Kristina Reiko Cooper to Perform with NYC Opera Orchestra in Bryant Park’s OPERA GOES TO HOLLYWOOD Concerts

Cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper will join the New York City Opera Orchestra for two evenings of free music in Bryant Park as part of the Picnic Performances series. The concerts, titled Opera Goes to Hollywood, will take place Thursday, June 26 and Friday, June 27, 2025, at 7:00 PM EDT.

Led by New York City Opera’s Executive Director and Music Director Constantine Orbelian and conductor Stefano Vignati, the program highlights iconic operatic and classical works that have appeared in film. Cooper will perform selections by Astor Piazzolla, Camille Saint-Saëns, Edward Elgar, and others, including:

• Piazzolla – Libertango and Oblivion

• Elgar – Salut d'Amour

• Saint-Saëns – The Swan

• Lacalle García – Amapola

• Velázquez – Bésame Mucho

The event is free and open to the public. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis, with lawn chairs and blankets provided by the park. Both performances will also be live-streamed via Bryant Park’s official YouTube channel.

Cooper, an acclaimed soloist known for her expressive versatility and commitment to contemporary repertoire, has performed at leading international venues including Carnegie Hall, Suntory Hall, and the Kennedy Center. Her work often bridges classical tradition with modern social and historical narratives.

These Bryant Park concerts follow a milestone season for Cooper, including her performance of Lera Auerbach’s Vessels of Light with the Konzerthaus Orchester Berlin, and the premiere of Uri Brener’s Halls of Memory with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. A frequent collaborator with Orbelian and NYC Opera, she recently appeared at Carnegie Hall performing works by Mieczysław Weinberg and Erich Korngold.

For more details on the performances, visit Bryant Park’s event page, New York City Opera’s website, and Kristina Reiko Cooper’s site.