Chicago Opera Theater Presents the Third Annual National Opera Week, 10/28-11/6

National Opera Week will take place October 28 - November 6, 2011. In its third year, this week-long celebration continues to honor the opera art-form by holding exciting activities and events throughout the United States. Chicago Opera Theater (COT) will host four events during the week, bringing back the popular "Pop-Up Operas," short opera performances in iconic Chicago locations.

In conjunction with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture and the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, COT will offer a free performance of Daron Aric Hagen's "New York Stories," featuring members of COT's Young Artists Program. Directly following the recital is "Opera With a Twist," a benefit presented by the Executive Council of Opera Underground, Chicago Opera Theater's young professional's social club. The last event is an Opera Scavenger Hunt taking place throughout Chicago that will have participants deciphering clues to bring them to the next opera-influenced site.

"National Opera Week gives us the opportunity to bring opera to all Chicagoans," says Brian Dickie, General Director of COT. "We hope that all of our events during this week will make opera relevant and exciting in a real-world setting, and will change pre-conceived notions about opera being stuffy or boring."

Coordinated by OPERA America, the national service organization for opera, with support of the National Endowment for the Arts, "National Opera Week celebrates the vibrancy of opera in America today, and brings the inventiveness and excitement of opera to a national audience. The strength and diversity of established opera companies, community opera ensembles and opera training programs across the United States will be shared through free, dynamic activities designed to engage novices, opera lovers and everyone in between."

For more information on Chicago Opera Theater National Opera Week activities, please click here.