Austin Lyric Opera Announces 2013-14 Season

Austin Lyric Opera (ALO) has announced its 2013-14 Season, which will include the company premiere of two operatic masterpieces, and the presentation of one perennial favorite. The season opens this November with Don Carlo, Verdi's epic tale of unrequited love and strained family allegiances. ALO will be offering Don Carlo for the first time in the company's history, in celebration of the bicentennial of Verdi's birth. The season continues in January and February 2014 with Tosca, Puccini's volatile drama, returning to the Austin stage for the first time since 2004. The charming and romantic The Elixir of Love brings the season to a close in May 2014, and is another ALO first.

The 2013-14 Season marks an important milestone in the company's history: Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Richard Buckley's 10th Anniversary with ALO. Known for his dynamic contributions in both the operatic and orchestral genres, Maestro Buckley has delivered a level of artistry that has elevated ALO's reputation in the United States and beyond. He has brought a range of audience favorites and critically-acclaimed productions to ALO during his tenure, consistently ensuring the highest musical standards. Maestro Buckley will conduct all three productions in the upcoming season.

"Our 2013-14 Season is exciting on several levels. Not only are we continuing our efforts to present epic masterworks from the repertoire, but we have an opportunity at the same time to make important company premieres with Don Carlo and The Elixir of Love," says General Director, Joseph Specter. "It's a terrific season that I think Austin audiences will really enjoy, and a fitting celebration of Richard's 10th year with ALO."

"We open our season with Verdi's Don Carlo, one of ALO's most ambitious and large-scale productions," says Maestro Richard Buckley. "We continue with Puccini's explosive drama, Tosca, and end with The Elixir of Love, Donizetti's famous comic gem. All three pieces represent the great Italian tradition of which I have been associated with all my career."