Philadelphia, PA - After their first, full, in-person season in over a year, AVA is thrilled to announce their 2022/23 opera season! With last season's productions being called a "complete triumph from its start to its finish" (Chestnut Hill Local), AVA's 88th season is sure to delight opera audiences.
Philadelphia's prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts 2022-2023 Opera Season
The season opens with Verdi's La Traviata, Donizetti's Don Pasquale, and Mozart's Don Giovanni. Annual favorites such as the Giargiari Bel Canto Competition and Jubilate! A concert of sacred music will also take place this season.
Twenty-five Resident Artists will attend the academy this season, hail from Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Mexico, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States.
"If there's anything we learned after the return of live performances, it is that audiences are hungry for opera," said Scott Guzielek, Vice President and General Manager. "We are proud to continue offering high-level operatic performances while training operas future stars. It's an exciting time for AVA.
Subscriptions for the 2022/23 opera season will go on sale to the public on June 27, 2022, and single tickets will go on sale to the public on September 6, 2022.
AVA will also participate in Opera Philadelphia's Festival O22 and present Afternoons at AVA. Afternoons at AVA will occur on Saturday, September 24, and Saturday, October 1, and will be held at AVA's Helen Corning Warden Theater. The recital series will feature AVA alumna Latonia Moore ('04) and another alumnus who will be announced later.
Located in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square, AVA's student body is intentionally small, and admission is highly competitive. More than 200 singers from across the globe audition each year for the fewer than eight spots available in each class. The program is limited to fewer than 30 total Resident Artists immersed in a uniquely intensive and highly personalized program where they learn from world-renowned faculty. They receive training in voice, vocal repertoire, acting, stage combat, opera history, and several languages. Each year, they are presented in fully-staged opera productions accompanied by the professional AVA Opera Orchestra. They are cast in leading roles that will, in all likelihood, continue to perform for the rest of their careers.
No other opera training program in the world rivals AVA's success in developing individual artists whose extraordinary voices inspire millions on international stages. Numerous AVA alumni the Richard Tucker Award, five of the thirteen Beverly Sills Artist Awards presented by The Metropolitan Opera, and multiple alumni are Grammy Award winners.
2022/2023 Season Performance Schedule:
- Giargiari Bel Canto Competition - September 30, 2022
- New Artists Recital - October 6 and 7, 2022
- La Traviata - November 11-29, 2022
- Fall Recital - December 13 and 15, 2022
- Winter Recital - January 24 and 26, 2023
- Don Pasquale - February 16-23, 2023
- Jubilate! A Concert of Sacred Music - March 18 and 19, 2023
- Don Giovanni - April 27-May 9, 2023
- Farewell Recital - May 12, 2023
ABOUT THE OPERAS
La traviata - Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
AVA opens its 88th opera season with Verdi's La Traviata. Plagued by sickness, Violetta finds love in Alfredo, but they are torn apart by betrayal before long. A "fallen woman," she is forced to abandon her lover until the truth comes out and they are reunited, if only for a moment. One of opera's enduringly popular classics, Verdi's La Traviata has thrilled Philadelphia audiences with the tragic love story of Alfredo and Violetta for over 160 years.
- November 11, 2022- Season Opening Celebration!
- AVA will again host an evening of cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, a formal dinner, and a Champagne and dessert reception with the Resident Artists following the performance of La Traviata!
- November 13, 2022 - Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center This performance is underwritten by a generous contribution from Victoria Eckert Zoellne.
- November 15, 17, & 19, 2022 - AVA's Helen Corning Warden Theater
- November 29, 2022- The Haverford School's Centennial Hall
Don Pasquale - Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
The venerable Don Pasquale has chosen a wealthy wife for his nephew Ernesto, who wants to marry Norina. The elderly Don disapproves and decides to find a wealthy bride of his own. With Norina in disguise and a fake wedding, the couple and their friend Dr. Malatesta make Don Pasquale rue the day he ever considered marriage! The Gray Charitable Trust generously sponsors this production.
- February 16, 18, 21, and 23, 2023 - All performances at the Helen Corning Warden Theater at AVA at 7:30 PM
Don Giovanni - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Mozart's sublime tragic comedy Don Giovanni is regarded as the first Grand Opera ever performed in Philadelphia, debuting at The Chestnut Street Theater in 1818. The devilish Don pursues women all over Europe, leaving a trail of broken hearts and shattered lives. A ghostly encounter ensures that this devil gets his due! AVA first presented Don Giovanni in 1986-87. It continued with performances in 2000, 2005, 2011, and 2015 which featured many alumni who have gone on to professional careers.
- April 27, 29, May 2, 2023 - AVA's Helen Corning Warden Theater
- May 9, 2023 - The Haverford School's Centennial Hall