Norfolk, Va (August 26, 2016) – Virginia Opera, The Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia, is pleased to present the 8th Annual Opera in the Park – a community concert event at Town Point Park in Norfolk, Va., on Saturday, September 10.
This year’s Opera in the Park features Adam Turner conducting the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, which also plays for three of the company’s 2016-2017 opera productions.
The event, produced in conjunction with Festevents, is free and open to the public and features a casual, picnic-style atmosphere, suitable for all ages. Town Point Park opens at 6 p.m. and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. This year’s Opera in the Park features operatic fare as well as Broadway’s best including the “Toreador Song” from Bizet’s Carmen, Verdi’s “Quartet” from Rigoletto and the Overture from J. Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Bernstein’s “Glitter and Be Gay” from Candide and Rodgers “If I Loved You” from Carousel. Highlighted selections from the upcoming 2016-2017 season feature music from The Barber of Seville, Pagliacci and Turandot.
“By being free and open to the public, Opera in the Park exposes thousands of Hampton Roads residents to some of opera’s greatest hits, as well as Virginia Opera’s upcoming season,” said Russell Allen, Virginia Opera’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This event gives Virginia Opera an opportunity to be available – for free – to people of all ages and walks of life in an event that is warmly received, annually drawing capacity crowds and new opera-lovers to the casual, family-friendly environment.”
The concert is conducted by Virginia Opera’s Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Adam Turner, leading the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and featuring a cast of Virginia Opera favorite singers including Matthew Burns and Anne-Carolyn Bird (Figaro and Susanna from the Opera’s widely-acclaimed 2013 production of The Marriage of Figaro) and the Opera’s rising stars including Kyle Tomlin and Katie Polit (both with starring roles in last season’s uproarious Orpheus In the Underworld), among others. The Virginia Opera Chorus is back for both accompanying and solo selections.
Adam Turner, who has conducted Opera in the Park for each of the past three years, commented “For me, these free concerts are always a highlight of the season. Opera in the Park provides the opportunity to showcase the greatest hits of Opera and Broadway, performed by our spectacular singers alongside the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. It’s the perfect celebration of this glorious music, shared with the entire Hampton Roads community, underneath the beautiful backdrop of Mother Nature.”
Opera in the Park is presented by Hilton Norfolk The Main with additional sponsorship provided by Visit Norfolk and Southern Auto Group. The company would also like to recognize the generous support of the City of Norfolk, Sinclair Communications – Bob FM, Virginia Tourism Commission – Virginia is for Opera Lovers, and exclusive media sponsor, Virginia Living Magazine.
Opera in the Park offers a great opportunity to purchase season tickets to the 2016-2017 season when taking advantage of special “event-day only” discounts available on-site.
Drawing capacity crowds each September, attendees are welcome to bring lawn chairs, picnic supplies, and coolers with non-alcoholic beverages. Food and drink will also be available for purchase at the concert. Adult beverages will be available from vendors including: Williamsburg Winery, Mermaid Winery, Chatham Vineyards, Hoffman Beverage and Tito’s Vodka. Virginia Opera offers a free drawing for a large selection of prizes, including tickets to Virginia Opera performances, local arts venues and restaurant gift certificates. Parking for Opera in the Park will be available in conveniently-located Norfolk City garages. The Tide, Norfolk’s light rail system, also has stops within walking distance.
About Virginia Opera
Virginia Opera Association, Inc., performs at the Edythe C. and Stanley L. Harrison Opera House in Norfolk, Virginia, the Dominion Arts Center Carpenter Theatre in Richmond, Virginia and The Center for the Arts at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Now in its 42nd season, the company is known and respected nationwide for the identification and presentation of the finest young artists, for the musical and dramatic integrity of its productions, and for the ingenuity and variety of its education and outreach programs. Mainstage performances across the Commonwealth reach nearly 50,000 attendees annually. In March of 1994, by unanimous vote of the Virginia General Assembly, Virginia Opera was named The Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia in recognition of the organization’s contribution to the state as well as to the world of opera. For more information, visit vaopera.org or call 866.673.7282.