Opera Exposures Celebrates National Opera Week, Oct 26-Nov 4

Related: Opera Exposures, National Opera Week

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OPERA EXPOSURES joins opera organizations nationwide to celebrate NATIONAL OPERA WEEK (October 26 – November 4), coordinated by OPERA America, the national service organization for opera, with support of the National Endowment for the Arts.

National Opera Week celebrates the vibrancy of opera in America today, and brings the inventiveness and excitement of opera to a national audience. The strength and diversity of established opera companies, community opera ensembles and opera training programs across the United States will be shared through free, dynamic activities designed to engage novices, opera lovers and everyone in between.

OPERA America and participating organizations are thrilled to announce legendary artist and opera lover Aretha Franklin as the program's Honorary Chairwoman. "I may be known as the Queen of Soul, but I love opera, which is why I'm delighted to be the Honorary Chairwoman of National Opera Week," declared Franklin. "It would be wonderful to see more people involved in classical music. It truly is enriching." A brief welcome statement from Ms. Franklin is available at http://bit.ly/OperaWeekVideo.

"From behind-the-scenes tours to enlightening performance talks to Twitter contests and more, there is something for everyone during National Opera Week," states Marc A. Scorca, President and CEO of OPERA America. "National Opera Week draws attention to the creativity and dynamism that propels our field today. We are proud to highlight this depth of opera activity across the United States."

Opera Exposures, the not-for-profit organization dedicated to presenting concerts and recitals featuring seasoned professional musicians and young operatic artists in accessible venues at affordable prices, will celebrate National Opera Week by presenting a FREE recital on Sunday, October 28, at 3 PM at St. Marks Church, 131 East 10th Street at 2nd Avenue in Manhattan. This performance is made possible by a generous donation from the Hahn/Block Family Foundation.

The recital -- titled "ROME -from Mozart to Britten" – is described by Opera Exposures Artistic Advisor Dwight Owsley as "a brief Musical Glance at the importance and influence of the Italian capital in Operatic Drama from the inception of the Empire to the 20th Century."

The program will feature sopranos Mikayla Sager and Manna KnJoi and bass/baritone LaMarcus Miller. They will be accompanied on piano by Kevin Miller. The Narrator is Dwight Owsley, an Opera Exposures Board member and a well known New York bon vivant. The recital is being produced by Edna Greenwich, Founder and President of Opera Exposures. Seats may be reserved online at www.operaexposures.org. Light refreshments will be available for purchase. Since it is Halloween, children in costume will be welcomed.

According to Ms. Greenwich, organizations that support young people in New York City are urged to come and bring their young constituents. "In addition to scheduling recitals in accessible venues to showcase the talents of seasoned and up-and-coming opera singers, Opera Exposures is also committed to inviting and introducing young audiences to classical and operatic music," she said. "We believe it is imperative to build new audiences for opera."

For more information about National Opera Week events around the country, visit www.operaamerica.org/operaweek. Join the National Opera Week conversation on Twitter with #OperaWeek.

OPERA EXPOSURE'S National Opera Week Event Details
"ROME – From Mozart to Britten"
St. Mark's Church, 131 E. 10th Street at 2nd Avenue in Manhattan
Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 3 PM
FREE Recital featuring Sopranos Mikayla Sager and Manna KnJoi and bass/baritone LaMarcus Miller. Pianist Kevin Miller. Narrator: Dwight Owsley. Producer: Edna Greenwich.