Opera Colorado 2020-21 Season Postponed and New Programming Initiative Announced

In light of restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Opera Colorado will postpone its 2020-21 Season, previously programmed as Cavalleria Rusticana in February, Carmen in May, and The Shining in June.

The company plans to present all postponed operas during the 2021-22 Season and beyond. The 2021-22 Season will open on November 6, 2021 with Tosca- rescheduled after its cancellation in May 2020-followed by The Shining in February 2022 and Carmen in May 2022. Opera Colorado's 40th anniversary celebration in the fall of 2022 will feature a concert performance of Cavalleria Rusticana.

"This challenging but necessary decision was made in consultation with our COVID-19 Response Taskforce and Board of Directors, along with the most recent state and local safety guidelines, placing the health and safety of our artists, production personnel, staff, and audience first," says General and Artistic Director Greg Carpenter. "Rehearsing and performing grand opera takes hundreds of creative individuals working in close quarters, presenting it requires audience members to gather in our hall, and there is simply no way to do that safely at this time. While we miss welcoming audiences to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, we wholeheartedly embrace this opportunity to showcase our innovative spirit, which has been at Opera Colorado's core since its inception."

In lieu of its 2020-21 mainstage season, Opera Colorado is pleased to present Opera Colorado Amplified, bringing local, national, and international audiences a host of digital and in-person programming featuring visiting artists, the Opera Colorado Artists in Residence, and our Opera Colorado Orchestra musicians. Full details will be announced in January 2021. In the meantime, get to know some of the exciting programs which have already been confirmed:

• Laquita Mitchell curates The Promise of Living, a multicultural program of opera and song featuring special guests Nmon Ford and Israel Gursky (digital premiere in March 2021) • Catherine Cook becomes Julia Child in Lee Hoiby's Bon Appetit! and sings other French classics in April in Paris (digital premiere in April 2021)

• Cecilia Violetta López, Luis Ledesma, and Nathan Salazar star in a program celebrating Mexican-American and Latinx culture (May 2021)

• Music Director Ari Pelto curates a series of chamber music concerts featuring Opera Colorado Orchestra musicians (Winter 2020 - Summer 2021)

• Opera Colorado Artists in Residence shine in An Afternoon of American Song, a spring cabaret performance, digital educational programming, and more

"I am so looking forward to being back in our beloved Ellie Caulkins Opera House in the fall of 2021 for what I know will be a truly special season," says Music Director Ari Pelto. "In the meantime, we will stay very much connected to our audiences through new programing, both digital and in person, which will continue to support and highlight our artists. In particular, I am excited to bring to the Denver community a series of chamber concerts featuring the exceptional musicians of the Opera Colorado Orchestra."

Board Chairperson Elizabeth Caswell Dyer says, "On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are heartbroken to postpone the 2020-21 mainstage season. At the same time, our biggest focus remains community engagement. We are more committed than ever to sharing Opera Colorado with our current community, expanding and welcoming new members to our community, and supporting Opera Colorado as it embarks on this exciting new initiative."

Opera Colorado's Education & Community Engagement department will refocus its education programs, moving to a virtual format. Among this season's offerings are Storytime Sessions, a program encouraging early literacy; a new program called Brain Breaks (Working Title), designed to engage creative thinking through the arts and presented in short, interactive segments; Arias & Ensembles, themed concerts featuring the Opera Colorado Artists in Residence; and classroom workshops, which are tailored to each specific request and will be done through a combination of pre-recorded and livestreamed content. As the school year progresses, Opera Colorado will continue to adapt its innovative and impactful programming to support Colorado's teachers and students.

For more information about current and future programming at Opera Colorado, visit operacolorado.org.

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