Aug31

Q & A with Director David Lefkowich

By: Suzanne Whitney Our 40th Anniversary Season marks the third in a row director David Lefkowich has created something masterful for Opera Colorado. During the 2019-20 Season, his beautiful Pagliacci was the final production staged by Opera Colorado before...

Read more
Aug23

Cavalleria rusticana 101—Musical Style

By: Betsy Schwarm In 1888, Pietro Mascagni (1863 – 1945) heard of a competition for one-act operas. With four complete operas to his name, the Italian composer was on the verge of submitting one excerpted act of his historical...

Read more
Aug18

An Opera Fit for Hollywood

By: Jennifer Colgan The one-act opera Cavalleria rusticana was an instant success for a young Pietro Mascagni. Audiences loved the intense drama and sweeping melodies, demanding no less than sixty curtain calls after its 1890 premiere. 100 years later,...

Read more
Aug12

What the Opera Colorado Staff Did Last Summer

By: Angelica DiIorio When the curtain closed on our May 2022 production of Carmen, the Opera Colorado staff had a little downtime before fully kicking off our 40th Anniversary Season this fall. While we used this time to prepare...

Read more
Aug4

Cavalleria rusticana 101 – Characters and Plot

By: Suzanne Whitney & Betsy Schwarm As the American composer Paul Moravec says, “opera is about three things: love, death, and power,” and that could not be more true for Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana. This one-act opera may only be seventy-five...

Read more
Jul15

AN OPERA PLAYLIST FOR COLORADO NATIONAL PARKS

By: Angelica DiIorio Many Coloradans love exploring the great outdoors. We have some music recommendations for your summer adventures inspired by the national parks of Colorado. These arias provide a wonderful soundtrack for any hike, run, or walk. Enjoy...

Read more
Jun30

Opera Innovators: Mark Campbell and Paul Moravec

By: Suzanne Whitney Throughout opera’s history, composers, librettists, directors, and artists of all kinds have contributed to this ever-evolving art form. Despite the public perception of opera being a bit stodgy, today’s operatic artists are trying out new and...

Read more
Jun14

From Stage to Studio: Recording a World Premiere

By: Jennifer Colgan In 2018, Opera Colorado presented the world premiere of Steal a Pencil for Me by composer Gerald Cohen and librettist Deborah Brevoort. This poignant opera tells the story of two Dutch Jews, Jaap and Ina Polak, who fell in love...

Read more
More posts