Virginia Opera is an
operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
company based in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is led by its Artistic Director, Peter Mark, who has been with the company since its first major performances in 1975.
Virginia Opera currently presents four productions a year in Virginia at three different venues – the
Harrison Opera HouseThe Edythe C. and Stanley L. Harrison Opera House, also known as the Harrison Opera House, is the official home of the Virginia Opera in the Ghent district of Norfolk, Virginia. Once a World War II USO theater, this historic venue was renovated in 1993. With 1,632 seats, the renovated Harrison...
in
NorfolkNorfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 234,403 as of the 2000 census, it is Virginia's second-largest incorporated city behind its eastern neighbor, Virginia Beach....
,
Richmond'sRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
Landmark TheaterThe Landmark Theater in Richmond, Virginia, United States is a theater at the southwest corner of Monroe Park. It is so named because it is "one of the best known buildings in Richmond." Formerly known as "The Mosque," the Landmark was constructed in 1926 to be used by the Shriners as the ACCA...
, and at
George Mason University'sGeorge Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax...
Center for the Arts in
Fairfax CountyFairfax County is a county in Northern Virginia, in the United States. , the estimated population of the county is 1,015,302, making it by far the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington Metropolitan Area...
– with five performances of each in Norfolk, two in Richmond and two in Fairfax.
Virginia Opera is an
operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
company based in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is led by its Artistic Director, Peter Mark, who has been with the company since its first major performances in 1975.
Virginia Opera currently presents four productions a year in Virginia at three different venues – the
Harrison Opera HouseThe Edythe C. and Stanley L. Harrison Opera House, also known as the Harrison Opera House, is the official home of the Virginia Opera in the Ghent district of Norfolk, Virginia. Once a World War II USO theater, this historic venue was renovated in 1993. With 1,632 seats, the renovated Harrison...
in
NorfolkNorfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 234,403 as of the 2000 census, it is Virginia's second-largest incorporated city behind its eastern neighbor, Virginia Beach....
,
Richmond'sRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
Landmark TheaterThe Landmark Theater in Richmond, Virginia, United States is a theater at the southwest corner of Monroe Park. It is so named because it is "one of the best known buildings in Richmond." Formerly known as "The Mosque," the Landmark was constructed in 1926 to be used by the Shriners as the ACCA...
, and at
George Mason University'sGeorge Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax...
Center for the Arts in
Fairfax CountyFairfax County is a county in Northern Virginia, in the United States. , the estimated population of the county is 1,015,302, making it by far the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington Metropolitan Area...
– with five performances of each in Norfolk, two in Richmond and two in Fairfax. Beginning in 2009, performances by the $4.8 million company will be trimmed to four in Norfolk and will also be staged at a new venue in Richmond: the Carpenter Theater at Richmond CenterStage.
The company was founded in 1974 by Edythe C. Harrison, for whom, in addition to her late husband Stanley L. Harrison, the Harrison Opera House is named. Performances in Richmond began in 1977. Performances in Fairfax County, Virginia began in 1992.
Some notable performers who have sung with the company or been presented in concert include:
Luciano PavarottiLuciano Pavarotti Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian operatic tenor, who also crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most commercially successful tenors of all time. He was one of "The Three Tenors" and became well-known for his televised concerts and media...
,
Beverly SillsBeverly Sills was a Jewish American operatic soprano who enjoyed a successful career during the 1950s through the 1970s....
,
Renée FlemingRenée Fleming is a Grammy Award winning American soprano specializing in opera and lieder. Fleming has a full lyric soprano voice....
,
Barbara DeverThe American mezzo-soprano Barbara Dever is a well-known opera singer who has appeared with Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, Zubin Mehta, Nello Santi and James Levine....
, Jeannine Altmeyer, Ashley Putnam, Cristina Nassif, Frederick Burchinal, John Aler, Rockwell Blake, Randy Locke, Jake Gardner, Sujung Kim, Frank Porretta, Grant Youngblood, Fabiana Bravo, Randall Scarlata, and
Thomas Rolf TruhitteThomas Rolf Truhitte is a well known American heldentenor who has become noted in recent years for his roles in Wagnerian operas. The son of actor Daniel Truhitte, his middle name is a tribute to his father's most famous role as "Rolf" in the movie adaptation of The Sound of Music.Thomas was in the...
.
In addition to its mainstage performances, Virginia Opera offers a variety of
educationEducation in its broadest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual...
and
outreachOutreach is an effort by individuals in an organization or group to connect its ideas or practices to the efforts of other organizations, groups, specific audiences or the general public. Unlike marketing, outreach does not inherently revolve around a product or strategies to increase market share...
programs to students and members of Virginia communities.
External links