The El Paso Opera serves and benefits over 20,000 individuals through performances, educational outreach programs, and employment opportunities. Productions create an average of 200-300 jobs per season and employ over 300 local artists. Outreach includes the Childrens’ Opera Workshop and local schools. More than 1000 students attended last season’s Barber of Seville Youth Night for a delightful introduction to the classical works of Rossini.

The 20^th Anniversary Gala opens the 2013-2014 season in September with a celebratory splash, featuring the finest international and national opera performers as well as talented local artists. Spring 2014 brings the grand opera staging of Puccini’s classic five-hankie, La Bohème.

The best is yet to come!  Letters are in the mail asking for support representing this benchmark …$20 or $200…or more… fuel to embark upon another 20 years of operatic jewels in our desert community.

Watch for more announcements!  Celebrate with us!

Lynn A. Provenzano

Director, Operations and Marketing

El Paso Opera

310 N. Mesa Suite 601

El Paso, TX 79901

Opera Office 915-581-5534

www.epopera.org

Who: El Paso Opera
What: Auditions for 2013-14 Season
Chorus/Comprimario Positions and Young Artist Program providing professional performing opportunities for local and regional talent
When: May 10 and 11, 2013
Where: UTEP’s Fox Fine Arts Building

El Paso Opera announces auditions for its Young Artists Program for the 2013-2014 Season. Contracted positions begin September 1, 2013 and continue through April 30, 2014 on a rotating basis. Singers selected for the program will perform comprimario (supporting) and leading roles and cover principal roles in EPO’s gala concert and mainstage productions, as well as perform leading roles in educational outreach productions. The EPO Young Artist Program offers emerging artists professional contracts while providing outstanding opera training through frequent performance opportunities, regular coachings with company staff including General and Artistic Director Grabarkewitz and Musical Director Karl Shymanovitz, and master classes/coachings with guest artists.

In addition, El Paso Opera is holding regional auditions for professional chorus positions, comprimario (supporting) and principal roles for its 2013-2014 season, which EPO’s Opera for All gala, September 5-7, 2013, and La bohème, March/April 2014.

Auditions for all of these exciting performing arts opportunities will be held May 10 and 11, 2013 at the Fox Fine Arts Building on the University of Texas at El Paso campus. Interested artists are welcome to audition for both the Young Artists Program and mainstage roles; it is possible to be selected for both simultaneously. Those interested in auditioning should prepare a repertoire including one aria or song in Italian and one operetta, zarzuela, or musical theatre piece in English or Spanish. Those wishing to schedule an audition or ask further questions should e-mail auditions@epopera.org.

Since 2009, El Paso Opera has launched a series of highly successful, innovative programs aimed at connecting the public with opera and designed to educate younger generations about the discipline and skills that can be cultivated from participating in the arts. El Paso Opera Young Artists have presented Mozart’s one-act The Impresario and excerpts from Le nozze di Figaro at local schools, giving many El Paso children the chance to experience their first live opera performance.

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For more information regarding the El Paso Opera:  visit www.epopera.org or call 915-581-5534

A memorial concert will be held in honor of El Paso Opera’s friend and colleague Georgianna Davenelos.  The outpouring of care and kindness in Georgianna’s passing has sparked inspiration to carry on her memory in song and in the formal launch of the Georgianna S. Davanelos Young Artist Scholarship Fund, a trust to create first time contracts and awards for Young Artists receiving their first professional opportunities.

Georgianna started with the Opera as a chorister, performed in many comprimario roles, and supported the El Paso Opera for 14 years with her passion, role as emissary, and work as executive assistant through 3 EPO administrations.  Her dream was to see greater opportunity for emerging young artists. The El Paso Opera invites the public to join us in making her dream come true.

The concert will feature past and present El Paso Young Artist Performers and Apprentice Artists in the Santa Fe Opera Spring Tour.

GEORGIANNA YOUNG ARTIST MEMORIAL CONCERT

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

805 MONTANA AVE. EL PASO, TX 79902

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17TH

7:30 PM

ADVANCED TICKETS  $15 :  CALL 915-581-5534

TICKETS AT THE DOOR:  $20

All proceeds benefit the Georgianna S. Davanelos Young Artist Scholarship Fund

Additional Donations Accepted

Mail donations to:

(El Paso, Texas) December 5, 2012 – El Paso Opera is excited to announce the grand opening of Shoppe Opera – its ticket and merchandise outlet in the Courtyard of the Cortez Building.  A Christmas atmosphere worthy of Dickens will welcome guests to the grand opening of Shoppe Opera with students from UTEP’s music programs singing Christmas carols, free hot Chocolate, eggnog, and freshly baked bread from San Pascual Fine Breads.

The quaint and charming shop will have Opera themed items for sale, as well as tickets for the Barber of Seville, its grand production featuring an all-star New York Metropolitan Opera cast.  Special discounts for Barber tickets will be given to those purchasing during Tuesday’s grand opening.  The Shoppe promises to add convenience for opera fans wanting to purchase tickets, and a delightful stop on visitors’ tours of the Christmas lights at the Plaza.

WHAT: Shoppe Opera Grand Opening

WHEN: Tuesday, December 11^th 4:30-6pm

WHERE: Courtyard of the Cortez Building 310 N. Mesa

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About the El Paso Opera: The El Paso Opera presents opera productions in the El Paso Region of the highest quality.  It serves the Southwest United States and Northern Mexico.  Through its performances and service to the border region, the El Paso Opera develops and expands opera appreciation and involvement through innovative, engaging education and outreach programs.  El Paso Opera is made possible with the support of the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

El Paso Opera Media Contacts:

Norma Mendoza, President, MerKadoTeknia – marketing agency for El Paso Opera

nmendoza@merkaconsulting.com 915-317-9264

David Grabarkewitz, Artistic and General Director

david@epopera.org / 915.490.3511

“We are delighted to count with the vibrant experience that Karl brings to El Paso Opera as music director. He showed his skill and great ability as guest conductor in the recent performances of Le Nozze di Figaro, West Side Story and The Desert Song. As music director he will help ignite a fierce and fiery 2012/2013 season,” said David Grabarkwetiz, Artistic and General Director for El Paso Opera.

Shymanovitz was introduced to El Paso Opera in the 2010/2011 season where he previously served as guest conductor.  In addition to his role with El Paso Opera, Shymanovitz is a conductor and pianist based in Florence, Italy.  He is the principal coach for the opera program at the CCM Spoleto summer festival in Spoleto, Italy

For the Italian-American Festival of Akron, Ohio, he conducted a concert of popular Italian arias with Tenor Daniel Maimone. In 2008, he conducted The Motor City Lyric Opera’s televised production of Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, which was originally staged by the composer for the 50th anniversary of the original telecast. 

During his studies at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, he conducted productions of Les Mamelles de Tirésias, The Rape of Lucretia, Postcard from Morocco, Orpheus in the Underworld and La Hija de Rappaccini, and coached La bohème and Il Barbiere di Siviglia. He has worked since 2004 with various companies of Disney’s The Lion King, and has conducted several other Broadway touring companies. He served as the music director of the University of Michigan musical theater department for the 2002-03 school year. He appeared as a soloist with the Amarillo Symphony and his arrangements for voices and orchestra have been performed by the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center.

Mr. Shymanovitz is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy and holds a B.M. degree in piano performance from the University of Michigan, and an Artist Diploma in Opera Coaching from CCM.

“It is certain that the 2012/2013 El Paso Opera Season will be an exciting one with Karl’s participation as our Music Director.  He brings to our opera company a world class edge that will allow us to provide the best musical quality performances for our international region.  El Paso Opera prospects are bright and I look forward to working closely with Karl to bring the best performances in the southwest region,” added Grabarkewitz.

For its fourth year, the event will provide a unique and inclusive platform for borderland residents to experience stellar performances lead by internationally acclaimed vocalists, who will interpret famous arias from the most celebrated operas.

“As the Artistic and General Director for the El Paso Opera, I wanted to bring the best in opera to El Paso and invite everyone in El Paso and the region to a world class performance,” said David Grabarkewitz, Artistic and General Director of the El Paso Opera.  “By brining friends from the Metropolitan Opera here for an exciting concert and only charging a minimal general admission for our tickets, we dispelled myths about opera and demonstrated that opera is accessible, Opera is For All – La Opera es Para Todos.”

Among the delights planned for the musical evening are the all-star performances by the 2012  Richard Tucker Career Grant awardee and young opera trailblazer Nicholas Pallesen; nationally acclaimed mezzo soprano Vanessa Cariddi and leading soprano for the NYC Opera and renowned Prima Donna Laura Flanigan.

In collaboration with the Texas Women for the Arts, the El Paso Opera will treat borderland children to the annual concert of the El Paso Opera.  With the purchase of every adult ticket a child 16 and under will obtain complementary entrance to the premier musical evening.

“We are very fortunate to have the gracious sponsorship from the Texas Women for the Arts, which will allow our local children to experience some of the best singers in opera for free,” added Grabarkewitz.

The fourth annual “Opera For All – Opera Para Todos” will take place on Friday, September 7 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Abraham Chavez Theatre.  Ticket prices for adults 17 and over are $25.00.  For every adult ticket a child age 16 and under will enjoy the world class performance for free.  For additional information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.epopera.org or call 915.581.5534. Tickets are available at any ticket master outlet.