Long Beach Opera honors the man named by Opera News as "one of the 25 people that will be a major force in the field of opera in the coming decade" with The Best of 20, a celebration of Artistic and General Director Andreas Mitisek's 20 years with Long Beach Opera.
He became LBO's principal conductor in 1998 and was named to his current role in 2003 and has had duties as producer, conductor, and director with the company.
The Best of 20 features scenes selected from over 60 Mitisek productions for the company. Mistress of ceremonies
Suzan Hanson leads LBO favorite performers Cedric Berry,
Robin Buck,
Jamie Chamberlin, Roberto Gomez, Neda St. Clair and the honoree himself Andreas Mitisek through an entertaining journey of Andreas' creative works.
The Best of 20 will have two performances on Saturday, June 2 at 3:30 and 8:00pm at the Beverly O'Neill Theater in Long Beach. To celebrate Andreas and support LBO before or after performance, patrons may enjoy a three-course meal plus wine at the award winning L'Opera restaurant starting at 5:30 pm. (Dinner ticket is $110 per person; transportation to and from the O'Neill included).
Tickets for The Best of 20 range from $49 to $150 and can be purchased either by calling the LBO Box Office at 562.470.SING (7464) or by going online to
longbeachopera.org. Student Rush tickets for $15 will be available space permitting. For more information about the L'Opera dinner, please call 562-470-7464 x 104. For information, please visit
www.longbeachopera.org
Andreas Mitisek became LBO's principal conductor in 1998 and Artistic and General Director in 2003; he concurrently held the same position at Chicago Opera Theater from 2012-2017. He has been the driving force behind every concept and production for Long Beach Opera during his tenure.
During that time he also served as the administrative leader for both companies - the primary fundraiser, marketer, and executive for LBO.
He creates the vision for each production and reaches out to artists to shape each work -- frequently the conductor, stage director and designer-- of over 100 productions - including site-specific productions in underground parking garages, swimming pools, nightclubs, warehouses and the Port of Los Angeles that have become a successful hallmark of his work.
Under Mitisek's leadership, LBO quadrupled its size artistically and operationally. Season subscriptions have increased by over 500% since 2003. By exploring unorthodox venues, he has been able to attract new audiences for opera and uphold LBO's artistic vision by presenting 20th-century and rare works. He led a financial turnaround during his tenure at Chicago Opera Theater (COT), produced the company's first commissioned work and expanded its performances beyond traditional theater spaces.
Mitisek served on the Board of Directors for OPERA AMERICA, the national service organization for US opera companies. The Chicago Tribune honored him in 2014 as the Chicagoan of the Year in Classical Music. He has been named by Opera News as one of the 25 people that will be a major force in the field of opera in the coming decade. The Chicago Reader included him in the 2013 Top 50 Chicago People. Mitisek was named LA Tastemaker by LA Times Magazine in 2009, Arts Leader of the Year by the Long Beach Arts Council in 2009, and was highlighted as one of the "2012 People" by LA WEEKLY.
A native of Vienna, Austria, he served as Artistic & Music Director of the Wiener Operntheater from 1990 - 1997, the foremost contemporary opera company in Austria. Mr. Mitisek has conducted at the Wiener Volksoper, the Komische Oper in Berlin, the festival "Wien Modern", the Wiener Konzerthaus and Musikverein.
His work as guest conductor has taken him to companies in Spain, Tokyo and South America. He is also sought after as a guest conductor in North America, leading productions for the New York City Opera, Seattle Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Vancouver Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Hawaii Opera Theater, and Opera Theatre of St. Louis, amongst others.
Long Beach Opera (LBO) is internationally known for its cutting-edge interpretations of unconventional repertoire. LBO creates immediate, inventive, and often boldly avant-garde productions for an adventurous audience and stands apart from most opera companies in the number of world, American, and West Coast premieres the company has staged. Founded in 1979, it is the oldest professional opera company in the Los Angeles/Orange County region with a performance history of more than 110 operas, ranging from the earliest works of the 17th century to operas of the 21st. LBO's ever?growing repertoire has provided stimulus for the subsequent founding of other local opera companies, catapulting Southern California into the spotlight as a major opera epicenter. LBO is a recognized and respected member of the U. S. cultural community, receiving funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Long Beach, along with generous support from individual donors, local businesses, public corporations and private foundations.
LBO's production of The Best of 20 is made possible by the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Additional support has been provided by the Arts Council for Long Beach and the City of Long Beach, and has been supported in part by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.
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