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An opera for the information age...

 

Resident Artists Brandon Bell and Jazmine Olwalia are your guides through the harrowing events of Denis & Katya. (photo credit: David Bachman)
Preview a new classic
This Saturday, April 29 at 12:30 PM, WQED’s Anna Singer hosts a half-hour preview of Denis & Katya. Get the first glimpse of its haunting score as well as insight into the innovative production elements that make this new opera resonate with its topical themes.

Go behind the scene with interviews from Resident Artist singers Brandon Bell and Jazmine Olwalia--the duo force that will guide you through the show's harrowing events by taking on the numerous roles that surround the narrative. Stage Director Haley Stamats and Head of Music Glenn Lewis will also be on deck to illuminate how the strategic use of cutting edge minimalist stagecraft and orchestration create this raw, one-of-a-kind theatrical event.

Listen at 89.3 on your FM dial or at WQED.org.
 
Hold on to your seats because this opera holds nothing back. (photo credit: David Bachman)
Denis & Katya opens next Saturday
Denis & Katya is a new opera based on the shocking true story of two teenage runaways who live-streamed their fatal three-day standoff with Russian Special Forces in 2016. Denis and Katya left behind a trail of devastating video footage, and questions about a voyeuristic society’s role in their tragic deaths.

This visceral opera uses verbatim text to examine the vast public response to the events surrounding the tragedy of these two Russian runaways, exploring how stories are shaped and shared in our age of trolls, conspiracy theories, fake news, and 24/7 digital connection.

Denis & Katya runs from May 6-14 at the Bitz Opera Factory in Pittsburgh's Strip District. Grab your seats by logging on to the Cultural District ticketing site or by calling 412-456-6666 (phone hours are Mon-Sat: 10 AM to 8 PM and Sun: 12 PM to 8 PM).
 
Community Conversation
In lieu of our normal Opera Up Close event, we invite everyone to join us on Sunday, April 30 at 2:00 PM for an important community conversation about the topics and themes presented in our upcoming opera We Shall Not Be Moved.

The discussion will be held at the University of Pittsburgh’s Community Engagement Center in Homewood and will explore the responsibility of opera and the performing arts to tell important stories and explore the intersection of activism and the arts.

Panelists will include:
  • Fatima Bunafoor – Director of Talent and Equity for City Theatre, Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh Glass Center, and Pittsburgh Public Theater
  • Farooq Al-Said – Director of Operations for 1Hood Media
  • Emmai Alaquiva – Emmy Award-Winner, Film Director, and Photographer
  • Zuly Inirio – Afro-Latina Opera Singer and Arts Advocate
  • Alexa Patrick – Singer, Poet, and Educator; Un/Sung in We Shall Not Be Moved
  • Bill T. Jones – Director, Choreographer, Co-Founder of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Founding Artistic Director of New York Live Arts

The discussion will be followed by a Q&A with the audience. This event is free and everyone is encouraged to join in this powerful dialogue!
FROM OUR PITTSBURGH OPERA PARTNERS
Resonance Works presents:
Mass in B Minor
Join Resonance Works in Fox Chapel, Coraopolis, or Oakland for a majestic musical experience!

Johann Sebastian Bach’s profound and magnificent Mass in B Minor is the summation and culmination of a life’s work. The Resonance Chamber Orchestra, Festival Chorus, and an impressive cast of soloists bring this magnum opus to three inspiring spiritual spaces across the Pittsburgh region.  

Former Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artists tenor Javier Abreu (last heard in 2019’s Don Pasquale) and bass-baritone Matthew Scollin return to Pittsburgh for these performances, which also feature soloists Katy Williams, Charlene Canty, Lara Lynn McGill, and Thespina Christulides who are members of the Pittsburgh Opera Chorus.

Bach’s Mass in B Minor
Friday, April 28 at 7:30 PM at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church
Saturday, April 29 at 7:30 PM at Coraopolis United Methodist Church
Sunday, April 30 at 3:00 PM at Heinz Memorial Chapel

Fans of Pittsburgh Opera can save 20% with the promo code: MINOR20!
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