Pacific Opera Project Launches Inaugural Artist Recital Series at POP HQ in Highland Park

 Pacific Opera Project (POP) launches its inaugural Artist Recital Series this weekend, featuring the talents of POP artists at POP HQ in Highland Park. The series kicks off with Cabaret Confidential: Two Untold Tales of Classical Cabaret on Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. featuring soprano Julia Maria Johnson and pianist John-Micah Braswell in a matinee program of cabaret-style songs by classical composers including Samuel Barber, Sheila Silver, and William Bolcom, woven together to narrate two musical stories: one of tragically heavy-hearted passion, and the other of impossibly light-hearted homicide.

The series continues with American Cabaret: A Continent of Color on Sunday, October 15 at 2:00 p.m. with baritone Ryan Reithmeier and pianist David Clemenson in a recital of 20th century songs from the American continent that explore a diverse array of culture and language through a carefully-chosen selection of incredible and rarely heard pieces.

Also in October, the Artists Recital Series gets spooky with Halloween Tales Of Gore & Folklore on Friday, October 20, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. Mezzo-soprano Danielle Marcelle Bond and pianist Milena Gligic use audience suggestions to create new ghost stories sprinkled into their recital of spooky musical selections including Schubert's Erlkönig, Jake Heggie's Songs to the Moon, and Joseph Horovitz's Lady MacBeth scene (among others).

With two concerts in December, the Artist Recital Series continues with Words Of American Women Woolf, Dickinson, And Millay In American Song on Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. Mezzo-soprano Erin Alford and pianist Clara Cheng Stosch explore American songs of the 20th century set to the passionate poetry of Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, as well as deeply personal diary entries of Virginia Woolf. Alongside masterful works of Argento, Bernstein, and Copland, are songs of African-American composer Margaret Bonds; most known for uplifting black voices in spiritual arrangements and collaborations with Langston Hughes, she also gave back to her community by teaching music to disadvantaged youth right here in Los Angeles.

On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. mezzo-soprano Maria Dominique Lopez (Musetta from POP’s iconic production of La Boheme AKA “The Hipsters”) performs in A Hipster Holiday with a program of holiday classics complete with boozy refreshments and sweet holiday goodies.

POP’s Artist Recital Series concludes with Alma Mexicana on Friday, January 19, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. as baritone Omar Alejandro leads a celebration of both Mexican classical and folk music. Performed in Spanish with English supertitles, the program features Mexican art song with piano accompaniment, Mexican folk music and Mariachi Folklore.

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