has launched a new series of online programming called OPERA SARATOGA: CONNECT!. This comes in response to the recent limitations placed on many in the music industry from the Coronavirus Pandemic. Moving away from the standard path of releasing archived material that many other organizations have taken, Opera Saratoga has developed six new programs including Daily, Kids, Symposia, Classes, Trivia and Mentorship.

    Opera Saratoga’s Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson explained: “We have decided to launch programs for our audiences that have been created specifically for the way people engage online producing a combination of newly created video performances for social media, as well as new opportunities to enjoy and learn about opera that are more interactive. Opera Saratoga has always focused on building community. OPERA SARATOGA: CONNECT! was designed to allow us to do just that – connect digitally with our community. Each element of this initiative allows audiences to enjoy opera, classical vocal music, and musical theater in a different way, from short videos released every day throughout the summer featuring members of our Festival Artist program, to interactive trivia games, classes, and symposia, featuring guests from around the globe.”

    Programming will be a combination of free and a few paid activities to which there are scholarships available for those experiencing financial hardships during the pandemic. This will provide a wide opportunity for many to experience opera classical vocal music, and musical theater in many different ways right from your home. Complete details about each of the six programs as part of OPERA SARATOGA: CONNECT! may be found online. 

    For over 50 years Opera Saratoga, formerly known as Lake George Opera, has been a pillar in the upstate community for world class opera. Not only do they perform for more than 25,000 people at the annual Summer Festival but also have become the launching point for emerging operatic artists. They utilize not only their own stage but also the cultural, historic and natural resources of the surrounding Saratoga Springs, the Lower Adirondack and New York State Capital areas to bring unique and innovative opportunities to the public.  

    Check out below their newest opera ‘The Selfish Giant’ based on the classic children’s story by Oscar Wilde. This was produced remotely after the start of COVID-19 in partnership  with the New York City based company American Lyric Theater.

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