OPERA America Invites Entire Field to a 50th Anniversary Toast as Part of Opera Conference Online
Introduces New Light Shall Lift Us Video
OPERA America is pleased to invite artists, administrators, trustees, and audiences to “A Toast to 50 Years,” a celebration of opera’s progress and of OPERA America’s 50th Anniversary, taking place today, Friday, May 15, from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. EDT. The event can be live streamed at youtube.com/operaamerica. It is part of Opera Conference 2020, which was moved online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide the support and perspectives necessary to inform the field’s path forward.
OPERA America’s president and CEO, Marc A. Scorca, will be joined by three of OPERA America’s 50th Anniversary Ambassadors: sopranos Angel Blue and Christine Goerke, and bass Morris Robinson. The event will also include special announcements, a trivia game about the origins of opera in America, and the formal introduction of a new video creation, Light Shall Lift Us: Opera Singers Unite in Song.
The video features more than 100 opera singers, including Ambassadors Morris Robinson, Zachary James, Daniela Mack, Ailyn Pérez, David Portillo, and Brenda Rae, in a virtual performance of Light Shall Lift Us, a large ensemble work created by the Pulitzer Prize-winning team of composer Paul Moravec and librettist/lyricist Mark Campbell. The video — with music direction by Andrew Whitfield, video editing by Cara Consilvio, and orchestra simulation by Peter Lurye — is demonstrative of the dedication of artists to the art form and of their artistry.
“It is moving, though not at all surprising, to see artists from all across America, at all levels of their careers, come together as a community. It’s indicative of the spirit of collaboration in opera and the resilience that artists and opera companies are exhibiting in the face of the current crisis,” declared Marc A. Scorca, president/CEO of OPERA America. “We are deeply grateful to all the participating artists, and thrilled to share this important work with the opera community and audiences around the country.”
The 107 artists who lent their voices to this project are:
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Javier Abreu Danielle Beckvermit Daniel Belcher Andrew Bidlack Matt Boehler Amanda Lynn Bottoms Liz Bouk Marnie Breckenridge Erica Brookhyser Raehann Bryce-Davis William Burden Jennifer Johnson Cano Leonardo Capalbo Joyce Castle Lisa Chavez Hailey Clark Sarah Coit Troy Cook Sasha Cooke Olivia Cosío Tara Curtis Adrienne Danrich Joseph Dennis Mary Dunleavy Jason Ferrante Jessica Fishenfeld Emily Fons Daryl Freedman Blake Friedman Joseph Gaines Blythe Gaissert Priti Gandhi Sara Gartland Eve Gigliotti Nathan Granner Devon Guthrie |
Jasmine Habersham Sam Handley Roger Honeywell Soloman Howard Briana Elyse Hunter Craig Irvin Zachary James Keith Jameson Jessica E. Jones Michael Kelly Maya Kherani Michael Kuhn Claire Kuttler Tesia Kwarteng Sarah Larsen Anna Laurenzo Victoria Livengood Cecilia Violetta López Zulimar López Hernández Alexandra Loutsion Daniela Mack Amanda Majeski Alex Mansoori Trevor Martin Robert Wesley Mason Aundi Marie Moore John Moore Dylan Morrongiello Brian James Myer Miles Mykkanen Luis Alejandro Orozco Edward Parks Ailyn Pérez Dimitri Pittas Matthew Polenzani David Portillo |
Stephen Powell Katherine Pracht Gabriel Preisser Emily Pulley Elise Quagliata Brenda Rae Zoie Reams Morris Robinson Lisa Marie Rogali Adrian RosasAnnie Rosen Jordan Rutter Christian Sanders Lucy Schaufer Laurel Semerdjian Alek Shrader Benjamin Sieverding Jake Stamatis Dane Suarez Jack Swanson Talise Trevigne Richard Troxell Maria Valdes Jamie Van Eyck Miguel Angel Vasquez Craig Verm Yunpeng Wang Andrew Wilkowske William Ferguson Karin Wolverton Caroline Worra Matthew Worth Wei Wu Adriana Zabala Jennifer Zetlan |
For more information about Light Shall Lift Us: Opera Singers Unite in Song, visit operaamerica.org/LSLU.
For more information about Opera Conference Online, visit conference.operaamerica.org
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For more information on OPERA America, visit About Us.
For press inquiries, contact Press@operaamerica.org or 212.796.8628.