Festival Opera's 32nd Season Includes CARMEN and More

Festival Opera’s 32nd annual season will continue Sunday, August 6 at 4 p.m., when the company returns to the lush grounds of Walnut Creek’s Civic Park for a free Opera in the Park concert, made possible by the Walnut Creek Civic Pride Foundation. The park is located at 1375 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek.

This community program will feature Festival Opera singers Hope Briggs and Lila Khazoum, sopranos; Lily Bogas, mezzo-soprano; Sara Couden, contralto; Taylor Thompson, tenor; and Andrew Fellows, baritone performing highlights from the world of grand opera in an idyllic setting for a late summer afternoon concert of beautiful music and new cherished memories. The singers will be accompanied by distinguished Bay Area pianist Chun Mei Wilson. Festival Opera General Director Zachary Gordin will serve as the concert host. To mark the occasion of this concert, an official welcome greeting will be proffered by Walnut Creek City Mayor Pro Tem, Loella Haskew.

At the heart of Festival Opera’s 2023 summer season will be a new production of Georges Bizet’s immortal opera, Carmen, scheduled for two performances Friday, August 18 at 7.30 p.m. and Sunday, August 20 at 2 p.m. at Walnut Creek’s Hofmann Theatre, Lesher Center for the Performing Arts.

Zachary Gordin, said “It is with great pride Festival Opera celebrates its 32nd anniversary season with a refreshed, contemporary interpretation of Bizet’s iconic work, Carmen. I’m especially pleased to present a cast of rising, highly talented opera stars in such a collaborative stage production – updated to the here and now -- that will surely resonate with Bay Area audiences.”

For only the second time in the company’s history, Festival Opera presents Bizet’s Carmen, the composer’s final work for the Paris lyric theater stage in 1875 prior to his tragically early death at age 36. The trailblazing work overflows with raw energy and enduring melodic inspiration, wrapped within a plot that is startling in its uncompromising realism. Today, Carmen remains at the very core of the opera repertory, one of the most often performed works in the world attracting the greatest singing artists of the day to interpret the title role, the ultimate femme fatale and tragic heroine of l’amour.

An impressive roster of rising operatic stars has been assembled for Carmen beginning with the highly anticipated company debut of “vocal sensation,” mezzo-soprano Taylor Raven* in the title role of the Iberian Gypsy; the welcome return of successful Festival Opera alumni, soprano Hope Briggs (Micaëla) and tenor Dane Suarez (Don José); and the company premier of “magnificent” baritone, Young Kwang Yoo* (Escamillo).

Joining the Carmen cast in a number of important comprimario roles will be bass-baritone Matthew Lovell (Zuniga); soprano Lila Khazoum* (Frasquita); mezzo-soprano Lily Bogas (Mercédès); tenor Taylor Thompson* (Remendado); and baritone Andrew Fellows* (Moralés/Dancaïro).

On the podium leading the Festival Opera Orchestra will be San Francisco Opera veteran Robert Mollicone* alongside a highly talented creative team including stage director and choreographer Michael Mohammed*; production designer Peter Crompton; lighting designer Matthew Antaky; costume designer Joy Graham-Korst; and makeup by Kristen Campbell and Denise Gutierrez. Festival Opera’s Director of Production is Frédéric O. Boulay. The Festival Opera Chorus is under the direction of Bruce Olstad; the production will also feature the vocal talents of the Grammy Award-winning Pacific Boychoir Academy*. Sung in French with projected English supertitles, Carmen will be presented in two acts with one intermission, and will last two hours and forty-five minutes.

Individual tickets for Festival Opera’s Carmen are now on sale and are $45, $70 and $90. Student tickets are $20 (age 25 and younger). Tickets may be purchased online at www.festivalopera.org/carmen or by calling the Lesher Center for the Arts Box Office, (925) 943-7469. Performances are scheduled for Friday, August 18 at 7.30 p.m. and Sunday, August 20 at 2 p.m. at the Hofmann Theatre, Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek.

Festival Opera was founded in 1991 by Dr. Theodore Weis, who, twenty years earlier had helped create the Arizona Opera Company in Tucson. Past Festival Opera leadership includes the artistic direction tenures of famed soprano Olivia Stapp, Maestro Michael Morgan of the Oakland Symphony, and is currently led by Zachary Gordin. Festival Opera is committed to presenting emerging and local artists in compelling and socially relevant productions of new and classic repertoire. Festival Opera proudly gives emerging artists a venue to hone their craft in leading roles with the guidance and collaboration of established professionals - providing a vital launching pad for their professional future. FO alums have gone on to perform in major opera houses and symphony halls around the globe.

Zachary Gordin began his administrative association with Festival Opera in 2018 as Artistic Advisor, later Artistic Director, and in 2020 was appointed company General Director. A native son of Oakland, Gordin is a highly accomplished baritone singer performing opera repertoire and concert music throughout the country, and is a greatly skilled and insightful piano accompanist; a dedicated health and fitness advocate, the multi-talented musician and impresario is also a builder of harpsichords. 

For more details about Festival Opera, visit online at www.festivalopera.org.

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