New Camerata Opera Announces Fall 2020 Season

New Camerata Opera has announced their Fall 2020 Season. This marks the beginning of the fifth season of immersive programming for New Camerata Opera's three branches: mainstage productions, online operatic films via CamerataWorks, and children's operas through Camerata Piccola. Despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 crisis, NCO was still able to produce a successful, innovative, and daring fourth season. It included a four-time award-winning production of the zarzuela El barbero de Sevilla, the ground-breaking premiere of composer Whitney George and director Chloe Treat's opera film Julie, which has since been accepted into multiple international film festivals, several engaging children's opera performances, and two United We Sing concerts raising funds for RAICES and Know Your Rights Camp.

The fifth season will commence on October 22nd with Masquerade - a live, socially-distanced concert of operatic gems performed at the breezeway venue "Anita's Way", located just steps from Times Square. The evening is a collaboration with NYC non-profit arts organization Chashama, and will encourage safe self-expression through creative mask-wearing. Chashama supports artists by partnering with property owners to transform unused real estate into space for artists to create and present their work and provide free art classes for under-resourced communities, establishing a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world. Pianist Doug Han will lead the musical direction of this exciting program. Artists will perform with amplification in the open air, donning formal attire and elaborately designed masks.

The season will continue on November 12th with T he Sleuth Salon - a virtual, choose-your-own-adventure, murder mystery gala, directed by Jennifer Williams. This evening of interactive theater will feature a cast of 10 singers and pianist Dan Franklin Smith in an engaging "who-done-it" story. VIP tickets will include hand-delivered, batched cocktail kits so that participants can attend the gala in style from the comfort of their own home.

NCO's CamerataWorks division, responsible for the production of online operatic films, will begin work on a new songbook series of short films featuring works composed and performed exclusively by BIPOC-identifying artists. In addition, CamerataWorks will produce the final chapter of their operatic film trilogy, The Prince von Pappenschmear. This installment is composed by Richard Marriott, with a libretto by Adam Laten Willson, and under the baton of Maestro Stephan Fillare. This fall, CamerataWorks will also release the 9th and final episode of the critically-acclaimed series, The Ives Project. S ubscribe to New Camerata Opera's YouTube Channel for new operatic releases, as they become available.

Camerata Piccola, NCO's division for youth opera, will roll out four new episodes of their popular Party at the Opera YouTube series that began in Summer 2020. These are immersive, musical and theatrical experiences for children ages 18 months to 5 years. Excerpts from well-known operas teach children the fundamentals of classical music: rhythm, melody, harmony, range, and dynamics. Approachable and funny characters lead the audience on exciting musical adventures!

Children try their hand at conducting, playing musical instruments, and finding their own operatic voices in this welcoming introduction to the world of opera. The cast changes with every episode and has featured José Luis Maldonado, Mithuna Sivaraman, Jennifer Williams, Steve Wallace, Shawn Farrar, Brian J. Alvarado, Barbara Porto, Julia Tang, Stan Lacy, Erik Bagger, and pianist Joseph Martin.

New Camerata Opera is also planning an exciting Spring 2021 season, including a fully-staged live opera, a United We Sing concert to raise funds for important social causes, and more. There will be an announcement later this fall with further details.

New Camerata Opera's mission is to engage, excite, and educate through immersive performances that break down barriers and inspire fans of the future. For more information, please visit their website, or email info@newcamerataopera.org.

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