Opera Philadelphia Announces 2021-2022 Season

New film adaptations of Poulenc's La voix humaine starring Patricia Racette and Henze's El Cimarron starring Sir Willard White presented alongside an Academy of Music production of Verdi's Rigoletto and a Verizon Hall concert pairing Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex with George Walker's Lilacs

Pre-season outdoor concert pits tenors Lawrence Brownlee and Michael Spyres in a friendly rivalry backed by the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Corrado Rovaris

Additional digital offerings include a fresh look at Glass Handel starring Anthony Roth Costanzo, a program celebrating Philadelphia's historic pipe organs, and new works commissioned from today's top composers

Building on the success of an acclaimed year of artistic creation, described by the New York Times as "laying claim to the mantle of making new material during the pandemic" and "one of the best bets going, worldwide," Opera Philadelphia has announced plans for an untraditional 2021-2022 season that will bring performances to audiences in a variety of venues a"? indoors, outdoors, and from the comfort of home. Three live performances from three different stages in Philadelphia will be paired with a second season of works conceived and created for streaming on the Opera Philadelphia Channel, continuing the company's "ongoing effort to bring a wider range of voices into the repertory" (National Public Radio).

Eliminating the traditional time constraints of what constitutes "opera season," the Opera Philadelphia Channel will continue to stream original films, archival performances, and new programming year-round, with annual streaming passes available for $99 per year or $9.99 per month. Acclaimed films of David T. Little's Soldier Songs and Tyshawn Sorey's Cycles of My Being, and world premiere commissions like Sorey's Save the Boys, Angélica Negrón's The Island We Made, and Caroline Shaw's We Need to Talk, will continue to be available on-demand alongside a new series of digital commissions from three composers to be named this summer. They will be joined by new films of Francis Poulenc's La voix humaine, starring soprano Patricia Racette and directed by James Darrah, filmed at the historic Elkins Estate in suburban Philadelphia; and Hans Werner Henze's El Cimarrón, starring bass-baritone Sir Willard White, directed by Raelle Myrick-Hodges and Jorge Cousineau with music director Stephanie Rhodes Russell. A concert film and documentary bring audiences a fresh perspective on Glass Handel, 2018's art world mega-happening created by American countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo in collaboration with producer Cath Brittan and avant-garde fashion/art company Visionaire. Additional programming includes the digital premiere of The Drama of Tosca (June 17, 2021) starring soprano Ana María Martínez, tenor Brian Jagde, and baritone Quinn Kelsey; Organ Stops (July 2021), a performance piece celebrating the many historic pipe organs in Philadelphia starring the Opera Philadelphia Chorus; and the Reflection & Re-Vision series, which continues to look deeper into the opera genre by exploring its musical and theatrical elements as well as cultural, social, and historical perspectives. New programming will be announced throughout the year.

While the channel remains an ongoing, active digital stage, Opera Philadelphia will also bring live performances to audiences at three celebrated Philadelphia music venues: the outdoor Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park; Verizon Hall inside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts; and the historic Academy of Music, Opera Philadelphia's longtime home for grand opera productions. The three very different live performances produced in these contrasting venues will all be connected by the leadership of Jack Mulroney Music Director Corrado Rovaris and the talents of the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra and Chorus.

Superstar tenors Lawrence Brownlee and Michael Spyres team up for the American premiere of Amici e Rivali, a pre-season concert of Rossini arias and vocal fireworks on Thursday, August 26, at the Mann. Igor Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex and George Walker's Lilacs form a concert program presented on Friday, January 21 and Sunday, January 23, 2022 at Verizon Hall in the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Featuring soloists William Burden, Rehanna Thelwell, Mark S. Doss, and Tiffany Townsend, the concerts spotlight the talents of the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra and Chorus. The season will culminate with Opera Philadelphia's return to the Academy of Music for the first time in more than two years with four performances of Verdi's unforgettable tragedy Rigoletto from April 29-May 8, 2022, with baritone Anthony Clark Evans in the title role alongside British-American tenor Joshua Blue in his company and role debuts as the philandering Duke of Mantua with Baltimore-born soprano Raven McMillon, a winner in the 2021 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, in her company and role debuts as Rigoletto's daughter, Gilda.

"The 2021-2022 season is a first step towards returning to a new normal at Opera Philadelphia, as we get back to bringing audiences and artists together for live performances while also integrating cinematic work into our ongoing exploration of the future of opera," said David B. Devan, General Director & President of Opera Philadelphia. "With music, artists, and storytelling at the center of all activity, this season offers opera lovers both near and far an opportunity to enjoy a wide range of revelatory operatic experiences that remind us both why we love this art form and how it continues to evolve in the 21st century."

Subscriptions for this integrated season of live and streaming opera are now on sale at operaphila.org, or by calling 215.732.8400 (Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).

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