Thank you for an incredible year.
It began with a simple idea: opera exists everywhere that artists are creating.
First, LBO joined Opera UCLA and The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music with The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television to bring The Turn of the Screw directed by LBO’s Artistic Director & Chief Creative Officer James Darrah Black & conducted by Rakefet Hak.
Then at Altar Society, soprano Tiffany Townsend premiered Crash Out Queens, a recital developed in close collaboration with LBO. The project gave her room to examine iconic operatic women at their emotional limits.
At the Spring Gala, we marked the upcoming album release of The Central Park Five, the Pulitzer Prize–winning work by Anthony Davis with a libretto by Richard Wesley – commissioned and premiered by LBO in 2019.
This is what OPERA IS EVERYWHERE looks like in practice.
Thank you for being part of this season. Every performance happens because you show up, you listen, and you believe in what we’re building here.
More soon.
With gratitude,
The LBO Team
Long Beach Symphony will be partnering with Long Beach Opera for Peter and the Wolf on Sunday, June 7 from 1 PM to 5 PM at the Terrace Theater ✨
🎟️ Kids get in FREE
🎟️ Adult tickets just $20 with free parking
🎨 Enjoy fun activities, crafts, and an Instrument Petting Zoo
A day of storytelling, a lifetime of memories 💛
Reserve your tickets now at LongBeachSymphony.org/rumba-foundation-family-concerts
#family #kids #free #concert #longbeach
THANK YOU to everyone who made our Spring Gala: Celebrating The Central Park Five Opera possible.
We are grateful for our generous donors, gala sponsors, and everyone who joined us for this part of The Central Park Five journey.
A special thank you to composer Anthony Davis, librettist Richard Wesley and Vanessa Sapien from Just Detention International who gave moving speeches about the importance of art like this and speaking out against injustices.
Here are some photos if you missed the event or want to relive the moment, including Nathan Granner, Lindsay Patterson Abdou, and Todd Strange, all performing powerful pieces from The Central Park Five.
The story of the Central Park 5 is one that sits heavy in my soul. To have the responsibility of portraying Korey Wise is an honor and duty I never take lightly each time I step into his shoes.
Thank you to @longbeachopera for championing Anthony Davis' poignant opera of a story we must never forget, and for inviting me to become Korey once more as you produce the recording of this important work of contemporary classical music. 📸 JJ Geiger
I'm heading back to @longbeachopera this weekend for their gala and to celebrate a work that has changed my life and strengthened my perspective.
In 2019, LBO premiered Anthony Davis' The Central Park Five, a work that went on to win the Pulitzer Prize and establish Davis as one of our most vital opera composers working today. Now they're taking the next step: producing a commercial recording that will carry this opera beyond the opera house and into the world.
The gala on April 11 features live performances from the cast, reflections from Anthony Davis himself, and a look at what's coming. If you're in the LA area and want to be part of what LBO is building, this is the night to show up.
Link in bio for details.
Take a peek behind the scenes of Anthony Davis’ Pulitzer-Prize winning opera, The Central Park Five. @longbeachopera ‘s Spring Gala celebrates the release of this opera’s first commercial recording, with live performances and discussion with the artists and creative team.
April 11 · Long Beach Opera
Tickets at operafestla.org and at the link in our bio!
Reviving this praise for this Pulitzer Prize winning work, @longbeachopera ‘s Spring Gala celebrates the Central Park Five Opera. Join us and celebrate this masterpiece.
April 11 · Long Beach Opera
Tickets at operafestla.org and at the link in our bio!
We’re excited to announce that tenor Todd Strange who played the role of Donald Trump in our 2022 production of The Central Park Five will be joining us at our upcoming Spring Gala on April 11!
Stay tuned – more exciting announcements are coming.
Tickets in bio.
We’re excited to announce that pianist Aron Kallay will be joining us at our upcoming Spring Gala on April 11!
Stay tuned – more exciting announcements are coming.
Tickets in bio.
We’re thrilled to announce that mezzo-soprano Lindsay Patterson Abdou will be performing at our Spring Gala on April 11.
Stay tuned — more performer announcements are coming.
Tickets in bio.
Join us for a night to remember.
The Central Park Five Spring Gala at Long Beach Opera. Witness excerpts from this Pulitzer Prize–winning opera, recognized for its musical and cultural impact, as LBO prepares for its upcoming album recording release.
April 11 · Long Beach Opera
Tickets at operafestla.org and at the link in our bio!
We’re thrilled to announce that tenor Nathan Granner will be performing at our Spring Gala on April 11.
Stay tuned — more performer announcements are coming.
Tickets in bio.
