FORTY FORWARD: CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES OF OPERA IN PENSACOLA

Celebrating Four Decades of Opera in Pensacola With a One-Night-Only Gala Concert

by Alex Hilkey, Pensacola Opera

Pensacola Opera has been a staple in our community since 1983; even before that, Pensacola has had a strong tradition of grand opera. The Pensacola Opera House that once stood at the corner of Jefferson and Government St. opened its doors in 1883, with a seating capacity of 1,400 people and—at its most prosperous—averaged 57 performances a year. Some argue that this historic southern opera house set the stage for the thriving arts scene in Pensacola today. And it is thriving!

In celebration of Pensacola Opera’s 40th Anniversary Season, and through grant support by Pensacola’s Foo Foo Festival, Pensacola Opera proudly presents Forty Forward: Celebrating Four Decades of Opera in Pensacola. On November 12, sixteen thrilling vocalists will take center stage at the historic Saenger Theatre to present an unparalleled one-night-only gala concert, honoring the history of musical storytelling in Pensacola and looking forward to the bright future of Pensacola Opera. Joining our vocalists will be the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, Pensacola Opera Chorus, Pensacola Choral Society, Pensacola Children’s Chorus and Ballet Pensacola.

The sixteen featured soloists all have a special connection to Pensacola Opera. Four of them are nationally renowned artists who have performed multiple times in mainstage productions (Thomson, Orozco, Diegel, Quagliata). Four of them are alumni of the Artists in Residence Program (now known as Studio Artists), who are returning to the Pensacola Opera stage from continuing their successful careers (Chang, Triebold, Scheuermann, Hopkins). Four of them are amazing local singers who appear with the Opera regularly for community events and fundraisers (Dunn, Tarabay, Lake, McKern). And rounding out the soloists are our 2022-23 Studio Artists (Abramowitz, Nanto, Ho, Lee). All of these singers will also be backed up by the wonderfully talented Opera Chorus and members of the Choral Society of Pensacola.

The Anniversary Concert Singers Include: Kara Shay Thomson, Soprano; Elise Quagliata, Mezzo-soprano; Adam Diegel, Tenor; Luis Alejandro Orozco, Baritone; Bizhou Chang, Soprano;

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Emily Triebold, Mezzo-soprano; Alexander Scheuermann, Tenor; Justin Hopkins, bass-baritone; Sheila Dunn, soprano, Corey McKern, Baritone (also emcee); Peter Lake, Tenor; Hanan Tarabay, Mezzo-Soprano; Hayley Abramowitz, Soprano; Kayla Nanto, Mezzo-soprano; Randy Ho, Tenor; Scott Lee, baritone.

“Having sixteen world-class singers come to Pensacola for a concert of this magnitude is a testimony to how far the Pensacola Opera has come in forty years,” Artistic Director Corey McKern said. “What started as an amateur grassroots organization with homemade costumes and non-paid singers has blossomed into an Opera company that is nationally respected. The ability for us to bring in singers, some of whom have international careers, and some who are destined for great things in the future is a luxury that would have been unfathomable 40 years ago. These artists sharing our stage with every other major musical arts organization in town is not only a celebration of our opera company's past, but it is a celebration of the deep cultural roots in the city of Pensacola, and how the arts are thriving!”

Forty Forward will celebrate Pensacola Opera’s ongoing collaborations with local arts organizations, including the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, Pensacola Children's Chorus, Ballet Pensacola, and the Choral Society of Pensacola. The program will feature selections from favorite productions throughout the Opera’s history, presented concert style with the PSO players on stage with the soloists.

“This is going to be more than just a concert, it’s truly a showcase of the caliber of artistic talent we have here in Pensacola. You’ll see familiar faces from our Opera Chorus, Children’s Chorus, Ballet and Symphony, and experience world-class opera singers who are traveling in from all over the country. If you’ve ever been interested in attending an opera, a night at the symphony, or even a ballet performance - join us for Forty Forward where they will all combine on one stage, for one night, for one price,” Pensacola Opera Marketing Director, Alex Hilkey said. In addition to highlighting some of Pensacola Opera’s most beloved productions over the past forty years, the concert program will also introduce works never performed by the company. “The most exciting part of this concert for me is being able to perform challenging and exciting pieces of operatic repertoire that we wouldn’t normally get to produce in our mainstage season,” Conductor and Pensacola Opera Music Director, Cody Martin said. Examples include the sumptuous final trio from Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier – one of the grandest Romantic operas ever performed, and Serenade to Music by Ralph Vaughan Williams – a symphonic tribute to the power of music written for 16 soloists— breaking into as many as 12 parts—and full orchestra. Ballet Pensacola will also offer a special interpretation of the Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana.

“To end the program, we are doing one of my all time favorite pieces of music, Make our Garden Grow from Leonard Bernstein's Candide. You would be hard pressed to find a better way to end a concert than with this electrifying selection written for two soloists and a powerful ensemble. With all of these new selections paired with familiar hits including the beloved Nessun Dorma, I think this concert will be like nothing the city of Pensacola has ever seen,” McKern said.

Tickets to Pensacola Opera’s anniversary concert range from $25 to $75. Tickets can be purchased online at pensacolaopera.com, from the Saenger website and by calling the Pensacola Opera office at 850-433-6737. More information can be found at pensacolaopera.com/event/ forty-forward.

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