Pocket Opera

Look who's a #PocketOpera fan? #donaldpippin #berniesMittens #opera

Today, 22 December, is 's birthday!! Here is a fond memory of our delightful and heartbreaking production of last year.

For those of you who missed our Sunday live concert, or want to experience it again, here it is! Baritone , along with (flute) and (piano) warmed our hearts with some beloved holiday favorites. And . contributed a poem reflecting on the end of the year. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/UyJGFdhhieM

Join #pocketopera and Friends !!! Baritone , along with (flute) and (piano) will usher in the holidays. And there will be a special appearance by . ! #holidaycheer... , : https://www.facebook.com/events/374694060489135/ See more

is #WorldOperaDay, a day to celebrate the " . ... , , ." #LoveOpera There is a host of activities and events you will find here: https://www.worldoperaday.com/ The celebrated and enduring work of and Pocket Opera is the subject in this from 2004, directed by James F. ...Roddy: PART 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzxRin-b4Vc&t=7s PART 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjNeMQSYBQw PART 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYjC-LK8km8 See more

continues to tell the stories of important Black opera singers, notable artists who made important contributions to the artform, and deserve to have their stories, and their voices, amplified. #blackvoicesmatter #blacklivesmatter Back in June, we were very excited to highlight countertenor as an upcoming artist to watch out for. We saw him in the world premiere of Matthew Aucoin’s Eurydice in January this year, which is now slated for it's MET premier in the 2021-22 season. Well, look at what he's up to!

, ! Pocket Opera performed the master's second opera KING FOR A DAY in its first season in 1978! We have since revived Donald Pippin's delightful translation of this rarity many times, most recently in 2016 with Martin Lewis as Cavalier Belfior (pictured). ! Cavalier Belfior - Martin Lewis... Baron Kelbar - Lee Strawn Marchioness Poggio - Lindsay Roush Giulietta - Carolyn Bacon Edward - Andrew Nickell La Rocca - Jonathan Spencer Count Ivrea - Ross Halper Delmonte - Reid Pierre Delahunt Chorus: Elana Cowen, Nicole Lopez-Hagan, Sam Rubin, Nick Volkert, Patricia Westley See more

Today we present the luscious singing of Ellen Leslie in the latest installment of our 3-Song Mini Concert Series, accompanied by Frank Johnson. Ellen starred as Adina in last year's Elixir of Love and was slated to sing the lead in this season's No Love Allowed. She dazzles in this Mini Concert, singing selections by Donizetti and Mozart, along with the Britten arrangement of The Last Rose of Summer.

Pocket Opera is relieved to hear that two of our finest Baritones have been rescued from the fires. Harlan Hays was to have sung Alfio in this season's Cavalleria Rusticana and Reid Delahunt starred as Bobinet in La Vie Parisienne. Read their harrowing tale as they were air lifted by helicopter. https://gvwire.com//a-high-sierra-creek-fire-rescue-fit-/

continues to tell the stories of important Black opera singers, notable artists made important contributions to the artform, and deserve to have their stories, and their voices, amplified. #blackvoicesmatter #blacklivesmatter , whose career helped open the way for many Black opera singers possessed a voice that the New Grove Dictionary of American Music describes as "a soaring, belllike soprano capable of exquisite musical effects, supported by a si...ncere and ardent temperament," was born in 1910 today (Sept. 3). In 1939 she took New York by storm in a sold-out recital at Town Hall and pursued a successful recital career. Although she committed more than 100 operatic roles to memory, she never appeared on an opera stage; there were no such opportunities for a black artist in the late 1930's and the 1940's, when she was in her prime. (Marian Anderson, the first black singer to appear at the Metropolitan Opera in a major role, did not make her debut there until 1955.) Maynor toured extensively throughout the USA, Europe, and Latin America, performing in concert halls and frequently on the radio. She is the first African American to sing at a presidential inauguration, performing at President Truman's inaugural gala in 1949 and at President Eisenhower's 1953 presidential inauguration at Constitution Hall, where the Daughters of the American Revolution famously refused to let Miss Anderson sing in 1939. In 1964, she founded the Harlem School of the Arts. Under Maynor's directorship the school grew from 20 students to 1,000 by the time of her retirement in 1979. She received honorary degrees from several universities including Westminster Choir College, Oberlin College, The Hartt School of Music (University of Hartford), and two degrees from Howard University. In 1975, she became the first African-American on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Opera. This beautiful aria is from Handel’s , which has been in Pocket Opera’s repertoire since 1987. Our most recent performances were just two years ago in 2018. WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aPBeSqt02M READ: http://afrovoices.com/dorothy-maynor-biography/

, . , , the facades of more than 100 venues across the Bay Area will be lit up in red, including 469 Bryant, the space that Pocket Opera shares with our friends at Lamplighters. This is part of a national movement #RedAlertRestart aimed at drawing attention to the dire challenges facing the live performance industry during the COVID-19 shutdown. The live events industry contributed roughly $230 billion to the California economy in 2017 alo...ne. This is a red alert to the nations, and the industry is in trouble. The organizers are hoping tonight’s light display will urge Congress to pass the to provide economic relief to live events producers and unemployed workers.

The results are in! : San Francisco Classical Voice's Audience Choice Award Thank for your support and your vote!... Huge congratulations to all our Bay Area artists and colleagues. Pocket Opera was also mentioned in second and third places in several other categories. https://www.sfcv.org//audience-choice-awards-2019-2020-bay See more

continues to tell the stories of important Black Opera singers, notable artists made important contributions to the artform, and deserve to have their stories, and their voices, amplified. #blackvoicesmatter #blacklivesmatter Today, we highlight two singers who are featured in today's MET’s free stream of Un Ballo in Maschera, so you get to see these artists in their highly-praised portrayals!...Continue reading

There is still time to get your FINAL VOTE in for Pocket Opera in the San Francisco Classical Voice Audience Choice Awards! Voting closes at 10PM PDT tomorrow, Wednesday 19th. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YYGQ9PK The five categories for which we are nominated are: 1. Best Opera Singer: Rabihah Davis Dunn... 12. Best Opera Performance: Pocket Opera: Don Giovanni 23. Best Small Venue: Gunn Theatre at the Legion of Honor Museum, SF 26. Best Discovery: Pocket Opera 27. Best Streamed Performance Created During the Pandemic: Chelsea Hollow: Mini Concert with Pocket Opera

San Francisco Opera is offering one hour versions of operas, and one of them is Elixir of Love in Donald Pippin's translation. Pocket Opera's English language libretti are used all over the world, and it is especially delightful to see our translations on the stage at SF Opera!

We did it, fans! We received nominations in all our categories for the San Francisco Classical Voice Audience Choice Awards. Help us win by voting again in the final round! A reminder of each category: Best Opera Singer: Rabihah Davis Dunn Best Opera Performance: Pocket Opera Don Giovanni Best Small Theatre: Gunn Theatre at the Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco ... Best Discovery: Pocket Opera Best Streamed Performance Created During the Pandemic: Chelsea Hollow: Mini Concert with Pocket Opera Voting only takes a minute! Voting closes on Wednesday, August 19th at 10:00 PM PDT https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YYGQ9PK . . . . . . #opera #audiencechoice #sfclassicalvoice #sfcv #classicalvoice #operasingersofinstagram #virtualopera #music #pocketopera #beautifulvoices #supportlocalartists See more