March 27, 2012

Come “Escape the Ordinary” with The Atlanta Opera

By Ellen Sturgill Last night at our Season Snapshot event, The Atlanta Opera proudly presented the three mainstage operas of the 2012-2013 Season. They are… drumroll please…        With fiery gypsies, tragic love stories, and a comedy for the ages, Atlanta audiences can expect to be transformed, transfixed, and transported through these well-known and loved operas. With this exciting season announcement, who better to give our readers a look at why these operas were chosen and what to expect than […]
April 23, 2012

Eduardo Chama serves up some Leporello . . . with gusto!

The role of Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni is wonderfully sly and humorous, wringing all the salacious fun out of his recitation of his master’s amorous conquests! But the role itself is much more complicated than that. The real skill lies in pulling out the innuendo and hidden inferences that define Giovanni and Leporello’s relationship. Who better to explore this character than Eduardo Chama, who is playing Leporello in the Atlanta Opera’s production of Don Giovanni, opening April 28. Eduardo […]
May 1, 2012

Don Giovanni Highlights

The Atlanta Opera opened Mozart’s masterpiece Don Giovanni on April 28 – to a full house. Here are some video highlights from this delightful production! Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera’s Marketing Department at 404.881.8801.
May 22, 2012

Announcing the 2012 Atlanta Opera Volunteer Award Recipients!!

On April 23, The Atlanta Opera hosted its 2012 Volunteer Reception. It was a great honor for us to be able to express gratitude to all who donate their time to The Atlanta Opera. It is no secret that the success of our organization depends on our devoted volunteers, who believe in Atlanta and the role The Atlanta Opera plays in our community. At the event, Dennis Hanthorn recognized three individuals who have made a tremendous impact this year, and […]
June 12, 2012

TOONing up for a little [Adult Swim] ….

The Atlanta Opera’s Tim Miller appeared in some promos announcing schedule changes to the [Adult Swim] line-up on the Cartoon Network. How much fun is this?
June 26, 2012

Opera’s future stars shine in concert

By Luisa Rodriguez Students from the Atlanta Opera High School Opera Institute showcased their work in a concert presented at Morningside Presbyterian Church on June 10th. Led by Music Director and Atlanta Opera Chorus Master Walter Huff, eleven students presented arias and ensemble pieces from both popular and lesser known operas. In this nine-month professional development program, students receive coaching in preparing and auditioning for a role, selecting a music school, characterization, diction, and vocal technique. One of a few […]
July 16, 2012

Teachers Go to Opera Summer Camp

By Luisa Rodriguez Last week, The Atlanta Opera, hosted training for local educators called MUSIC! WORDS! OPERA! Led by Opera America associates Neil Ginsberg, a composer and music educator, and Clifford Brooks, longtime Opera America employee and curriculum consultant, the training explored ways in which teachers could foster student interest in opera. The week began with an overview of opera, given by Clifford Brooks. During this overview, he offered some very helpful explanations about why opera is relevant to the […]
August 8, 2012

A View From the Bleachers: Getting a Taste of Liquid Culture from An Audience Perspective

By Natalie Creamer On Monday, July 30th the collaborators of Liquid Culture, a series of public events spearheaded by Lauri Stallings and gloATL, met at the Sandler Hudson Gallery to initiate a community dialogue exploring the role of public art, and their recent production at Sol LeWitt’s 54 Columns. The Atlanta Opera was invited to participate in this series of what Lauri Stallings called “installations,” or “utopia stations.” This was an experimental collaboration to introduce new audiences to the world […]
August 21, 2012

Student Shorts Grant Takes Center Stage

By Natalie Creamer Recently, The Atlanta Opera was awarded a generous grant by the Zeist Foundation in support of the Student Shorts program. The grant covers direct expenses for the special student performance of Carmen. Approximately 1,200 Atlanta Public School students will attend the Student Short production of Carmen at no cost. To encourage Atlanta Public School students to expand their minds and engage in the performing arts, the Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs sponsors an annual Cultural Experience Project. […]
September 7, 2012

Opera Librettos and Song: Telling a Story Through Music

By Natalie Creamer Over Labor Day Weekend, the 2012 AJC Decatur Book Festival drew in big crowds interested in purchasing books, eating good food, listening to readings, and attending conversations led by authors from around the country. The Atlanta Opera had an opportunity to participate in one of these conversations. Vynnie Meli, an award winning playwright, and a librettist in our 24-Hour Opera Project for the past two seasons, joined a panel discussion investigating “The Poetics of Song Lyrics.” Led […]
September 28, 2012

Taking “Stock” of Stone Soup

By Park Cofield What do you remember most from your childhood storybooks – the words or the illustrations? I remember the pictures. When Atlanta Opera Director of Community Engagement, Emmalee Iden, approached me about directing this year’s Opera Studio Tour, I suggested the folk story, Stone Soup. At first, I did not recall much of the plot, but had a strong memory of one particular image – an orange and brown illustration from Marcia Brown’s Caldecott®-winning book , published in […]
October 22, 2012

The Atlanta Opera Opens a Window to the Future

By Natalie Creamer As technology use continues to grow, performing arts organizations are adopting new strategies to appeal to audiences who communicate through smartphones and tablets. Recently, The Atlanta Opera expanded its digital presence in two very innovative ways. The Theatre Plus Network By partnering with Dave Stevens, creator of the Theatre Plus Network (TPN), an Atlanta-based start-up that specializes in live publishing through “augmented reality,” a smartphone application has been created that makes images in printed materials “come to […]