opera philadelphia ( prior to 2013 opera company of philadelphia ( ocp ) ) is an american opera company in philadelphia , pennsylvania and is the city 's only company producing grand opera .

the organization produces five fully staged opera productions annually , encompassing works from the 17th through the 21st century .

the famed academy of music , the oldest opera house to be continuously in use for its original purpose within the united states , is currently the venue for three of company 's performances ; two productions of chamber opera are produced at the kimmel center 's perelman theatre .

the company is led by david devan , who was appointed general director in 2011 .

opera philadelphia

the opera company of philadelphia was formed in 1975 through a merger of the philadelphia lyric opera company and the philadelphia grand opera company .
opera philadelphia is committed to embracing innovation and developing opera for the 21st century . our mission :
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each year , opera philadelphia hosts opera on the mall , a free opera screening in independence national historic park . but this year we need your help .
theatre collection , free library of philadelphia , parkway central branch , 1901 vine street , philadelphia .
given his history , bliss admits that . . . - opera philadelphia | facebook
glazer , irvin r . philadelphia theaters : a pictorial architectural history . philadelphia & new york : the athenaeum of philadelphia and dover publications , 1994 .
irvin r . glazer theater collection , athenaeum of philadelphia , 219 s . sixth street , philadelphia .
the philadelphia historical commission’s architectural committee today unanimously approved plans to install multiple 1930s - era led signs on the philadelphia metropolitan opera house on north broad .
the home of over 5 . 1 million full archive pages of the philadelphia inquirer and philadelphia daily news print editions
hamilton , frank . opera in philadelphia : performance annals . website created 2002 ; accessed april–may 2017 :
in 2013 the opera company of philadelphia , the city’s only remaining grand opera company , changed its name to opera philadelphia . based in the academy of music , opera philadelphia presented both traditional grand opera as well as new operatic works , some commissioned by the company . curtis opera theatre , a program of the curtis institute of music , philadelphia’s world - renowned music conservatory , also presented grand opera in this period , continuing a curtis tradition of public opera performance begun in 1929 . both the curtis institute and the academy of vocal arts , a vocal training school founded in philadelphia in 1934 , served as premiere training grounds for opera singers in the twentieth and early twenty - first centuries .
the mid to late twentieth century was a period of consolidation for philadelphia opera companies , as well as overall contraction of opera activity in the city . the metropolitan opera of new york city discontinued its regular philadelphia appearances in 1961 . philadelphia la scala opera company ( 1925–54 ) and philadelphia civic grand opera company ( 1950 - 54 ) merged in 1954 to form the new philadelphia grand opera company . in 1975 philadelphia grand opera company merged with philadelphia lyric opera company ( 1958–74 ) to form opera company of philadelphia . most of these local companies were based in the academy of music ( the metropolitan opera house had become largely inactive as a music venue by the late twentieth century ) , although another company , pennsylvania opera theatre ( 1975–93 ) , was based primarily in the merriam theatre on south broad street ( originally built in 1918 as the schubert theatre to host broadway shows ) and in the early 1980s presented some operas in the former arch street opera house , which had been renamed the trocadero .
the opera , presented by opera philadelphia with the apollo theater , had its world premiere sept . 16 . it revisits that house and its ghosts , while remaining centered on stories about young people in philadelphia today .
philadelphia la scala opera company was one of several that merged to form the philadelphia grand opera company in 1954 . this 1947 photograph shows baritone enzo mascherini of la scala rehearsing in his dressing room before a performance .
renew or purchase a subscription to opera at the academy and curtis opera theatre at the perelman .
opera philadelphia has become the most skillful calibrator of populist appetites and the need of the art form to progress .
the release of breaking the waves caps opera philadelphia’s women’s history month celebration , which is devoted to shining a spotlight on women creating opera today . throughout march , audiences will gain access to exclusive interviews , guest blog posts , and more on urltoken and opera philadelphia’s social media channels .
opera has played an important role in philadelphia arts and entertainment since the mid - eighteenth century . the city has long been a key center for opera and holds several important distinctions in opera history , including being the site of the first serious opera performances in america , birthplace of the first major american opera composer , and home to the nation’s oldest continuously operating opera house .
his career took him to many other cities . he served as manager of the san francisco opera and its touring arm , the western opera theater , director of planning and public affairs at the metropolitan opera in new york , and manager of the opera company of philadelphia .
discover how you can become part of opera in philadelphia - from singing in our productions to being one of the many volunteers who make our city ' s opera great .
in philadelphia , north broad street became an important corridor for grand opera in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century with the construction of two major opera houses . in 1888 beer brewing magnate john betz ( 1831–1908 ) built the betz germania opera house at the southwest corner of broad street and montgomery avenue , and in 1908 opera impresario oscar hammerstein i ( 1846–1919 ) built the huge philadelphia opera house at the southwest corner of broad and poplar streets . both venues initially had resident opera companies , but neither company lasted very long . the metropolitan opera of new york city , which had been performing in philadelphia since the 1880s , took over the philadelphia opera house , changed its name to the metropolitan opera house , and gave regular performances there from 1910 to 1920 , after which it returned to the academy of music . in 1931 the philadelphia grand opera company gave the high - profile american premiere of the modern opera wozzeck by austrian composer alan berg ( 1885–1935 ) in the metropolitan opera house , with philadelphia orchestra music director leopold stokowski ( 1882–1977 ) conducting .
a number of new philadelphia grand opera companies formed in the early twentieth century , while outside companies maintained a presence in the city . the metropolitan opera of new york city continued its regular weekly performances in philadelphia and the new philadelphia chicago grand opera company split time between the two cities from 1910 to 1914 . both companies used the metropolitan opera house . among the local opera companies established in the first decades of the twentieth century were three different ones called philadelphia grand opera company ( operating at various times from 1916 to 1932 ) , the pennsylvania grand opera company , philadelphia civic opera company , and philadelphia la scala opera company . many were short - lived groups , lasting from one to six seasons before folding . they performed mostly in the academy of music , although some used the metropolitan opera house . many ceased operations during the great depressio n of the 1930s . to fill the void left by their demise , the philadelphia orchestra offered a series of ten grand operas in the academy of music as part of its 1934–35 concert season .
we read your excellent article about opera companies in philadelphia . we are trying to find records or archival information on the philadelphia civic opera company from 1924 - 30 . no luck to date . can you provide any suggestions on where records might be located ?
' we shall not be moved ' : a new opera traces the legacy of the 1985 move bombing : deceptive cadence the opera , presented by opera philadelphia with the apollo theater , had its world premiere sept . 16 . it revisits the house at the center of the bombing and its impact on philadelphia ' s youth today .
the opera we shall not be moved revisits the story of the 1985 bombing of the move house in philadelphia , and that tragedy ' s impact on philadelphia ' s youth . shown here : actors portraying the ghosts that inhabit the site of the bombing surround character un / sung ( lauren whitehead , center ) . dave direntis / opera philadelphia hide caption
the $ 35 million renovation proposal for the philadelphia metropolitan opera house includes the addition a 1930s - era illuminated sign . rendering by aos architects
the opera company of philadelphia has named robert b . driver its general director . mr . driver , who is 48 years old , has been the general and artistic director of the syracuse opera and the artistic director of the indianapolis opera and opera memphis . earlier in his career , he was assistant stage director of the bayerische staatsoper of munich , germany , assistant director of the kentucky opera and associate director of the kansas city lyric opera .
if you love opera , fully celebrate your passion by becoming a part of the opera philadelphia family for this incredible season . subscribe today and receive exclusive benefits and perks , or discover our annual festival o with a festival pass or opera à la carte package .
oscar hammerstein i , grandfather of the broadway lyricist , opened the metropolitan opera house on north broad street in 1908 . originally called the philadelphia opera house , it was renamed after hammerstein sold it to new york city’s metropolitan opera , which performed there until 1920 .
additional production support provided by the virginia brown martin fund of the philadelphia foundation .
marion , john francis . within these walls : a history of the academy of music in philadelphia . philadelphia : the academy of music restoration office , 1984 .
march 29 : just before the breaking the waves audio cast release , pulitzer - prize winning composer jennifer higdon and opera philadelphia composer in residence rene orth sit down with opera philadelphia’s own new works administrator sarah williams for a facebook live discussion about what it takes to be a contemporary composer .
in years past , grandeur was elusive , and cut corners were glaringly obvious . plans had a way of being announced , then trounced . one season , la clemenza di tito morphed into die fledermaus . indeed , the road from opera company of philadelphia to opera philadelphia was littered with land mines .
the academy of music’s ornate interior was modeled on la scala opera house in milan , italy . ( photograph by b . krist for visit philadelphia )
1420 locust st , ste 210 ( 583 . 45 mi ) philadelphia , pennsylvania 19102
the term “opera” has been used to denote several types of musical theater in america over the centuries : grand or serious opera , ballad opera , operetta , and even ethiopian opera , the latter another name for blackface minstrelsy . with some notable exceptions , grand opera—the type of large - scale musical theater production that has generally come to define to the term “opera”—was rarely performed in america until the 1820s .
whether it’s on stage , backstage , in the pit , or behind the scenes . . . meet the people who are creating great opera in philadelphia .
philadelphia’s first dedicated opera venue was the chestnut street theater , opened in 1794 by actor thomas wignall and lyricist alexander reinagle . ( historical society of pennsylvania )
oscar hammerstein i , grandfather of the broadway lyricist , opened the metropolitan opera house on north broad street in 1908 . originally called the philadelphia opera house , it was renamed after hammerstein sold it to new york city’s metropolitan opera , which performed there until 1920 . ( historical society of pennsylvania )
partnerships are everywhere . traffic between santa fe and philadelphia is so frequent that one might think the two cities had sister companies . opera philadelphia ' s composer - in - residence program is in conjunction with the downtown - ish gotham chamber opera and music - theatre group of new york . each season has a perelman theater coproduction with the curtis institute of music , usually something difficult such as henze ' s elegy for young lovers . this spring , opera philadelphia coproduces with the philadelphia orchestra for the first time , presenting a semi - staged salome conducted by yannick nézet - séguin .
urltoken - a hit with audiences and critics alike , we shall not be moved played seven sold - out shows when it premiered in 2017 . opera philadelphia wants our entire city to see this groundbreaking opera rooted in philadelphia’s history . which is why we need your help to bring a free - to - the - public screening of we shall not be moved to opera on the mall : urltoken show less
, who starred as un / sung , shared with us what we shall not be moved meant to her . share the opera with all of philadelphia by supporting our kickstarter to bring we shall not be moved to opera on the mall :
the 3 , 000 - seat academy of music is the oldest opera theater in the united states still serving its original function . its first full opera performance , in 1857 , was guiseppe verdi’s il trovatore . the academy of music’s ornate interior was modeled on la scala opera house in milan , italy . in 2017 , it was home to opera philadelphia and the pennsylvania ballet . from 1900 until 2011 , the philadelphia orchestra also performed in the academy of music . ( photograph by b . krist )
west philly cop glenda ( kirsten chã¡vez ) asks un / sung ( lauren whitehead ) why she and her brothers are not in school . dave direntis / opera philadelphia hide caption
opera philadelphia launches free breaking the waves audio stream on march 29 - 21c media group - publicity . digital media . consulting . for music , culture , & the performing arts
changing musical tastes and competition with other types of entertainment forced the majority of philadelphia’s opera houses to close or be converted to other uses , musical or otherwise . most were eventually demolished . by the early twenty - first century , only three remained : academy of music , arch street opera house / trocadero , and metropolitan opera house . of these , only the academy of music was still an opera house .
opera philadelphia is committed to embracing innovation and developing opera for the 21st century . described as “ the very model of a modern opera company ” by the washington post , opera philadelphia is charting a bold new path to september , when it will open its 2017 - 18 season with an immersive , 12 - day festival featuring seven operatic happenings in six venues throughout the city . the first festival , o17 , will feature three world premieres , plus the exclusive east coast appearance of barrie kosky’s groundbreaking production of mozart’s the magic flute , and a recital by superstar soprano sondra radvanovsky . opera philadelphia will continue to present a spring season each year , including two additional productions in february and april , making it the only u . s . opera company producing an annual opera season that begins with a dynamic festival . for more information , visit urltoken .
gerson , robert a . music in philadelphia . westport , conn . : greenwood press , 1970 .
la scala opera company was one of several that merged to form the philadelphia grand opera company in 1954 . this 1947 photograph shows baritone enzo mascherini of la scala rehearsing in his dressing room before a performance . ( special collections research center , temple university libraries )
but whitehead says the opera is very much about the lost children of today .
originally built for opera , the arch street opera house ( later the trocadero theatre ) later became a venue for vaudeville , minstrel , and burlesque shows . the pennsylvania opera theatre company performed a series of operas in the trocadero in the 1980s .
glenda , our truancy officer , a wonderful mezzo , is our opera singer ,
roumain says .
i think every opera has to have one .
. a little long but i didn ' t want it to end . opera philadelph
as grand opera grew increasingly popular in the late nineteenth century , new opera houses were built throughout philadelphia to accommodate the expanding audience . the chestnut street theatre burned down again in 1855 and was replaced by a third theater of that name in 1863 , built on the north side of chestnut street west of twelfth street . two new opera houses were built in 1870 : the arch street opera house on the north side of arch street just west of tenth street and the chestnut street opera house on the north side of chestnut street west of tenth street . ( both arch and chestnut streets had separate venues called “theatre” and “opera house” at this time . ) during this period , additional opera houses opened as opera spread throughout the region . in west chester , pennsylvania , horticultural hall ( built in 1848 ) became an opera house in 1869 . in wilmington , delaware , the masonic hall and grand theater opened in 1871 as a venue for opera and other entertainment . ( later renamed the grand opera house , the theater reopened as a performance venue in the 1970s . )
the opera we shall not be moved revisits the story of the 1985 bombing of the move house in philadelphia , and that tragedy ' s impact on philadelphia ' s youth . shown here : actors portraying the ghosts that inhabit the site of the bombing surround character un / sung ( lauren whitehead , center ) .
the runaway success of opera philadelphia ’s world premiere production of breaking the waves marked a catalytic moment last fall , “ changing many of the people who brought the piece to the stage – and the company itself ” ( philadelphia inquirer ) . the new adaptation of lars von trier’s searing oscar - nominated film scored a nomination for the international opera award for best world premiere , and opera news declared it “ among the best 21st - century american operas yet produced . ” now home audiences the world over can hear the spellbinding production in its entirety at urltoken , starting next wednesday , march 29 at 1pm , when opera philadelphia unveils a free on - demand audio stream of the world premiere production that took the opera world by storm , capping an online celebration of women’s history month .
from its beginnings in philadelphia in the mid - eighteenth century , opera grew to be an important part of the city’s cultural life . its popularity ebbed and flowed as tastes changed over time , but it remained a vital art form . in the early twenty - first century , philadelphia audiences continued to avail themselves of performances from both the traditional opera repertoire as well as new works in the still evolving genre .
although the opera weighs in a little more than three hours , the time flies by .
on the highest level ! . and elizabeth braden ' s wonderful men ' s chorus completed the opera . all of this on one stage in one night . opera philly is unquestion
philadelphia just wasn ' t an opera town , and robert was holding up what was at that time a dying art . you might even say that at one point it died on the er table and they [ driver and his team ] stubbornly refused to believe it ,
says nally , who went on to lyric opera of chicago and formed the acclaimed new - music chamber choir the crossing .
they managed to hold out , which is why you have an opera company in philadelphia today .
march 8 : in a new interview , esteemed director robin guarino , who will lead war stories during opera philadelphia’s o17 festival next fall , explores her experience in the male - dominated field at operaphila . org .
theaters were also built for the various types of vernacular musical theater popular in philadelphia from the mid - nineteenth to the early twentieth century , such as minstrelsy , vaudeville , burlesque , and ethnic theater . while these “low brow” types of entertainment generally aimed for a different audience than grand opera , their venues were sometimes called “opera houses . ” sanford’s opera house , later known as the eleventh street opera house , located on the east side of eleventh street just below market street , was a popular minstrel hall in this period . sometimes vaudeville houses hosted grand opera as well ; the local vaudeville houses of national vaudeville impresario benjamin franklin keith ( 1846–1914 ) hosted grand opera on occasion .
the operas presented at these theaters in the 1820s through 1850s were a mix of productions by local resident companies and performances by touring troupes from europe and new orleans , the latter the first american city in which grand opera gained a foothold . grand opera gradually replaced ballad opera in popularity in this period , with the latter largely disappearing by midcentury . from 1827 to 1833 , john davis ( 1773–1839 ) , a french - born new orleans opera impresario , brought his company to philadelphia and other northern cities each summer , presenting french opera in french . in the 1830s , italian troupes , some managed by da ponte , began visiting philadelphia , while local companies began presenting european operas in their original languages . by this time , philadelphians could hear grand opera at several local venues on a fairly regular basis .
march 13 - 17 : breaking the waves composer missy mazzoli takes over the opera philadelphia instagram and twitter accounts throughout the week with a peek at the contemporary innovators and women in history who have influenced her operatic life .
it ' s a different kind of opera , presented in a different way , says joseph .
videos from opera philadelphia ' s random acts of culture , part of 1 , 000 random acts of culture taking place nationally from 2010 - 2013 , funded by the john s . and james l . knight foundation . knight foundation ' s random acts of culture bring artists out of the performance halls and into the streets and our everyday lives . for more videos and information , visit urltoken . for more information on the opera philadelphia , visit urltoken
another turning point was the 2005 richard danielpour– toni morrison opera margaret garner , a coproduction with michigan opera theatre and cincinnati opera , which was a mixed success following its detroit premiere but established the viability of new opera in philadelphia — not in some curtis institute studio , but in the academy . when devan arrived from victoria , b . c . in 2006 , as driver ' s number - two man , modern repertoire became devan ' s trademark . he pushed the long - discussed idea of producing opera at the perelman theater with works such as wozzeck that might not pull their weight at the academy box office .
the savoy opera company was formed in 1901 to perform the operettas of w . s . gilbert and arthur sullivan . as of 2017 , the savoy opera company was still active and was the oldest opera company in the world dedicated to performing gilbert and sullivan’s works . ( historical society of pennsylvania )
in the early 1850s local civic and cultural leaders began planning a new world - class opera house for philadelphia . construction began in 1855 on the american academy of music , as it was originally called , at the southwest corner of broad and locust streets . later shortened to academy of music , the building was modeled on the famed la scala opera house in milan , italy , and when it opened on january 26 , 1857 , it was the largest and most ornate opera house in the city and one of the finest in the nation . original plans for an opera training academy to be housed in the building were never realized . the first complete opera performance in the academy of music was il trovatore by giuseppe verdi ( 1813–1901 ) on february 25 , 1857 , an opera that had its american premiere at the walnut street theatre the previous year . the academy of music immediately became the center of opera in philadelphia , a distinction it never lost , and in the early twenty - first century remained the oldest continuously operating opera house in the united states .
an opera philadelphia commission from the creative team of composer missy mazzoli , librettist royce vavrek , and director james darrah , it was breaking the waves that launched the company’s present season . the premiere proved a sensation . the new york times declared the opera “ ambitious , accomplished , [ and ] dramatically direct , ” the wall street journal called it “ savage , heartbreaking and thoroughly original , ” and for parterre box , breaking the waves was , quite simply , “ the most startling and moving new american opera in memory . ” as the philadelphia inquirer explained ,
kirk , elise k . american opera . urbana & chicago : university of illinois press , 2001 .
we shall not be moved will be asking those questions to sold - out audiences in philadelphia before it moves on to new york .
potter , dorothy . food for apollo : cultivated music in antebellum philadelphia . bethlehem , pa . : lehigh university press , 2011 .
for glimpses inside the met in its recent state , watch hidden city philadelphia’s video below . stay tuned for updates about the project .
breaking the waves represents the most recent of the “ new and challenging works ” ( daily beast ) yielded by opera philadelphia’s innovative american repertoire program . founded in 2011 with a commitment to producing a recent american work in each of ten consecutive seasons , and thereby fostering a new generation of homegrown opera composers , the program confirms the company’s role as “ one of the leading instigators of new work in the country ” ( opera news ) .
has launched today a crowdfunding campaign to subsidize a free hd broadcast of the critically - acclaimed work ' we shall not be moved ' for its “opera on the mall” event on sat , sept 29 , open to the entire philadelphia community .
the student performance of we shall not be moved has been made possible by the mazzotti / kelly fund - bbh of the philadelphia foundation .
playbill collection and collection of academy of music programs , playbills , and scrapbooks , historical society of pennsylvania , 1300 locust street , philadelphia .
devan ' s luck ( backed by shrewdness ) has been remarkable . he spearheaded opera philadelphia ' s effort to mount the puts / campbell opera silent night , which won a pulitzer prize in 2012 , following its 2011 premiere at minnesota opera . nico muhly ' s dark sisters had a chilly premiere at gotham chamber opera in new york city but came together in the same production months later in philadelphia . for cold mountain , higdon went through years of planning with san francisco opera , but when that arrangement fell apart , devan was on the phone
in two secs
and soon after announced a coproduction with santa fe .
you have to be out on the street for luck to find you ,
he says ,
and we had been talking to jennifer higdon for two years prior .
“when a new opera is commissioned , the highest hope is that the resulting piece can somehow change the art form – to evolve it . that happens , if rarely . but perhaps even rarer is the kind of alchemy that ensued when opera philadelphia helped to create breaking the waves . after the new missy mazzoli opera premiered in the fall , it ended up changing many of the people who brought the piece to the stage – and the company itself . ”
at opera frankfurt made clear how high standards are at this company , now considered one of germany’s best .
it also draws on r & b ; – but it doesn ' t sacrifice the influence of traditional opera .
where to begin ? this was the first opera of my life . i was totally blown away by the entire experience
i am in the minority of the reviewers of this opera . there is a reason it is not performed much . the plot is thin and not developed and the opera is probably twice as long as it should be . many peopl
the family stand , from top left : john henry ( aubrey allicock ) , un / sung ( lauren whitehead ) , john blue ( john holiday ) , john little ( daniel shirley ) and john mack ( adam richardson ) . dave direntis / opera philadelphia hide caption
the company was the province of old philadelphia philanthropists and well - meaning italian immigrants ,
says scorca , who worked there when the organization was formed following a 1975 merger of two other groups .
that will get you some good old - fashioned opera .
librettist marc bamuthi joseph says that even though the events of the move bombing happened more than 32 years ago , they still haunt the citizens of philadelphia .
the most popular form of musical theater in early america was ballad opera . an english form of entertainment that was similar to musical comedy , ballad operas were lighthearted plays with satirical songs and dances inserted , usually performed as “after pieces” following a dramatic play . the beggar’s opera , the best - known ballad opera of the eighteenth century , was probably on the bill in the first documented theater performances in philadelphia , given by a traveling english troupe in january 1749 in a converted warehouse on the delaware river near pine street .
as of 2013 , the former opera company of philadelphia is called opera philadelphia . it is , after all , a company with a whole new orientation .
i think we ' re in mid - stroke ,
says fifty - one - year - old david devan , general director since 2011 .
i don ' t quite know what the answers are , but it feels right that we ' re trying out all these things . the strategic plan is that we want to be one of the leading instigators of new work in the country .
the late nineteenth century saw the rise of operetta , a lighter , simpler form of musical theater that aimed primarily to amuse ( as opposed to the loftier aspirations of grand opera ) . also known as light or comic opera , operetta occupied a place between grand opera and the more respectable forms of vernacular musical theater . the operatic society of philadelphia , an amateur group that operated from 1906 to 1934 , performed mostly operetta , although it also occasionally offered grand opera . the savoy company , founded in philadelphia in 1901 to perform the english operettas of the famed composing team of librettist w . s . gilbert ( 1836–1911 ) and composer arthur sullivan ( 1842–1900 ) , remained active in the early twenty - first century as the oldest amateur theater company in the world dedicated solely to gilbert and sullivan works .
ia to taking a chance on this historic piece of music . the academy itself remains a major challenge to effective opera performanc
' what you thought was dead is very much alive , '
he says , quoting lyrics from the opera .
dizikes , john . opera in america : a cultural history . new haven & london : yale university press , 1993 .
jack mccarthy is a music historian who regularly writes , lectures , and gives walking tours on philadelphia music history . a certified archivist , he directed a project for the historical society of pennsylvania focused on the archival collections of the region’s many small historical repositories . he has served as consulting archivist for the philadelphia orchestra and the 2014 radio documentary going black : the legacy of philly soul radio and gave several presentations and helped produce the historical society of pennsylvania’s 2016 philadelphia music series “memories & melodies . ”
and i ' m so proud of the opera arts in my home city . the cast of # phigaro yesterday afternoon was absolutely
joseph adds that to
delve into the politics and to ask the questions that we do
also makes the opera stand out .
in addition to the walnut and chestnut street theatres ( the latter having reopened on the same site in december 1822 ) , several other venues presented opera in antebellum philadelphia . musical fund hall , built by the musical fund society of philadelphia in 1824 on locust street west of eighth street , was primarily a hall for symphonic concerts and recitals , but occasionally presented grand opera , including the american premiere of mozart’s the magic flute in february 1841 . likewise , the arch street theatre , built in 1828 on the north side of arch street west of sixth street , was mainly a venue for plays , but also hosted opera performances . the national theatre , which opened on chestnut street east of ninth street in 1840 , and p . t . barnum’s museum , which opened two blocks away at the southeast corner of seventh and chestnut streets in 1849 , both presented operas for a brief period before burning down , the latter in 1851 and the former in 1854 . the chestnut , walnut , and arch street theaters remained the primary opera venues in philadelphia for most of the antebellum era .
the savoy opera company was formed in 1901 to perform the operettas of w . s . gilbert and arthur sullivan . the company took its name from the savoy theatre , an opera house in london , england , where eight of the duo’s operettas premiered . as of 2017 , the savoy opera company was still active and was the oldest opera company in the world dedicated to performing gilbert and sullivan’s works . this photograph is from the savoy’s 1928 performance of princess ida , an 1884 operetta based on the poem “the princess” by alfred , lord tennyson .
ia ! ) the academy is a perfect setting for opera as it a grand dame of theatres in america . and kudos to the administra
their significance notwithstanding , the masque of alfred and the temple of minerva were isolated dramatic musical presentations ; they were not part of a broader trend toward serious or grand opera , which did not come to philadelphia on a regular basis until the 1820s . grand opera , characterized by large casts and orchestras , lavish stage effects , plots based on dramatic or historic themes , and a multi - act libretto sung throughout , originated in italy in the late sixteenth century and gradually spread to other parts of europe . lorenzo da ponte ( 1749–1838 ) , the italian librettist who wrote the librettos for several of the best - known operas by wolfgang amadeus mozart ( 1756–91 ) , moved to the united states in 1805 and lived in philadelphia for a period in the 1810s . da ponte lamented the predominance of english ballad opera in the city , and nation , and in later years actively worked to bring grand opera to america .
supported by the pew center for arts & heritage and produced by opera philadelphia with audio by george blood l . p . , the upcoming audio stream was captured on september 29 at the penultimate performance of the opera’s opening run , which starred soprano kiera duffy as bess mcneill in “ an absolutely spectacular performance ” ( opera news ) , under the baton of steven osgood . like von trier’s groundbreaking film , the opera depicts a tragedy of conflicting ethical imperatives that ultimately serves as a meditation on the nature of goodness . the audio will be available for streaming on - demand at urltoken . the production includes explicit language , nudity , and sexual content , some of a violent nature . recommended for mature audiences only . ( see full credits below . )
a more faustian bargain during the 1980s came with the luciano pavarotti international vocal competition , winners of which were invited to sing with pavarotti in an opera company of philadelphia production . the tenor was deeply dedicated to the event and couldn ' t confine himself to the usual handful of winners . one year , all the finalists won .
most recently he served as founder and president of arts pacific , an organization that fostered co - productions of opera and musical theater in china .
ews / 2018 / 06 / 19 / opera - on - mall - we - shall - not - be - moved - o18 . html
while in amsterdam to perform in we shall not be moved at de nationale opera - dutch national opera , kirstin chavez , mezzo - soprano , sent us a message about the experience :
i can’t begin to express to you the outrageous joy that was flowing through our rehearsals . . .
jane grey nemeth , who has been acting general director since march 1990 , when margaret anne everitt resigned , will return to the post of director of the opera company of philadelphia / luciano pavarotti international voice competition . mr . driver has appointed danielle orlando the company ' s artistic administrator . she had been the acting administrator since march 1990 .
they’re increasingly taking chances , offering unusual and new work along with repertory staples , and carving out a place for themselves as proponents of american opera .
w hat was once unthinkable at opera philadelphia has become almost commonplace . formerly a bastion of standard productions of standard repertoire , the company now has seven new operas scheduled for upcoming seasons — high - profile projects such as cold mountain , by jennifer higdon and gene scheer , and the trial of elizabeth cree , by kevin puts and mark campbell .
the earliest attempt at true european grand opera in philadelphia was the december 1818 production at the chestnut street theatre of the libertine , an english adaption of mozart and da ponte’s don giovanni . such adaptations—with librettos translated into english—were common in early nineteenth - century america . the libertine proved very popular in philadelphia ; after the chestnut street theatre burned down in march 1820 and was being rebuilt , the libertine was performed several times at the walnut street theatre , which was built as a circus at the northeast corner of ninth and walnut streets in 1809 and converted to a theater three years later . primarily a venue for plays , the walnut street theatre also hosted some grand opera in the nineteenth century .
we shall not be moved is a new opera that takes its name from both the old spiritual - turned - civil - rights anthem and the philadelphia black liberation group , move . that group might be best - remembered for a 1985 tragedy : a police helicopter bombed the move house , and the resulting fire killed 11 people and destroyed 62 homes in the neighborhood .
sonneck , oscar george theodore . early opera in america . new york : g . schirmer , 1915 ; reprint : new york : benjamin blom , 1963 .
curtis , john . “a century of grand opera . ” pennsylvania magazine of history and biography , vol . 44 no . 173 ( january 1920 ) : 122 - 57 .
starting at 7 : 00 p . m . , enjoy exclusive access to select galleries at the philadelphia museum of art as part of your war stories experience . a cash bar will also be available to satisfy your refreshment needs .
march 22 : hannah moscovitch , renowned playwright and the librettist of i have no stories to tell you , which makes its philadelphia premiere next fall , reveals her path to success in a guest blog post for operaphila . org .
jack , thanks for an excellent and well written overview of the history of opera in philadelphia . when i’ve read descriptions of the first performances of “the magic flute” at the musical fund hall in 1841 , it’s been unclear to me whether they were fully staged or concert versions . i know it the performances were in english , but don’t know much about the staging capabilities at the musical fund hall . the second performance was advertised as “the music of the grand opera of the magic flute , ” leading me to believe it was a concert performance . do yo know any details ? thanks !
so , he and his collaborators — composer daniel bernard roumain and director and choreographer bill t . jones — tread carefully . they were inspired by poems created through a teen workshop sponsored by opera philadelphia and a local non - profit . and they cast new york spoken word artist lauren whitehead as a 15 - year - old girl who leads a group of young men whose school has been closed due to budget cuts .
the grand opera house in wilmington , delaware is home to opera delaware . it was constructed in 1871 for the delaware grand lodge of freemasons to serve as their masonic temple . in addition to opera , the grand hosted vaudeville , minstrel shows , and symphonies . some of the most famous acts of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries played at the grand including showman
buffalo
bill cody and actress ethyl barrymore . after a stint as a movie theatre in the mid - twentieth century , it was returned to its original function in 1973 .
we shall not be moved also features movement created by legendary choreographer bill t . jones . jones , like the rest of his collaborators , is not from philadelphia . but he says what happened in 1985 still resonates beyond the city limits .
but it came at a cost . even among his own team , driver lost artistic points thanks to his scrupulous fiscal responsibility . under everitt , each production had only two performances ; by 1998 , driver had increased the number to four and was turning away subscribers . the philadelphia orchestra ' s 2001 move to the kimmel center meant that opera could take up residence in the academy of music , allowing for more sophisticated productions .
and music we ' re all very good and it ' s a shame they were wasted on this opera . the world should be grateful that rossini got better as he got older .
, has shared with us what the opera meant to them , and why they would like the whole city to have the opportunity to see it for free . please donate to help bring
one can sense a glass ceiling , of course : repertoire such as wagner may be forever off - limits at the academy of music , whose orchestra pit holds only sixty - five players . attempting to compete with the metropolitan opera , only two hours up the road , seems fruitless . yet opera philadelphia has its trump cards . thanks to the nearby curtis institute and academy of vocal arts , young singers such as matthew rose and stephen costello had early exposure with the company . though music director corrado rovaris is at home with operas ranging from wozzeck to ainadamar , his ownership of verdi rivals any of the late greats .
mr . corn was born in st . louis , and after graduating from yale university in 1954 , he returned to his hometown to be the public relations manager of the st . louis municipal opera .
rts . the chance to hear stephanie blythe , one of the great mezzo voices of our time , in a rarely performed rossini opera was not to be missed . the other members of the cast , especially
madeira , louis c . annals of music in philadelphia and history of the musical fund society from its organization in 1820 to the year 1858 . edited by philip h . geopp . 1896 ; reprint : washington , d . c . : ross & perry , 2002 .
we have been season ticket holders for , i think , about 40 years . i do not remember ever seeing a better opera . how can you do better then mozart . . . he was sent from god
one would think it ' s impossible to find such an exciting opera company in such close proximity to new york city ,
says marc scorca , opera america ' s president and ceo .
but this one seems to be defying the force of gravity . it ' s not alone in learning to relate to its community in the twenty - first century but has reached more deeply into itself to find transformation .
for my first time at the opera , it was very fun and not really what you would expect . while the crowd was dressed more formally ( what my grandma would call their sunday best ) there were no ball gowns
repertoire is now built partly around singers that devan most wants to work with , philadelphia native eric owens being high on the list . he is the starting point for next season ' s don carlo , in which he sings his first filippo in a cast that includes michelle deyoung as eboli .
in april 1754 , another english theater troupe , the hallam company , began giving plays and ballad operas in the same warehouse and then in 1759 erected a temporary theater on the southwest corner of cedar ( later south ) and hancock streets , between front and second streets . in 1766 the hallam company built the southwark theatre , the first permanent theater building in america , on cedar street west of fourth street ( later the southwest corner of south and leithgow streets ) . cedar street was then the southern boundary of the city of philadelphia and the theater was deliberately built on the south side of the street , just outside the city limits and beyond the jurisdiction of conservative quakers and city officials opposed to theater on moral grounds . the southwark theatre was the primary venue for theater and ballad opera in philadelphia until the mid - 1790s .
the new works are in conjunction with the american repertoire council , a national steering group focused on advancing the company ' s commitment to new american operas under the advisory guidance of nathan gunn . traditional grand opera is somewhat less in evidence , though opera philadelphia opened the current season with a nabucco that was simulcast onto independence mall with an outdoor audience of 4 , 000 , roughly half of whom were new to the company ' s database . but what , exactly , constitutes
traditional
? this season also saw osvaldo golijov ' s 2003 ainadamar — for the second time , in a new production at the academy .
when i asked for things like that fifteen years ago , i was laughed at ,
recalls ex - chorus master donald nally .
the philadelphia metropolitan opera house at 858 n . broad street was built in 1908 by oscar hammerstein i , the grandfather of oscar hammerstein ii . designed by architect william h . mcelfatrick , it sat some 4 , 000 people and was the largest theater of its kind in the world . but after hammerstein i fell into debt and sold the property , the theater went on to play many roles , from a movie theater , to a circus venue , a ballroom , and most recently , a church for the holy ghost congregation .
new works such as puts ' s silent night hold their own at the 2 , 900 - seat academy of music . chamber - sized hans werner henze works filled the 650 seats of the kimmel center ' s perelman theater . in november ( 2013 ) , an off - site serbian - language a cappella opera titled svadba ( a balkan wedding ) played to sold - out houses at a repurposed water - pumping station . the new works range from ricky ian gordon ' s coffin in egypt , starring frederica von stade this season , to hip h ' opera , a work being devised from the stories of inner - city philadelphia school kids for 2015 . three composers in residence pass each other in the corridor — among them that paragon of brooklyn chic , missy mazzoli .
in 1980 he became the director of the national endowment for the arts ' new opera and musical theater program , a position he held for two years before returning to arts management as director of wolf trap farm park in vienna , va .
in 1793 , two immigrant english impresarios , actor thomas wignell ( 1753–1803 ) and musician alexander reinagle ( 1756–1809 ) , built the chestnut street theatre on the north side of chestnut street west of sixth street , although its opening was delayed until the next year after yellow fever struck the city . the nation’s most elaborate theater at the time , the chestnut street theatre became a major center for opera . ballad operas still predominated in this period , usually productions written in england and adapted for american tastes . benjamin carr ( 1768 - 1831 ) , an english musician who settled in philadelphia in 1797 and became a prominent performer , composer , and music publisher , wrote the archers in 1796 , the first musical drama to be written and professionally performed in the united states . carr and reinagle were prolific philadelphia composers whose ballad operas and other compositions were performed frequently in the city in the federal period .