After having sustained pandemic conditions with a Virtual Recital Series of performances, the Merola Opera Program has announced plans to return to its usual Summer Festival. The will be the first season to be led by Artistic Director Carrie-Ann Matheson and General Manager Markus Bean. The performances will feature 27 Merola artists selected from more than 800 international participants. Most of them are currently studying in the United States, but some of them originally come from China, Colombia, Germany, and Russia, as well as North America.
Traditionally the Festival has offered two full-length opera performances, preceded by a program of semi-staged arias. This summer’s offerings will be more limited with consideration for both indoor and outdoor locations, as well as the possibility of live streaming. In the context of these constraints, only three programs have been announced. While the dates and times have been set for all of them, venues have not yet been finalized; and viewing options have yet to be announced. The program offerings, along with their respective dates, are as follows:
Saturday, July 3, 2 p.m.: Tenor Nicholas Phan and mezzo Ronnita Miller will co-curate a program entitled What the Heart Desires. Miller was a Merolina in the summer of 2005. The program will feature compositions by women and people of color. The current Merola artists will perform selections about romantic desire, physical desire, and the longing for home, for rest, for peace, and for a better world.
Audrey Chait, Stage Director for the Merola Grand Finale (courtesy of the Merola Opera Program)
Saturday, July 31, 2 p.m.: The annual Merola Grand Finale features all of the current Merolini in a dazzling array of opera’s most exciting arias and ensembles. The entire production will be staged by Audrey Chait, the 2021 Merola Stage Director. Accompaniment will be provided by the Merola pianists and coaches.
Friday, August 27: The film Back Home: Through the Stage Door will be released for public streaming. This documentary was conceived and directed by David Paul to showcase this summer’s Merolini. Viewing options will be announced closer to the film’s release date.
As more specifics about these performance are provided, they will be made available through the Calendar Web page on the Merola Web site.
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