AUSTIN OPERA SHOWCASES BRIGHT FUTURE WITH NEW NAME AND LOOK
Company Presents a Thrilling 2014-15 Season
AUSTIN – October 8, 2014 – Founded in 1986 as Austin’s first professional opera company, Austin Lyric Opera is proud to announce an updated name, a vibrant new look and a thrilling season that reflect how this dynamic arts organization has grown and evolved with the community over the last 28 years.
Introducing Austin Opera.
“We’ve been known as Austin Lyric Opera for many years, and it has served us well. It is an important part of our history, and we are proud to be an opera company with that kind of longevity,” said Austin Opera General Director Joseph Specter. “As Austin continues its remarkable growth, we want our name to let people know that we are offering the kind of sophisticated opera experience that suits our creative and thriving city. As a name, ‘Austin Opera’ is elegant and inviting. Our new look is bold and conveys the energy of Austin as well as the rich tradition of this powerful art form. Combined, they help tell the story of an opera company with a bright future that is proud to serve Austin.”
That bright future is building on a 33 percent subscription increase since the 2011-12 season. This year begins with a new production, world-class performers coming to Austin, and a steady hand in renowned Maestro Richard Buckley overseeing the company’s artistic vision. Buckley has now signed a four-year contract extension as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, which will bring his tenure with the company to 16 years. In addition, the company has signed a contract renewal with Local 433, American Federation of Musicians, to extend the Austin Opera Orchestra’s term for an additional three-years, nearly a year in advance of the expiration of the current contract. Both renewals ensure that Austin audiences will continue to enjoy outstanding opera for years to come.
“During my tenure, Austin has shown itself to be a community that supports opera in a demonstrative, visceral, enthusiastic way,” Buckley said. “As performers, we thrive on the emotional exchange between ourselves and the audience. The orchestra and I feed off of this energy, and I look forward to the future with great excitement and anticipation.”
Austin Opera’s 2014-15 Season
Austin Opera opens its 28th season on November 8 with a new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s A Masked Ball. Maestro Buckley and stage director Leon Major are collaborating with Wendall Harrington, one of the world’s foremost projection designers. Harrington’s participation is made possible through a unique partnership between Austin Opera and UT’s School of Theater and Dance that has been in the making for several years and that will enable UT students the opportunity to learn alongside a master in the field. In this original re-telling, Verdi’s intense story of illicit love, betrayal and assassination will be produced in a contemporary and stylish production, underscoring the deceptions at the heart of Verdi’s masterpiece.
In January and February of 2015, internationally acclaimed soprano Joyce El-Khoury and Metropolitan Opera leading tenor Stephen Costello—one of today’s most sought after performers—will star in the title roles of Austin Opera’s production of Charles Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet, based on Shakespeare’s classic love story.
April and May will bring performances of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, one of Austin’s favorite operas, starring Morgan Smith as a seasoned Giovanni, who has won national acclaim for his portrayal of Starbuck in Jake Heggie’s Moby Dick, which broadcast nationally on PBS Great Performances.
Austin Opera remains committed to engaging with the community and enriching the lives of students, and will be presenting a new master class series in partnership with the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas, in addition to an array of ongoing school-based and community programming. The new master class series will allow UT students to work with internationally recognized performers from each of Austin Opera’s productions during the season.
“It has been inspiring to witness the progress of Austin Opera over the last three years as it has gained in financial strength and artistic quality under the dynamic leadership team of Joe Specter and Richard Buckley. Austin Opera’s success demonstrates the combined impact of a strong staff, dedicated Board and generous donors working together toward shared goals,” said Marc A. Scorca, President and CEO of OPERA America, the national service organization for opera. “It is exciting to know that opera will contribute to enriching the musical life of Austin as the city’s reputation grows nationally and internationally.”
A Bright Future
In the fall of 2015, Austin Opera will introduce a new annual tradition of opening the cultural arts season with a gala concert of operatic music. The inaugural concert will present the music of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, featuring soprano Heidi Melton, whose ascending career has brought her debuts at some of the world’s great stages, including the Metropolitan Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin. This concert marks the first expansion of programming by Austin Opera since its residency at the Long Center began in 2008.
The 2015-16 season will also mark the return of American master composers to its season, alongside classic favorites that are at the top of any opera lover’s list.
“The Board is extremely excited about the future of Austin Opera, and we’re committed to investing in new and expanded programming so Austinites can always enjoy a night at the opera,” Austin Opera Chairwoman Wendi Kushner said, upon a unanimous vote of support from the Board regarding the company’s new name. “The Austin community has embraced us over the last 28 years and given us the support we need to grow and thrive well into the future. We’re passionate about returning that support with sophisticated programming that will delight and inspire.”
About Austin Opera
Founded in May 1986 as Austin’s first professional opera company, Austin Opera has become a cultural touchstone for the fine arts community in the Central Texas region and has gained national acclaim as a producer of great opera. Austin Opera is committed to producing and promoting outstanding opera that will entertain, enrich and educate the central Texas community. Austin Opera is a cultural destination for the community that delivers an extraordinary experience; is a creative environment that challenges the misconceptions of the art form; enables lifelong learning; and celebrates the diversity that makes Austin unique. Austin Opera productions consistently garner national and international praise for production value, vocal artistry, repertoire selection, and the leadership of Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Richard Buckley. For more information about Austin Opera, please visit AustinOpera.org.