NYOA Presents the Fourth Annual New York Opera Fest

With over 20 companies presenting more than 25 events throughout the city, the Fest will once again prove how opera can be fresh, vital, and relevant, exploring contemporary themes of gender roles, LGBTQ rights, toxic masculinity, political satire, global warming, and more.

Performances include a contemporary spin on a biblical classic, The Mikado filtered through the lens of the current White House administration, an operatic treatment of the life of Eleanor Roosevelt, Purcell's Dido & Aeneas in a Catacomb, and a musical exploration of climate change and conservancy.

Performances Include:

Opera Lafayette and Heartbeat Opera present Stradella's La Susanna based on the timely story of Susanna and the Elders from the Book of Daniel, the Bible's iconic story of sexual harassment and the perversion of justice. Originally conceived with a male narrator and male savior, Stradella's seductive oratorio from 1681 becomes a powerful and complicated opera for 2019, with women as both storyteller and savior.

On Site Opera presents world premiere of Murasaki's Moon in The Astor Chinese Garden Court at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This site-specific opera delves into the life and work of one of the most extraordinary women in Japanese history, Lady Murasaki, author of what is considered the world's first novel. Shocking modern parallels will be revealed as the story follows Lady Murasaki on her non-traditional path to become one of the most significant literary figures of all time.

Bronx Opera bring the Gilbert and Sullivan classic, The Mikado into the world of Trump: think of Yum-Yum as Ivanka, Nanki-Poo as Jared/Don Jr., Ko-Ko as Colbert, Pooh-Bah as Mick Mulvaney, the Gentlemen of Japan as the White House Press Corps.

Death of Classical presents Purcell's eponymous Dido & Aeneas in the Catacombs of The Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, starring acclaimed mezzo Daniela Mack in the lead role, directed by her husband Alek Shrader.

Experiments in Opera and Contemporaneous will present the premiere of Chunky in Heat, which tells the story of a young girl who comes of age poolside at her family's home in the canyons of Los Angeles. Against this backdrop of privilege, she struggles to understand her place in her family and the world.

Rhymes With Opera presents two productions, including the world premiere of Daniel Thomas Davis's opera The Impossible She, which focuses on the life of Eleanor Roosevelt, juxtaposing aspects of the first lady's relationship with Lorena Hickok with her political persona as experienced by a fictitious radio-listener.
Encompass New Opera Theatre presents the "Paradigm Shifts Music and Film Festival," which celebrates true stories of courageous people from around the world who are preserving and protecting our planet, oceans, wildlife, and sacred lands. Dedicated to bridging indigenous cultures, women's wisdom, and the global justice and environmental movement, the festival pairs each film with artists performing a variety of music and dance from jazz and gospel, to classical, folk, African, Tibetan, Native American, and new opera and chamber music.

the little OPERA theatre of ny presents the New York premiere of Benjamin Britten's Owen Wingrave, which follows a young man who comes home to confront his family and rebel against its military past. The ghosts of his ancestors and a dark secret haunt all the inhabitants of the Wingrave home. Britten's powerful score etches strong individual voices caught within a fraught atmosphere.

Opera on Tap presents a concert at Freddy's Bar and Backroom, contemporary arias paired with food and drink specials at Barbès, and Hansel and Gretel at the playground of Harlem's PS 129 with a chorus of third graders.

Hunter Opera presents Paula Kimper's Patience & Sarah, which tells the powerful story of two young women who meet, fall in love, and resolve to devote their lives to each other.

Regina Opera Company presents four performances of Verdi's masterpiece Il trovatore with 35-piece orchestra. The complex drama about a gypsy's plight has plenty of plot twists and a brilliant vibrant score.

Vertical Player Repertory shines a light on the foundational document of the United States with a semi-staged performance of The Constitution, a musical setting of large portions of the United States Constitution, including highlights of Articles 1-7, the Bill of Rights, and subsequent amendments, by Benjamin Yarmolinsky, in a new setting for chorus and soloists.

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