New Camerata Opera announces Boundary Breaking Seventh Season

New Camerata Opera (NCO) today announced details for the company's groundbreaking seventh season. The upcoming season breaks boundaries by bringing classic stories to the stage and re-contextualizing them for today's audience.

The company will exceed its pre-pandemic levels with four mainstage productions along with pop-up concerts presented at locations throughout New York City's five boroughs. The organization also remains committed to creating video operas for audiences of all ages, worldwide.

Mainstage performances will include: 

• A double bill of French one-act operas - Lili Boulanger's Faust et Hélène and Maurice Ravel's L'heure espagnole - from September 16 through September 24, 2022. Music Director Kamal Khan and Stage Director John de los Santos conjure a gorgeous world in which clockwork photography by NYC-based artist Atom Moore creates a striking backdrop to this timeless story. 

• Il Trittico, a three-week-long opera festival of Puccini's three one-act operas: Gianni Schicchi, Suor Angelica, and Il Tabarro, featuring immersive stage direction by Chloe Treat.

CamerataWorks video productions for the season will include:

• The Prince von Pappenschmear 3, the final chapter of the Prince von Pappenschmear trilogy. Set in Nazi-era Germany, the story follows an undercurrent of women's liberation in an historic Jewish gynecologist's office. 

• Refractions, a visual anthology of works by BIPOC artists and composers directed by Kimille Howard with Music Direction from Mikael Darmanie. 

Camerata Piccola performances for children will include: 

• Operas in English designed especially to engage and educate children of all ages. Performances of Party at the Opera, Peter Rabbit, and Rumpelstiltskin will be held at schools, libraries, performance halls, and community gardens throughout New York City's five boroughs. 

• One Train, a unique viewing experience that celebrates the power of music to bring people together. This animated opera is a crossover project with CamerataWorks and will bring high-quality operatic performances from the pen of composer Hilary Purrington and librettist Hannah McDermott to children worldwide. 

Additional information can be found below, with complete casting, schedules and additional details at NewCamerataOpera.org. 

MAINSTAGE

A season-opening new production of Faust et Hélène and L'heure espagnole 

Lili Boulanger and Maurice Ravel 

September 16, 17, 23, and 24, 2022 

The Space at Irondale, 85 S Oxford St, Brooklyn, NY 11217 

NewCamerataOpera.org/double-bill

New Camerata Opera will present a double bill of French one-act operas, conducted by Music Director Kamal Khan. For the first time ever, New Camerata Opera brings its unique blend of fun and immersiveness to Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Stage Director John de los Santos conjures a gorgeous world where clockwork photography by NYC-based artist Atom Moore creates a striking backdrop to this timeless story. 

Concepción and Hélène: Eva Parr, Tesia Kwarteng* 

Faust and Gonzalve: Victor Khodadad, Chris Carr 

Méphistophélès and Ramiro: Markel Reed*, Kyle Oliver* 

Torquemada: Gabriel Hernandez, Anthony Laciura* 

Don Iñigo Gomez: Angky Budiardjono, Andy Dwan 

Music Director: Kamal Khan* 

Stage Director: John de los Santos 

Projections and Set Designer: Atom Moore* 

Costume Designer: Ashley Soliman* 

• New Camerata Opera debut 

Performance is double cast. Casts will be determined at a later date. 

Il Trittico 

Giacomo Puccini 

Spring 2023 

The Theatre at St. Clement's, 423 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

NewCamerataOpera.org/Trittico 

New Camerata Opera will bring a three-week-long opera festival to NYC of Il Trittico, a collection of three one-act operas: Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini. This production will be directed by Chloe Treat. 

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

NewCamerataOpera.org/Events

Anita's Way

August 4, 2022 at 2pm, 4pm and 6pm

137 W 42nd Street

New Camerata Opera and ChaShaMa present a series of free, live performances of favorite opera excerpts by NYC-based opera singers. New Camerata Opera's principal soloists will offer serenades of some of the greatest musical masterpieces ever written. The series will include performances by tenor Erik Bagger, mezzo-soprano Emily Hughes, baritone Stan Lacy, and sopranos Kristin Renee Young and Barbara Porto. 

Operation Gig 

August 6, 2022 at 4pm

726 Argyle Road, Brooklyn, NY 11230 

New Camerata Opera and Operation Gig present a free, live performance of favorite opera excerpts by NYC-based opera singers. NCO's principal soloists will offer serenades of some of the greatest musical masterpieces ever written. The series will include performances by tenor Erik Bagger, mezzo-soprano Emily Hughes, baritone Stan Lacy, and mezzo-soprano Eva Parr. 

CAMERATAWORKS FILMS

NewCamerataOpera.org/camerataworks 

The Prince von Pappenschmear 3

CamerataWorks, New Camerata Opera's in-house film studio, is proud to present the final installment in The Prince von Pappenschmear trilogy, composed by Richard Marriott with a libretto by Adam Laten Willson. The work was scored for NCO soloists, clarinet, violin, cello and piano. Set in Nazi-era Germany, the story follows an exciting undercurrent of women's liberation in an historic Jewish gynecologist's office. These contrasting elements create an intriguing mix of absurd farce and surrealist imagery. 

Refractions

The company debut of Kimille Howard was partially supported by OPERA America's Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors, generously funded by the Marineau Family Foundation. 

CAMERATA PICCOLA 

Peter Rabbit 

Peter Rabbit is a rollicking, action-packed introduction to the world of classical music, featuring the timeless melodies of Gaetano Donizetti. About thirty minutes in length plus a brief question and answer session, children learn and laugh at the same time! 

Beatrix Potter's beloved mischievous hero runs afoul of the gardener McGregor. He escapes by the skin of his teeth, as Donizetti's score (borrowed from L'elisir d'amore) accompanies a dramatic chase. Beautiful arias set the tone for anxious handwringing by Momma Rabbit and the helpless narrator as the adventure plays out. Young audience members, costumed with ears and fluffy tails, round out the cast in the non-singing roles of Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail. Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Party at the Opera 

An immersive, musical, and theatrical experience for children ages 18 months to 4 years. Excerpts from seven classic operas with original English texts teach children the fundamentals of classical music: rhythm, melody, harmony, range, and dynamics. Approachable, funny characters lead the audience on an exciting musical adventure! Children try their hands at conducting, play musical instruments, and find their own operatic voice in this welcoming first invitation into the world of opera. Party at the Opera is also available for online viewing. 

Rumpelstiltskin 

Based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale and set to the music of Mozart's masterpiece Così fan tutte, this version of Rumpelstiltskin depicts the character of the Miller's Daughter as a model of moral fortitude and courage. With the help of Rumpelstiltskin, a two-headed character sung by a baritone and tenor joined at the torso by clever costuming, the Miller's Daughter spins straw into gold to save the kingdom from famine. The original libretto encourages literacy and imagination through a poetic rhyme scheme, while simultaneously providing moments of high comedy and an appreciation for theater arts. Rumpelstiltskin promises to challenge young people's brains as it tickles their funny bones. Please ask about our supporting classroom materials for students and teachers! Suggested for students aged 8 to 12 years. 

One Train 

One Train is NCO's latest endeavor to reach the future fans of opera. The company has commissioned a short opera cartoon from Hilary Purrington and Hannah McDermott that follows a young girl on a magical subway ride. On her eye-opening adventure, she encounters vibrant cultures and walks of life that can be found throughout New York City. Conceived with children, families, and teachers in mind, One Train is a unique viewing experience that celebrates the power of music to bring people together. 

For information about Camerata Piccola children's programming including upcoming performances, visit NewCamerataOpera.org/camerata-piccola.

Visit NewCamerataOpera.org for continually updated casting information and performance dates. Artist headshots and production photographs are available upon request. All programs, artists and dates are subject to change. 

About New Camerata Opera

New Camerata Opera was founded with the mission of building new audiences for the art form through engaging, exciting, and educational productions. The organization accomplishes this via three main initiatives: full-length operas presented at innovative and daring venues, newly arranged and adapted children's operas (Camerata Piccola), and originally commissioned short operatic films for presentation online (CamerataWorks). It is through these multifaceted operations that NCO has successfully brought countless new opera lovers into the cultural fold. The organization has been hailed as "the future of opera" and is one of the most consistently active and present opera companies in New York. 

New Camerata Opera empowers each member of the company to have a say in all aspects of decision making. This innovative democratic structure promotes greater collaboration, ownership, equality, and diversity -- both on and off the stage. 

New Camerata Opera is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving New York City's five boroughs.

Learn more about the company at NewCamerataOpera.org.