Arizona Opera Company

Dear Friends of Arizona Opera, I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to share some important news about an upcoming leadership transition at Arizona Opera. Last summer, we announced that Joseph Specter, our President and General Director, had decided to conclude his tenure at the end of this fiscal year, June 30, 2025, when his contract expired, in order to pursue other opportunities. The board extended its support and gratitude for Joe’s service and his commitment for a smooth leadership transition. In the meantime, we have been in process of a comprehensive international search for a new leader, which is anticipated to reach its conclusion later this spring. We are also pleased that Joe has been named the new President & CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, a position where he can continue to be a fierce advocate for the arts and culture sector in our community, working with an organization that plays a key role in our cultural heritage. LEARN MORE: https://ow.ly/69hq50VgGCL This is an exciting time for everyone involved. While Arizona Opera will miss Joe’s service, we are grateful for all he has done for the organization and wish him and the Foundation great success. We will have more details on Arizona Opera’s leadership search and look forward to sharing the results with you in the near future. We are excited about what the future holds and look forward to celebrating an unforgettable 2025/26 Season with all of you under new leadership. Thank you once again for being an essential member of the Arizona Opera family and for your support of our mission to connect and inspire communities through artistically vibrant programs and productions that combine music, storytelling and the human voice. With gratitude, David Heap, Board Chair

Join us in April as Arizona Opera presents the World Premiere of an exciting new projection-based concert production of Giuseppe Verdi’s immortal classic, AIDA, featuring the exceptional talents of over 100 live singers and musicians, paired with a first-of-its kind AI film to help bring this incredible drama to life. This production of AIDA marks the first return of this epic work to Arizona in over a decade, once again featuring some of the most breathtaking music in the operatic repertoire. In this groundbreaking new production, the ancient and mythical will blend with the modern as Verdi’s incredible score is brought to life in a reimagined world where ancient Egypt never fell. PHOENIX April 12 & 13, 2025 at Symphony Hall TUCSON April 19, 2025 at The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall GET TICKETS: https://ow.ly/WlnL50V5KRa A spectacular cast—led by the powerhouse quartet of Metropolitan Opera artists Leah Hawkins, Limmie Pulliam, Jennifer Johnson Cano, and Kidon Choi—perform live on-stage against the backdrop of a visually stunning first-of-its-kind feature length Generative-AI film. The film is born from the vision of director and noted projection designer David Murakami, with the partnership of GRAMMY winner Karen Slack as dramaturg and artistic collaborator. Unlike traditional film-accompanied concerts, AIDA’s AI-generated film follows the singers and conductor in real time—reacting to the live performance rather than dictating it. This ensures that the music, storytelling, and energy of live opera always take center stage, making it a true ‘film set to opera’ rather than an ‘opera set to film.’

Congratulations to Karen Slack on her Best Classical Solo Vocal Album win for 'Beyond The Years - Unpublished Songs of Florence Price' at the 67th GRAMMYs! We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Karen on our upcoming production of AIDA this April. Tickets are on sale now. Get yours today! GET TICKETS: https://lnkd.in/g_hTiFBc ??: Amy Sussman / Getty Images

Join us for another Instagram Stories Artist Takeover with none other than Mimì herself! Tomorrow (1/25), Caitlin Gotimer takes over Arizona Opera's Instagram Stories for the day celebrating our upcoming production of LA BOHèME. Be sure to follow us to get all the updates throughout the day! FOLLOW US: https://ow.ly/Jx4k50UJV3T "Gotimer is a force of nature on stage… Her soaring vocal range and the depth of her acting establish Juliette as the driving force of the affair." (Broadway World) Following her European debut as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Deutsche Oper Berlin, Gotimer begins the 2024/25 Season with a return to Berlin for La fiamma, singing La Madre and covering the title role of Silvana. She then debuts as Nedda in Pagliacci with Pittsburgh Opera and Mimì in La Bohème with Arizona Opera. On the concert stage, she joins the Idaho Falls Symphony for Handel’s Messiah. #azopera #igstories #takeover #opera #azoboheme

Get ready for another Instagram Stories Artist Takeover! Tomorrow (1/23), Benjamin Taylor takes over Arizona Opera's Instagram Stories for the day celebrating our upcoming production of LA BOHèME. Be sure to follow us to get all the updates throughout the day! FOLLOW US: https://lnkd.in/gxKUHhR2 Baritone Benjamin Taylor’s 2024/25 Season includes debuts at Arizona Opera for La Bohème (Marcello), Madison Opera for The Barber of Seville (Figaro), Charleston Opera Theater for La Bohème (Schaunard), and Washington National Opera for Porgy and Bess (Jake). On the concert stage, he debuts at Fort Wayne Philharmonic as the baritone soloist in Prokofiev’s Lt. Kije, Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Buffalo Philharmonic for Sanctuary Road (William Still), Dayton Philharmonic as the baritone soloist in Fauré’s Requiem, and Opera Omaha for their Opera Outdoors concert and returns to North Carolina Opera for their Opera in the Park concert. Additional career highlights include returns to Opera Philadelphia for Simon Boccanegra (Paolo), Detroit Opera for Breaking The Waves (Jan), Bayerische Staatsoper for La fanciulla del West (Bello), and The Metropolitan Opera for Carmen (Moralès), The Magic Flute (Papageno), and Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Chester). He debuted with Austin Opera for Pagliacci (Silvio) and Boston Lyric Opera for La Bohème (Schaunard). #azopera #igstories #takeover #opera #azoboheme

The Arlyn M. Brewster OperaTunity program celebrated the opening of their Phoenix school tours earlier today in Peoria. Part of our NextGen initiative, these 40-minute, fully-staged performances reach over 40,000 students in Arizona each year - often providing their first look at opera ever! Recently, Cassie Hollerbach, Director of Education & Community Engagement, and Sedona Libero, Marion Roose Pullin Opera Studio Artist, were featured on Arizona Horizon | PBS sharing more about NextGen, OperaTunity, and the Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio. WATCH NOW: https://ow.ly/u0RL50UKO56 #azopera #azoeducation #azostudio #nextgen #operatunity #opera #arizonahorizon #pbs

It's our first Instagram Stories Takeover of the 2024/25 Season! Tomorrow (1/22), Peter Barber takes over Arizona Opera's Instagram Stories for the day celebrating our upcoming production of LA BOHèME. Be sure to follow us to get all the updates throughout the day! FOLLOW US: https://ow.ly/LbNo50UJV2t Peter Barber is an American bass-baritone and graduate of the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts. He is currently a member of the Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio, where he has performed Basilio in The Barber of Seville, Capulet in Roméo & Juliette, and Masetto in Don Giovanni. Before returning for a 2nd year with Arizona Opera, Barber joined the Renée Fleming Studio at the Aspen Music Festival, performing the bass role in Matthew Aucoin’s World Premiere of Music for New Bodies, Simone in Gianni Schicchi, and Antonio in The Marriage of Figaro, all while having the great opportunity to work one-on-one with Renée Fleming throughout the summer. #azopera #igstories #takeover #opera #azoboheme

Join us as we send our best wishes to tenor SeokJong Baek – Rodolfo in our upcoming production of LA BOHèME – as he steps into the role of Radamès tonight and Tuesday in The Metropolitan Opera’s new production of AIDA. To experience the incredible talent of Baek and our whole phenomenal La Bohème cast, please visit azopera.org for dates/times, venues, and to purchase tickets. #azopera #metopera #azoboheme #aida #opera

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year from your Arizona Opera family!

As we approach the end of the year, we want to take a moment to look back on everything we have accomplished in 2024: from the thrilling performances on our Main Stage and the start of our new Beyond Downtown series this fall, to the over 130 performances of our OperaTunity tour, serving nearly 40,000 Arizona students statewide. We have so much to be proud of, and it is all thanks to the generosity of our incredible Opera Community. Thank you for all you do to help us bring Arizonans together to experience the emotional power of live opera! If opera has been a meaningful part of your life this year, we hope you’ll help share that experience with others by making a year-end gift today! MAKE A GIFT: https://ow.ly/F5Ar50UxuPK #azopera #endofyeargift #supportthearts #opera #giving #holidays Photos by Tim Trumble Photography The Tell-Tale Heart and Opera For Lunch photos by John McCoy