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Click here to find your photograph from the lobby photos of Rigoletto at Phoenix Symphony Hall.
Friday, November 14, 2014Saturday, November 15, 2014Sunday, November 16, 2014

Whether it be the recent Metropolitan Opera production of Rigoletto, which moves the action to Las Vegas in the 1960’s, or that particular turn of phrase above that we’ve used to help publicize our production of Rigoletto, I’ve had many people ask what we’re going to “do” to the opera.

When Arizona Opera began to plan how we wanted to launch the first artistic season planned entirely by us, the current administration, a few things were clear. Practical goals needed to be achieved in order to capitalize on the momentum our company had enjoyed in the previous season—the two most important of which were building larger audiences and garnering more support for our art.

Click here to find your photograph from the lobby photos of Cruzar la Cara de la Luna at Phoenix Symphony Hall 
Friday, October 10, 2014Saturday, October 11, 2014Sunday, October 12, 2014

Verdi is one of the greatest operatic composers of all time. While this sentence may seem hyperbolic, ever since he hit his stride in the 1850s, Verdi reputation as the greatest musical dramatist has only grown, and it is Verdi’s mythic status that makes his works among the most performed operas in the world.

NO! says Iris Arnesen:

Iris Arnesen is the author of Nine Famous Opera: What’s really Going On! and The Romantic World of Puccini: A New Critical Appraisal of the Operas.  She is a lecturer on opera and editor of The Opera Glass, a performing arts periodical that covers opera, theatre, dance, and concert music.

En la celebración de la primera ópera de mariachi del mundo Cruzar la Cara de la Luna, Arizona Opera presenta el Festival de la Herencia Hispana. Estamos celebrando nuestras diferencias culturales con el fin de encontrar el fundamento en común que nos une.

 

“… And Superman married Princess Elsa and they all lived happily ever after!”

On an early Friday morning, another opera received its world premiere thanks to the students at Liberty Elementary and our OperaTunity Troupe. Since early September, our teaching artists have been touring southern Arizona performing Instant Opera. This zany, 40-minute program teaches kids about the basics of opera all while teaching them how to create their own stories!

I can’t believe the 2014-15 Season is already here. After almost 18 months of planning, we can’t wait to share these five wonderful pieces with Arizona audiences. From classic to contemporary operas, from traditional to conceptual productions, we have it all!

The precise meaning and origin of the word Mariachi is debated among scholars – some say the word is a variation on the French mirage, meaning marriage as the music of mariachi was frequently played at weddings. Others claim the word has roots which may reflect the name of the wood (Pilla or Cirmio) used by a tribe of indigenous peoples in what is now modern day Mexico (coincidentally, this wood is used to make guitars, an instrument synonymous with mariachi). Regardless of its precise meaning, mariachi is one of the most invigorating and enthralling musical styles in the world.  

One of the highlights of our season this year is our presentation of the world’s first mariachi opera, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna.

Originally commissioned in celebration of the anniversaries of Mexican Independence and Revolution, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna features the legendary Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. Holding the title of the first mariachi opera, Cruzar tells the story of a multi-generational Mexican-American family and their struggle with coming to terms with the meanings of home and family.

Arizona Opera will open its 2014-2015 season by presenting the world’s first mariachi opera, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna. This emotional work revolves around a modern immigrant family struggling with issues of home, family and identity. This opera is sung in both English and Spanish, and audiences will be enthralled as the passionate worlds of mariachi and opera join together to become one electric, theatrical experience.

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