Opera New Jersey

Opera New Jersey is the opera company to watch! We're committed to youth education, to professional and artistic development for emerging artists, and, of course, to bringing you the highest quality opera. For even more information, visit our website at http://operanj.org. Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook!

[operanj]

What's the best way to start a cloudy Thursday? With a little Bizet, of course! Happy birthday, Georges!

On a related note, does anyone remember the Carmen hip-hopera? We do, and we're still a little scarred from it.

[operanj]

Our Celebrate Opera Gala was Saturday, October 13th. More pictures to follow soon! For now, here is the lovely centerpiece arrangement. The office smells great right now; we love post-gala Mondays! (Taken with Instagram)

[operanj]

Happy Birthday, Verdi!

Production photo from Il trovatore, 2012. Erica Strauss, Marco Nistico, and Rafael Davila.

[operanj]

Happy Birthday, Camille Saint-Saëns!

[operanj]

Applications for ONJ's 2013 Victoria J. Mastrobuono Emerging Artist Program have gone live on YAP Tracker! The deadline to apply is Friday, November 2nd. Auditions will be held November 28th-30th and December 3rd-4th in New York City.

This year, our Emerging Artists were involved in all performances of the mainstage productions ofIl trovatoreandH.M.S.Pinafore.They also gave a number of free concerts and recitals to the New Jersey public, including an evening of musical theatre selections. Each year, 24-30 artists are selected from over 700 applicants.

2013 promises to be a season to remember, and we are all very excited to hear the new round of Emerging Artist applicants, so send us your application!

[operanj]

We’re listening to the Met’s 1955 production of Les Contes d’Hoffmann, with Roberta Peters, Lucine Amara, Rise Stevens, Martial Singher, Mildred Miller, and Richard Tucker. This somewhat stinging review has us eager to hear it and judge for ourselves.

[operanj]

A storm has settled around the ONJ offices! What songs or arias are you reminded of when it storms?

[operanj]

The Development Department had the preview of the centerpieces for our annual Celebrate Opera Gala today, and the results were fabulous! We're keeping our fingers crossed for a centerpiece to grace the office post-gala - every opera office needs flowers!

[diva-dresses]

[operanj]

Richard Russell to Head Sarasota Opera

Opera New Jersey wishes Richard Russell all the best as he travels to Sarasota, Florida this week to be welcomed as incoming Executive Director of Sarasota Opera, effective November 1st.

“While I’m sad to leave Princeton and Opera New Jersey, I’m thrilled to be going back to Sarasota,” said Mr. Russell. “It’s especially moving for me to become Executive Director of the company where I started my professional singing career in 1989.”

We here at Opera NJ would like to thank Richard for all of the dedication and creativity he and his wife, Cynthia, brought to our company for the past three seasons. You will be missed!

[thisainttherapy]

“I want to fight for opera, for it to be taken seriously. Pop music is for the body, but opera is for the soul.”

- Angela Gheorghiu (via thisainttherapy)

[operanj]

Happy (belated) Birthday, Anna!

[reine-des-pommes]

I took my 9-year-old to the opera and she loved it.

Maybe I’ve just reached that age in my female life where everything makes me cry, but I can honestly say that this article brought me to tears, and for a few of reasons.

First and foremost, it gives me all around hope to know someone is...

[operanj]

Instant re-blog. This article is making our office a little misty-eyed to match the weather. There's hope for us yet!

[operanj]

Making Opera Approachable to Young Students

Were you introduced to opera in your early school years? What made a lasting impression on you and why was it successful?

[historicalsingers]

Beverly Sills sings Donizetti’s Linda di Chamounix

I LOVE the chessboard set—Donizetti meets Patrick McGoohan.

[operanj]

Bubbles with her iconic bounce. What a great performance!!!

[fyeahoperasingers]

September!  Time for leaves turning colors and apple picking and a brand spanking new season!  The NYTimes gives us a pretty comprehensive look at what’s happening where.

[operanj]

Today's featured article on the Wikipedia home page is "Monteverdi's Lost Operas." Of the ten operas he wrote between 1604 and 1643, only three survive, including "L'incoronazione di Poppea" and "L'Orfeo." This article details the remaining seven from the history of their composition to libretti to the last record of their existence.

Sounds like an interesting Music History research paper to me...