The Curtain Rises On A New Opera Company In Portland - OrpheusPDX

Opera producer and international stage director Christopher Mattaliano today announced the establishment of OrpheusPDX, an opera company created especially for Portland audiences and designed to become part of the community in a variety of new ways.

In the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, Orpheus' singing and playing is so beautiful that even the savage beasts of Hades are moved to tears. Portland's new opera company, OrpheusPDX, aspires to do the same-to touch the soul of the community through the power of great music and theater.

"This is a very exciting time," Mattaliano, the new company's Founder/General and Artistic Director, said. "I love opera and I especially love Portland. I look forward to adding to the cultural vitality of this great city. Portland offers a very wide variety of entertainment options for lovers of classical music, dance, visual art, and especially theater. The opera lover has fewer options; we have Portland Opera and a few smaller, adventurous companies. OrpheusPDX will complement the work being done by our colleagues and give Portland's opera fans, new and established, a year-round opera season and the chance to enjoy opera from a variety of new perspectives."

Mattaliano went on to explain that the idea for a new opera company sprang from conversations with arts lovers and philanthropists in the Portland area. "It was their encouragement and support-in every sense of the word-that led to the creation of this company," Mattaliano said. He had just signed with a new agent and was beginning to accept directing engagements when the pandemic brought things to a sudden halt. During the pandemic-related time off, he had the time to reflect on the idea of a new company and how to find the balance between high artistic quality and the size and scale of company operations that would be sustainable with available funding.

In addition to the two operas produced in the summer months and presented in the 475-seat Lincoln Hall, OrpheusPDX will create a regular community of artists-singers, conductors, directors, and designers-in residence each summer. As a result, the audience will come to know the work of these artists more intimately over time in a variety of settings, to know them as regular community members, and to see their work evolve each season. "We hope to create a unique and special bond between the community and the resident artists of OrpheusPDX each summer," Mattaliano said.

Following its inaugural season, OrpheusPDX intends to establish a training program in 2023 for 12 gifted young singers selected by nationwide audition. The professional artists engaged by OrpheusPDX-the singers, conductors, stage directors, designers-will provide ongoing voice lessons, vocal and dramatic coaching, and master classes in all aspects of opera production to the students selected for the training program. "I love working with gifted young singers. I'm very fortunate to have a career based in both the professional opera world and that of the conservatory," Mattaliano said. Additionally, local student instrumentalists will be selected to perform in the opera orchestra, mentored by professional musicians.

"This new company provides a means to give back to the community that has given so much to me," said Mattaliano. "It brings together two of my greatest loves-producing high-quality professional opera and providing a rich learning experience for gifted young singers and instrumentalists."

For more information and to sign up to receive all the future news from OrpheusPDX, patrons should visit www.orpheuspdx.org.