Arizona Opera has rolled out a fantastic season for 2023/24 – including a world premiere – in Phoenix and Tucson, as well as the company’s inaugural New Works Festival in Phoenix, and a new series of community concerts in Tucson.
(Editor's note: Yes, some of these performances are ways out on the calendar. But get your tickets now before they are all gone!)
“We are eager to continue connecting communities across Arizona through the power and beauty of opera, celebrating great operas from the classic repertoire while also investing in the future of the artform through new works,” said Joseph Specter, Arizona Opera’s president and general director.
Here's the seasonal playbill for us all:
The McDougall RED series.
Frankenstein (World Premiere).
October 21-22, 2023 – The Temple of Music and Art.
With a riveting, cinematic score and libretto by Gregg Kallor, the living, feeling Creature is brought to life only to be forsaken by its creator, Victor Frankenstein. Embracing Shelley’s original text, regarded by many as the first science fiction novel, Frankenstein gives a poignant voice to the Creature’s struggle and lays bare the horror of alienation and “otherness” with exquisite nuance. Gregg Kallor, Composer and Librettist. Adapted from the novel by Mary Shelley.
The Main Street Series
Powerhouse opera classics are not to be missed, including Gioachino Rossini’s comic masterpiece, The Barber of Seville; Charles Gounod’s Roméo & Juliette featuring the famed star-crossed lovers; and Mozart’s dark comedy, Don Giovanni.
The Barber of Seville -- February 3-4, 2024 – The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall.
Love, mistaken identity, and humor are woven throughout The Barber of Seville, Rossini’s beloved masterpiece. The Barber of Seville is considered one of the greatest comic operas of all time, maintaining its popularity for over two hundred years for good reason.
Roméo & Juliette -- March 9-10, 2024 – The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall
Gounod's romantic and rapturous music sets the stage for this tale of star-crossed lovers, based on Shakespeare’s timeless play about the power of love, set amidst the feuding of the Montague and Capulet families in Verona. Composer: Charles Gounod | Libretto by Jules Barbier & Michel Carré.
Don Giovanni -- April 27-28, 2024 – The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall
Mozart’s Don Giovanni, regarded by many as one of the greatest operas of all time, tells the centuries-old story of the libertine Don Juan. Don Giovanni makes his rounds seducing and duping numerous characters, bragging along the way and escaping accountability by obscuring his identity.
New Works Festival
Leaning into Arizona Opera’s passion for bringing new, exciting, and socially relevant operas to our patrons, the 2023/24 Season will mark the debut of the company’s New Works Festival, taking place from November 3-5, 2023, at the Arizona Opera Center in Phoenix.
This immersive experience will highlight three contemporary operas over the course of three days. Attendees of the New Works Festival will have an opportunity to preview these poignant works in a fun and festive atmosphere featuring food trucks, beverages, and engaging activities to round out the weekend. Selections for Arizona Opera’s inaugural New Works Festival will be announced in May.
Tucson Desert Song Festival - 2024
Arizona Opera has collaborated with the Festival to bring some of today’s greatest artists to perform in Arizona Opera’s birth city. In addition to the TDSF’s annual sponsorship of an Arizona Opera production in The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, this partnership has brought nearly two dozen recitals over the years, of illustrious artists like Susan Graham, Matthew Polenzani, Lisette Oropesa, and this spring’s superstar guest artist, soprano Angel Blue. The 2023/24 Season continues this rich tradition with memorable and notable guest artists sharing their gifts with our Tucson audiences, with the 2024 recitalist to be announced later this spring.
Tucson Parks Concerts
In addition to this annual recital series in partnership with TDSF, Arizona Opera announced a new series of outdoor concerts designed to reach Tucsonans where they are, in their communities. These outdoor performances will bring the arts to those who may not otherwise be able to access them within a traditional theatre setting. The full lineup of dates, locations, and artists will be revealed later this year.
