Fort Worth Opera: Difference between revisions
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'''Fort Worth Opera''' is the oldest, continually performing opera company in the state of [[Texas]] and among the oldest in the [[United States]]. It performs 3-4 operas per year in [[Bass Performance Hall]] located in the downtown area of [[Fort Worth]], [[Texas]]. |
'''Fort Worth Opera''' is the oldest, continually performing opera company in the state of [[Texas]] and among the oldest in the [[United States]]. It performs 3-4 operas per year in [[Bass Performance Hall]] located in the downtown area of [[Fort Worth]], [[Texas]]. |
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Revision as of 20:59, 9 October 2008
 | This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. |
Fort Worth Opera is the oldest, continually performing opera company in the state of Texas and among the oldest in the United States. It performs 3-4 operas per year in Bass Performance Hall located in the downtown area of Fort Worth, Texas.
History
Fort Worth Opera was founded by three women, Eloise Snyder and Betty Spain, both former opera singers, and Jeanne Axtell Walker. In seven months, the trio pulled together a full scale production of Verdi's La Traviata, performed on November 25, 1946 in a building now known as the Cowtown Coliseum located in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Fort Worth Opera went on to become an arts company of note, especially during the 1960's, when it helped launch the careers of Placido Domingo and Beverly Sills.
In July of 2001, Fort Worth Opera hired a new general director, Darren K. Woods. Darren brought with him energy, enthusiasm, and a vast knowledge of the opera business. The 2002/03 season was Darren’s first at Fort Worth Opera. During that season, the company revamped it’s image with a new logo, new look, new strategic direction, new mission statement and a passion statement to capture the company’s enthusiasm for great opera in Fort Worth.
After 60 years of producing opera over the fall and winter, Fort Worth Opera announced in February of 2006, another change of even greater magnitude: it will condense its entire schedule to an annual spring festival – with all of its operas and concerts being presented over a four week period. The inaugural Fort Worth Opera Festival opened in May, 2007 and featured the company's first main-stage world premiere, Frau Margot, by composer Thomas Pasatieri.
In spite of the company’s progressive moves, it remains one of the 14 oldest opera companies in the entire nation, and the oldest continuously performing opera company in Texas. As of the end of the 2007 Season, the company has produced 219 main-stage operas.
Fort Worth Opera also boasts a highly successful opera education program. The Children’s Opera Tour brings the exciting and colorful world of opera to approximately 100,000 school children each year across the state of Texas. The tour provides the first experience with classical music and drama for many elementary and middle school students. Fort Worth Opera’s other educational and community outreach programs bring an operatic experience to people in every age, ethnic and social group.
Over 500 performers and production personnel are employed by Fort Worth Opera each year. This includes local performing arts groups, such as the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet and the Texas Boys Choir. Approximately 85% of Fort Worth Opera’s annual budget is returned to Tarrant County each year.
Festival
In February, 2006, Fort Worth Opera announced it was converting to a festival format, condensing its entire season into a one-month period in late spring. The scheduling of performances is similar to that of established opera festivals like the Santa Fe Opera, where operas are performed alternately, allowing visitors to see multiple works within a few days.
The first festival opened in May, 2007, with three operas plus a Rossini choral work, including the world premiere performances of Frau Margot by composer Thomas Pasatieri, who made a comeback to opera after a 20-year hiatus.
The 2008 Fort Worth Opera Festival was a critically-acclaimed season for FWO.[citation needed] The Festival included Puccini’s Turandot, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men, and Peter Eötvös' Angels in America- based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tony Kushner.
The 2009 Fort Worth Opera Festival will be from April 25- May 10, 2009 at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth,Texas.