A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The USC Thornton Opera, in collaboration with the USC Thornton Symphony, presents Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The opera, which premiered in 1960 and is set to a libretto adapted by Britten and his partner Peter Pears from Shakespeare’s play, is a fantasy about how myth affects the lives of mortal beings. In a… Continue reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream
2018-2019 Scenes
The USC Thornton Opera Program is thrilled to present our 2019 Winter Opera Scenes show. We are presenting a variety of substantial excerpts from opera and musical theatre spanning many different eras. Join us on February 1st for a night of great music!
Le nozze di Figaro
The USC Thornton Opera in collaboration with the USC Thornton Symphony presents Le nozze di Figaro, the first of the three great collaborations between Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte. Updated in this production to the present time, a sense of shared humanity shines through both music and words in this comedic study of class struggles and marital relations. See… Continue reading Le nozze di Figaro
Le Rossignol and L’Enfant et les Sortilèges
In the Fall of 2018, the USC Thornton Opera program and USC Thornton Symphony present a rare French double bill featuring iconic one-act operas, Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol and Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges. Le Rossignol (The Nightingale), with music by Igor Stravinsky and libretto by Stravinsky and Stepan Mitusov, is based on a story by Hans Christian Anderson and… Continue reading Le Rossignol and L’Enfant et les Sortilèges
Alcina
Love reigns supreme on the lush island of the sorceress Alcina and her sister, Morgana. A pair of mortals, however, is about to undo all of the spells that hold Alcina’s lovers captive. It is only through this loss that Alcina discovers that she is genuinely in love with her most recent prisoner. Not only… Continue reading Alcina
Kenneth Cazan directs “Frau Schindler” opera in Munich
USC Thornton Vocal Arts & Opera chair Kenneth Cazan is currently in Munich to stage direct the opera Frau Schindler, which premieres this coming March. The opera, which received a concert reading at USC Thornton last year, follows the life of Emilie Schindler, wife of the well known Oskar, and explores her contributions during the… Continue reading Kenneth Cazan directs “Frau Schindler” opera in Munich
Béatrice et Bénédict
What happens when long suffering love suffers no more? Find out when the USC Thornton Opera Program, in collaboration with the USC Thornton Symphony, presents Hector Berlioz’s sparkling opera Béatrice et Bénédict. Based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Guest Director and video designer Joachim Schamberger updates this charming, romantic comedy with a contemporary, multimedia… Continue reading Béatrice et Bénédict
Ainadamar
USC Thornton Opera, together with the USC Thornton Symphony and flamenco guitarist and faculty member Adam del Monte, presents Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar. With a Spanish-language libretto by David Henry Hwang, Ainadamar (Arabic for “Fountain of Tears”) imagines the final hours of Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca through the eyes of Catalan actress Margarita Xirgu.… Continue reading Ainadamar
Alumnus Richard Bernstein receives Metropolitan Opera Service Award
Each year, the Metropolitan Opera convenes an event to honor those individuals who have reached milestones in their careers with the venerable New York City institution. Operatic bass and USC Thornton alumnus Richard Bernstein (’89, Vocal Arts) has completed his 20th year as a solo artist with company and was recognized at the Met Service… Continue reading Alumnus Richard Bernstein receives Metropolitan Opera Service Award
University of Pittsburgh to build museum honoring Marilyn Horne
The University of Pittsburgh’s Board of Trustees has approved the creation of a museum and exhibit center honoring opera legend and USC Thornton alumna Marilyn Horne. The mezzo-soprano was a recipient of the 1992 National Medal of Arts and the 1995 Kennedy Center Honors. She has also won four GRAMMY Awards for Best Opera Recording.… Continue reading University of Pittsburgh to build museum honoring Marilyn Horne