Press Releases
PHOENIX and TUCSON, Arizona (Feb. 14, 2022) – Today, Arizona Opera proudly announced its 2022/23 Season, which will feature an exciting array of programs, ranging from beloved classics to new works, including five in-theater productions in Phoenix and Tucson. Beyond the stage, Arizona Opera will continue its Production Apprentice and Marion Roose Pullin Studio training programs, welcome the return of in-person music education programs, and offer established and newly developed community programs as part of the company’s NextGen Initiative, which positively touch the lives of tens of thousands of people each year.
Phoenix, AZ (Dec. 8) – Arizona Opera is proud to announce seven talented performers that will be joining Arizona Opera for its 2022/23 Season. Through an intense audition process, these young artists were chosen based on professionalism, talent, passion for the art form, and a desire to continue their training in a prestigious professional setting. Studio Artists can be seen performing on both our main stage and throughout Arizona. The Studio also provides well-rounded, personalized instruction that propels each artist to the next level.
PHOENIX (Dec. 1, 2021) – Perhaps the most famous opera in history, Georges Bizet’s Carmen premiered in 1875 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. The four-act opera, featuring a libretto written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy and adapted from the novella by Prosper Mérimée, remains one of the most exciting and popular works in the repertoire. And now, nearly 150 years later, the story of Carmen is being adapted again — this time as CARMEN: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL, written by opera singer and director Alek Shrader and illustrated by legendary artist P. Craig Russell (Neil Gaiman’s American Gods) and Aneke, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Arizona Opera will be launching a Kickstarter campaign for this ambitious adaptation early next year with a pre-launch page live now.
PHOENIX (Sept. 30, 2021) – Arizona Opera released details today for both virtual and live, in-theatre screening opportunities for the public to experience its newest world premiere, The Copper Queen Film, beginning next month. The Copper Queen Film tells the haunting tale of Julia Lowell, whose ghost famously roams Room 315, the site of her tragic death at The Copper Queen Hotel in the mining town of Bisbee, Arizona.
Phoenix, AZ (Sept. 15) – Arizona Opera was one of 71 Arizona nonprofits to receive a “Now is the Moment” grant from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust on Monday, September 13. This surprise gift of $2.5 million - the largest one-time grant in Arizona Opera history - will enable the organization to continue to create memorable experiences and expand the impact of opera while serving all members of the state of Arizona through traditional and newly created programs.
PHOENIX and TUCSON, Arizona – Arizona Opera’s President and General Director, Joseph Specter, officially announced the casting today for the organization’s 2021/22 Season—its 50th Anniversary Season—which will feature an exciting and diverse programming schedule of five productions, including the release of the company’s first world premiere film and four planned in-theater productions in both Phoenix and Tucson.
PHOENIX – Ballet Arizona and Arizona Opera have combined forces to produce a free nine video series whose purpose is to get students moving in both virtual and in-person classroom settings. With arts programs in many schools still not active, this tool helps students develop their rhythm, movement and listening skills while introducing them to the world of ballet and opera.
PHOENIX and TUCSON, Arizona – Arizona Opera’s President and General Director, Joseph Specter, officially announced today the organization’s 2021/22 Season—its 50th Anniversary Season—which will feature an exciting and diverse programming schedule of five productions, including the release of the company’s first world premiere film and four planned in-theater productions in both Phoenix and Tucson.
As part of our Reimagined 2020/21 Season, the company is proud to announce details of its exciting, upcoming spring program, Arizona Arias.
The first of two Arizona Arias presentations will premiere virtually on Sunday, March 14 at 6 PM PDT, and then be available for viewing 24/7 on Arizona Opera’s online channel, Arizona Opera OnDemand (ondemand.azopera.org). Purchase of a virtual ticket will be $20.
Arizona Opera is proud to announce the latest addition to its robust collection of digital offerings, LOUD! (Living Opera, Understanding Diversity).
A new video series within Arizona Opera’s Connection Lab program, LOUD!, which will premiere on Thursday, January 28 at 6 PM MST, will use a digital magnifying glass to showcase the incredible diversity of arts and culture across the Southwest.