By Natalie Creamer On Saturday, November 10, The Atlanta Opera opened its 2012-2013 season with Carmen, Georges Bizet’s timeless tale of a love triangle gone horribly awry. In case you have not seen it, or to refresh your memories, here is a photo essay that recounts Carmen’s final days. Oh, the drama… Micaëla (Melissa Shippen) enters Act I searching for her fiancée Don José. Resting outside the guardhouse with his men, Corporal Moralés (Scott Hogsed) charms the young girl with […]

We’ve all known them… Those friends who can’t go out with you because they have rehearsal, or they have to practice, or they are locked away in a room with a midi for three days straight, or they have to attend a master class with an obscure counter tenor from Bulgaria. These pursuits of passion have always been a little bit of a mystery to you, but you have loved and supported your friends anyway. Why? Because they love opera, […]

The 7-10 minute creations from the 24-Hour Opera Project (24HOP) will be performed in front of a live “studio audience,” but there are some of you who can’t be in Atlanta, and there are some of you who just want to be able to put your feet up, make some popcorn, crack open a beer, and quietly enjoy some opera with your dog at your side! For those of you who can’t make it to the showcase, you will still […]

In case you missed the SHOWCASE or LIVE WEBCAST of the Atlanta Opera’s third annual 24-Hour Opera Project, here is a quick and dirty recap! This year’s theme was: “CONVINCING CONFESSION“ Throughout the process, participants made CONFESSIONS OF THEIR OWN. Here are some highlights… CHECK OUT MORE ON YOUTUBE! WABE’s John Lemley did a FANTASTIC job hosting this wild and crazy event. And the judges judged with great judgement! A special thank you to: Ned Canty, General Director, Opera Memphis
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Sandra Piques Eddy rehearses at The Atlanta Opera Center for the upcoming production of The Italian Girl in Algiers. Sandra Piques Eddy was last seen on the Atlanta Opera stage in 2008’s The Marriage of Figaro.  She returns to Atlanta to sing the role of Isabella in the Opera’s upcoming premiere production of The Italian Girl in Algiers.  We sat down with Sandra to learn more about her, her love of Pinterest, and who she has dance parties with while listening […]

Opera!  True Atlanta Story The Atlanta Opera takes you behind the scenes as only we can. Brandon Odom tells you what it’s like to be a member of The Atlanta Opera Chorus…   Brandon Odom, member of Atlanta Opera Chorus can next be seen in The Italian Girl in Algiers – April 27 & 30, May 3 & 5 Tell us a little bit about yourself…. where are you from, how did you get into singing opera?  I came to […]

My name is Rae Weimer and I am the associate director of development at The Atlanta Opera.  In my role I work alongside a group of fundraising professionals who share the common goal of establishing meaningful relationships with friends who support The Atlanta Opera. Thanks to the support of our loyal patrons and donors – in other words – you, the 2012-2013 Atlanta Opera season was a great success!   You experienced the magic of live opera, the spine-tingling music, […]

Guest Blogger: Kaitlyn Johnson I am a rising junior vocal performance major at Rice University, and very proud alumna of the 2011 High School Opera Institute (HSOI).  Our end-of-year performance remains one of my all-time favorite moments in my vocal career, and I’m extremely excited to perform in the program again as an alumna this Sunday, June 9th. While the performance represents an exciting and entertaining culmination to the program, the High School Opera Institute offers so much to aspiring young […]

Shepard and Boyce Ansley The Honorary Chairs of The 2013 Atlanta Opera Ball: Puccini’s Palazzo are Boyce and Shepard Ansley, long-time supporters of The Atlanta Opera. Through their time, generous gifts and fundraising efforts, they have taken an active role in ensuring the success of the Opera throughout its 34-year history. The Atlanta Civic Opera, later renamed The Atlanta Opera, was created when two local opera companies merged in 1979.  Financially struggling from the on-set, a planned season was cancelled […]

The setting of Tosca in Rome opens up so many gastronomic possibilities! In the case of Tosca, it’s fun to speculate about what the characters were actually eating, and in the case of a fantastic evening with friends, we would like to propose a few recipes to get you in the mood before you come see it at the Cobb Energy Centre, October 5 to 13. Cavaradossi’s Lunch Basket
… Tosca’s lover, Cavaradossi, had a basket lunch brought to him by the church […]

Calling all composers, lyricists, stage directors and opera singers! The Atlanta Opera is now accepting applications for the fourth annual 24-Hour Opera Project®, November 1 & 2, 2013. Think of it as a creative science project where Verdi meets reality TV! Applications are due September 30! Who can participate? Composers, lyricists, stage directors and singers may apply (experience required, must be at least 18 years of age). Download the appropriate application below: https://www.atlantaopera.org/calendar/view.aspx?id=43246695 What are we talking about? Composers and […]

By Alison Moritz At its core, Tosca is an opera about truth and lies. Most of us know the double-crossing and misdirection involved in the plot, but the theme of truth in Tosca goes much deeper than just the story. First of all, Tosca is what musicologists call a verismo opera. The word itself is derived from the Italian word “vero” (meaning truth), which stems from the same Latin root as words like verisimilitude and veracity. Truth in opera? What […]