Opera San José Unveils 2020-21 Resident Artists For Upcoming Virtual/Live Season

General Director Khori Dastoor has unveiled Opera San José's 2020-21 Resident Artist company, welcoming the selected artists who will be part of Dastoor's inaugural year at the company's helm. Opera San José's artist residency program is unique in the United States, in that the company seeks out emerging operatic talent and offers resident contracts, opportunities for artists to hone and develop their craft, and to perform in debut roles over the course of an entire year.

The public will be introduced to these artists at 1pm, Sunday, August 30th when Opera San José will premiere its first live-stream broadcast for the company's annual Resident Artist Showcase, a popular event featuring performances by the incoming residents. For more information and a link to RSVP to the event, the public may visit www.operasj.org.

Said Dastoor, "Opera San José's mission has always been the development and support of emerging artists. By providing housing, professional development, and performance opportunities like few opera companies in America do, Opera San José keeps the artist at the very heart of its creative and administrative life. During this ongoing health and economic crisis, Opera San José's mandate must be the continued support of these artists - to serve as a lifeline, to preserve their immense artistry, and to keep producing art through any and all mediums available to us in this time apart from one another. Through innovation, determination and a sprinkling of luck, we have navigated these challenging times to create a stable, isolated cohort of singularly talented artists who will be sheltering and performing together in the weeks and months ahead. "

In addition to the full-scale, mainstage operas slated for Opera San José's 2021 season, members of the resident ensemble will perform in digital concerts, recitals, in-conversation and Meet the Artists events, and fully produced operas created specifically for digital broadcast, as well as educational programming for youth and adults.

Dastoor notes, "Our artists will, in fact, have more opportunities to perform than ever before. And with our new Fred Heiman Digital Media Studio, we're able to share their tremendous talents with audiences across the globe. With these artists, and the continued patronage and support of our community, Opera San José will emerge from this time a strong, vibrant, and innovative opera company. I am so proud of the cohort we have assembled, and can hardly wait for them to share their immense talents, stories, and artistic perspectives with our patrons, who make our work possible."

The Resident Artists for Opera San José's 2020-21 season are: Eugene Brancoveanu (Baritone), Ashley Dixon (Mezzo-soprano), Maya Kherani (Soprano), Christopher James Ray (Resident Conductor), Carlos Enrique Santelli (Tenor), Efraín Solís (Baritone), and Nathan Stark (Bass-Baritone).

Photo Credit: Veronique Kherian

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