Nashville Opera Association
Nashville Opera | |
---|---|
Noah Liff Opera Center in Nashville | |
Background information | |
Origin | Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
Genres | Opera |
Occupation(s) | Opera Company |
Years active | 1981-present |
Website | Nashville Opera Web Site |
Members |
General and Artistic Director John Hoomes |
Past members |
Founder Mary Cortner Ragland Thor Johnson Former Chief Executive Officer Carol Penterman |
The Nashville Opera Association is a professional opera company in Nashville, Tennessee and is a member of OPERA America.[1] The company currently offers four fully staged opera productions and the On Tour educational outreach program during an annual season which runs from October through April. Performances are offered at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Downtown Nashville and the award-winning Noah Liff Opera Center in the Sylvan Heights section of West Nashville. Designed by renowned architect Earl Swensson, The 26,000-square-foot (2,400 m2) Noah Liff Opera Center houses the company's executive offices, conference facilities, and a state-of-the-art rehearsal studio. The center was designed to accommodate small theatrical performances and special event rentals. Nashville Opera's mission statement is "make a difference by creating legendary productions and programs and providing exceptional service."
John Hoomes joined Nashville Opera in 1995 as the Artistic Director, and was named General and Artistic Director in 2012. Mr. Hoomes received his Masters Degree from Indiana University with a concentration in directing and has become recognized as an expert in the field of opera and musical theater. He has gained a solid reputation for staging thought-provoking interpretations, and for possessing the artistic vision to bring new works to the stage. In 2005, Mr. Hoomes collaborated with GRAMMY-Award winning songwriter Marcus Hummon on Nashville Opera's first world-premiere, Surrender Road. Two years later he directed the world-premiere of composer Robert Aldridge's Elmer Gantry, an operatic adaptation of Sinclair Lewis' groundbreaking novel. Mr. Hoomes has directed over 75 productions of opera and musical theater in his career, including nearly every Nashville Opera production since 1995. As a freelance director, he works with companies throughout North America such as Arizona Opera, Kentucky Opera, Cincinnati Opera, The Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Opera Lyra Ottawa, Glimmerglass Opera, Florentine Opera of Milwaukee, Indianapolis Opera, Opera New Jersey and Pittsburgh Opera.
History
The Nashville Opera Guild was chartered in 1981 under the direction of Mary Cortner Ragland. They produced their first opera, Madama Butterfly, in the same year. In 1987, the Nashville Opera Guild transferred its charter to the Nashville Opera Association. Two years later, they hired their first permanent director, Kyle Ridout, whose tenure lasted five years. In 1995, the former General Director Carol Penterman (through 2012) and current Artistic Director John Hoomes joined the Nashville Opera.[2] The Nashville Opera merged with the Tennessee Opera Theater in 1997, increasing production from one or two to four operas per season. In April 2009 the Nashville Opera's new facility, the Noah Liff Opera Center, had its grand opening. Current Chief Operating Officer Noah E. Spiegel joined the Nashville Opera staff in 2012.[3]
World Premieres
- The NOA premiered Surrender Road by Grammy Award winning songwriter Marcus Hummon in 2004. A documentary The Making of Surrender Road was filmed in association with this production.
- In November 2007 the Opera produced its second world premiere Elmer Gantry by composer Robert Aldridge and librettist Herschel Garfein to rave critical reviews. The NOA and Elmer Gantry were subsequently featured on the cover of the Sunday Arts & Entertainment section of the New York Times.
- Nashville Opera On Tour premiered The Ugly Duckling by Andrew Duncan in 2008. The 45 minute opera is a musical adaptation of the classic children’s story and includes familiar components from other classic tales. Written for school-age children, the message of the work is that standing out and being different is not necessarily a bad thing.
Repertory
1980-81
- Madama Butterfly Puccini
1982-83
- Tosca Puccini
1983-84
- La traviata Verdi
1984-85
- Cavalleria rusticana Mascagni
- Pagliacci Leoncavallo
1985-86
- The Barber of Seville Rossini
1986-87
- La Bohème Puccini
1987-88
- Il trovatore Verdi
1988-89
- The Mikado Sullivan
1989-90
- Lucia di Lammermoor Donizetti
1990-91
- Rigoletto Verdi
1991-92
1992-93
- The Barber of Seville Rossini
- Madama Butterfly Puccini
1993-94
- Tosca Puccini
1994-95
- Don Pasquale Donizetti
- Die Fledermaus Strauss
1995-96
1996-97
- La Bohème Puccini
- Operetta Cabaret
- The Elixir of Love Donizetti
1997-98
- Aïda Verdi
- The Turn of the Screw Britten
- La Cenerentola Rossini
- Trouble in Tahiti Bernstein
- Gianni Schicchi Puccini
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
- Don Giovanni Mozart
- The Mikado Sullivan
- Regina Blitzstein
- Otello Verdi
2001-02
- Turandot Puccini
- Hansel and Gretel Humperdinck
- The Pearl Fishers Bizet
- Rigoletto Verdi
2002-03
- The Barber of Seville Rossini
- La traviata Verdi
- Porgy and Bess Gershwin
- La Bohème Puccini
2003-04
- Tosca Puccini
- Pagliacci Leoncavallo
- The Pirates of Penzance Sullivan
- Salome Strauss
2004-05
- Lucia di Lammermoor Donizetti
- La Voix Humaine Poulenc
- The Lighthouse Davies
- Die Fledermaus Strauss
- Carmen Bizet
2005-06
- Faust Gounod
- Surrender Road Hummon
- Iolanthe Sullivan
- Turandot Puccini
2006-07
- Aïda Verdi
- Amahl and the Night Visitors Menotti
- Les Enfants et les Sortilèges Ravel
- Romeo and Juliet Gounod
- Madama Butterfly Puccini
2007-08
- Samson and Delilah Saint-Saëns
- Elmer Gantry Aldridge
- H.M.S. Pinafore Sullivan
- Il trovatore Verdi
2008-09
- Don Giovanni Mozart
- The Student Prince Romberg
- Amahl and the Night Visitors Menotti
- La Bohème Puccini
2009-10
- Tosca Puccini
- The Fall of the House of Usher Glass
- Rigoletto Verdi
2010-11
- Andrea Chénier Giordano
- Hansel and Gretel Humperdinck
- The Marriage of Figaro Mozart
- Carmen Bizet
2011-12
- La Traviata Verdi
- I Pagliacci Leoncavallo
- The Girl of the Golden West (La Fanciulla del West)" Puccini
2012-13
- Madame Butterfly Puccini
- The Difficulty of Crossing a Field Lang
- Cinderella Rossini
- The Magic Flute Mozart
2013-14
- The Pearl Fishers Bizet
- The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat Nyman
- The Barber of Seville Rossini
- Otello Verdi
2014-15
- La Boheme Puccini
- Romulus Hunt Simon
- Florencia en el Amazonas Catan
- The Pirates of Penzance Gilbert & Sullivan
2015-16
- Turandot Puccini
- Hydrogen Jukebox Glass
- Così fan tutte Mozart
- Die Fledermaus Johann Strauss
2016-17
- Don Giovanni Mozart
- Glory Denied Tom Cipullo
- Three Way Robert Paterson
- Carmen Bizet
References
External links
- Nashville Opera Nashville Opera Official Site
- New York Times New York Times 2008 Article Review
- Broadway World Rigoletto
- Twitter Nashville Opera page
- Facebook Nashville Opera page
- YouTube Nashville Opera Channel