Renée Fleming to Headline Tulsa Opera's 77th Season

Tulsa Opera has revealed its 2024-25 season, with an orchestra concert starring international superstar soprano Renée Fleming as the centerpiece of a lovingly curated collection of offerings designed to attract a wide range of opera lovers from across the region.

"I am proud and excited that Tulsa Opera's 77th season is a reflection of our mission of community-focused opera and of Tulsa as a destination for art and music lovers across the state and beyond," said General Director and CEO Lori Decter Wright. "This season offers everything from international stars such as Ms. Fleming, to up-and-coming national level artists such as those in our Tragedy of Carmen cast, to the cream of Tulsa's considerable crop of local talent."

"Tulsans love singing, instrumental music, dance, visual art, and theater," said Artistic Director Aaron Beck. "Opera has all of those and more. We chose our 2024-25 season with this in mind ---- a wide variety of works to cater to a wide variety of tastes."

Tulsa Opera's 77th season kicks off October 19, 2024 with Grand Voices: The Tulsa Opera Chorus in Concert, marking a return to the stage for the chorus and orchestra for the first time since 2023. Conducted by Tulsa Opera Chorus Director Lyndon Meyer, the repertoire includes selections from Carmen, Roméo et Juliette, Cavalleria rusticana, LES MISERABLES, Sunday in the Park with George, and Candide, as well as many more great works from operatic and Broadway blockbusters. The Filstrup Resident Artists will take on solo roles. The performance takes place at The VanTrease Performing Arts Center for Education at Tulsa Community College.

Next up is The Tragedy of Carmen, Peter Brook's 1983 adaptation of the famous Georges Bizet opera and the original Prosper Mérimée novella. Opera lovers will recognize Bizet's melodies and story, in which the wildfire passion between a disgraced Spanish nobleman-turned-soldier and a beautiful, free-spirited Roma woman quickly burns out of control, consuming them both. Brook's compact theatrical retelling also contains some twists drawn from the original story. The Tragedy of Carmen runs February 21 and 23 in the Williams Theatre at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

The Tulsa Opera Signature Chorale takes center stage with Antonín Dvořák's Stabat Mater, a profoundly emotional yet transcendent setting of the Crucifixion through the eyes of Mother Mary. Artistic Director Aaron Beck conducts the Tulsa Opera Signature Chorale, the Tulsa Opera Orchestra, and four talented soloists (to be announced). The concert takes place on April 26, 2025 at Holy Family Cathedral.

Five-time Grammy-winning operatic soprano Renée Fleming's voice of otherworldly beauty has skyrocketed her to the highest echelons of world stages. She has appeared in nearly every major international opera house and has contributed her talent to pop culture endeavors such as the soundtrack of The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and singing the National Anthem at the 2014 Super Bowl. With Renée Fleming's Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene, the international superstar brings her heralded nature-themed concert to Tulsa. Accompanied by the Tulsa Opera Orchestra and a multimedia presentation by the National Geographic Society, Fleming explores themes of nature and humanity via art song literature ranging from Romantic to contemporary. The concert takes place on May 10, 2025 at the Chapman Music Hall at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. It will be immediately followed by a ticketed reception open to subscription holders on a first-come, first-served basis.

The season closes with Tulsa Youth Opera's performances of The Hobbit, Dean Burry's charming adaptation of the beloved J.R.R. Tolkien novel. Hobbit Bilbo Baggins lives a peaceful, comfortable life until the Wizard Gandalf and a troupe of rowdy Dwarves invade his home and enlist him to join their quest to reclaim their home and treasure. Burry's tuneful score, written largely for children's voices, illustrates Tolkien's epic adventure through the realms of Middle-earth, populated with Elves, Goblins, Gollum, a mysterious Ring, and of course, the fire-breathing dragon, Smaug! There are two performances: Saturday, June 7, 2025, 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 8, 2025, 2:30 p.m. at the Lorton Performance Center at the University of Tulsa.

In addition to the five mainstage performances, Tulsa Opera's 77th Season includes community concerts, events, and programs. On this season's Raise Your Voice Tour, Jason Heald and Steve Aiken's original children's opera Stop, Bully! is expected to reach over 7,000 Tulsa schoolchildren at over 51 elementary schools. Popular health and wellness initiatives include Aria Yoga, a free, all-level practice taking place on Tuesdays in River Parks between April and October, and Songs by Heart, an interactive, therapeutic music program for memory-care patients. Arias and Ales is a mellow yet merry pairing of craft beer and opera, taking place at different Tulsa breweries throughout the season. Additionally, the Filstrup Resident Artists frequently tour the greater Tulsa area in a variety of concerts.

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