Washington Concert Opera Democratizes The Opera Viewing Experience

Washington Concert Opera announces three new digital program offerings with the intent of breaking down common barriers to opera including cost, travel and contextual understanding.

WCO will launch Performance Rewind on March 10, 2021, which will grant audiences unlimited access to free monthly audio streams of the company's past performances, starting with the November 2019 performance of Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet. Access will be on-demand via the WCO website upon registration and all streams will remain available for 30 days, after which point they will be taken down. The program will run through June 2021. Direct link: https://concertopera.org/wconline/rewind

The second program, Opera Gems Online, will run in tandem with Performance Rewind's streamed operas. WCO co-founder, Peter Russell, will offer an informative discussion on Zoom about the respective streamed opera, giving historical context to the work and broadening the audience's appreciation and understanding. The first webinar will be March 19, 6:30 p.m. EST. Direct link: https://concertopera.org/wconline/gemsonline

The third program, Opera Explained, will be a series of short, animated videos explaining different aspects of the art form. In these videos, WCO will cover everything from rarely-heard operas to the concert opera experience. They will be released in upcoming weeks at WCO's website.

"I am so excited for WCO to begin presenting these new digital initiatives. The pandemic has taken a lot away from us in the form of live entertainment and opera as we know it, but at the same time, it has given us the opportunity to think about how we can better engage and educate audiences online," says Tehvon Fowler-Chapman, WCO Executive Director. "While there is still work to be done, these initiatives will help WCO bridge the accessibility gap for opera."

Anyone can gain access to these programs through WCO's website. For further information, schedule, or access please visit www.concertopera.org/watch-listen.