Boston Lyric Opera
Encyclopedia
Boston Lyric Opera is an American opera company based in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1976.
Each season, BLO produces three mainstage productions at the Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre in Boston and a fully staged, one-hour English language version of a popular opera for school children and families at venues throughout New England. BLO receives partial funding from a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. BLO regularly invests in co-productions with other U.S. companies including New York City Opera
, the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Houston Grand Opera
, and Glimmerglass Opera
.
BLO's community work has included participation in the "Egypt in Boston" thematic season that celebrated Egypt at several of Boston’s leading cultural institutions in 1999-2000. In the summer of 2002, BLO produced "Carmen on the Common", a community-outreach initiative of a summer-long education series which culminated in two free, fully staged outdoor performances of Bizet's Carmen on Boston Common
. Similar plans were scheduled for Verdi's Aida
in the 2005-2006 season, but were cancelled because of insufficient financial support.
The conductor, John Balme
served as general director from 1979 to 1989. Janice Mancini Del Sesto was general and artistic director of BLO from 1992 to 2008. During her tenure, the company's budget grew from $800,000 (USD) to $6 million (USD). Since 2008, BLO's general and artistic director of BLO is Esther Nelson. Stephen Lord was BLO music director from 1991 to 2008. In June 2010, BLO announced the appointment of David Angus as the company's next music director, as of the 2010-2011 season, with an initial contract of 3 years.
In 2010, BLO commissioned a work from composer Richard Beaudoin
to precede its February 2011 performances of Viktor Ullmann
's Der Kaiser von Atlantis
. Beaudoin responded with a 20-minute work for singers and chamber ensemble.
Each season, BLO produces three mainstage productions at the Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre in Boston and a fully staged, one-hour English language version of a popular opera for school children and families at venues throughout New England. BLO receives partial funding from a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. BLO regularly invests in co-productions with other U.S. companies including New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
, the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Houston Grand Opera
Houston Grand Opera
Houston Grand Opera Houston Grand Opera was founded in 1955 through the joint efforts of Maestro Walter Herbert and cultural leaders Mrs. Louis G. Lobit, Edward Bing and Charles Cockrell...
, and Glimmerglass Opera
Glimmerglass Opera
Glimmerglass Festival is an opera company which was founded in 1975 by Peter Macris and presents an annual season of operas at the Alice Busch Opera Theater on Otsego Lake eight miles north of Cooperstown, New York, United States.The summer-only season usually consists of four operas performed in...
.
BLO's community work has included participation in the "Egypt in Boston" thematic season that celebrated Egypt at several of Boston’s leading cultural institutions in 1999-2000. In the summer of 2002, BLO produced "Carmen on the Common", a community-outreach initiative of a summer-long education series which culminated in two free, fully staged outdoor performances of Bizet's Carmen on Boston Common
Boston Common
Boston Common is a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as the "Boston Commons". Dating from 1634, it is the oldest city park in the United States. The Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street, Park Street, Beacon Street,...
. Similar plans were scheduled for Verdi's Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
in the 2005-2006 season, but were cancelled because of insufficient financial support.
The conductor, John Balme
John Balme
John Balme is an American conductor, opera manager and pianist. He served as General Director of Boston Lyric Opera from 1979 to 1989 and the Lake George Opera Festival from 1988 to 1992. he was also Music Director of the Liederkranz Foundation of the City of New York with a 15-year tenure from...
served as general director from 1979 to 1989. Janice Mancini Del Sesto was general and artistic director of BLO from 1992 to 2008. During her tenure, the company's budget grew from $800,000 (USD) to $6 million (USD). Since 2008, BLO's general and artistic director of BLO is Esther Nelson. Stephen Lord was BLO music director from 1991 to 2008. In June 2010, BLO announced the appointment of David Angus as the company's next music director, as of the 2010-2011 season, with an initial contract of 3 years.
In 2010, BLO commissioned a work from composer Richard Beaudoin
Richard Beaudoin
Richard Beaudoin is an American composer of classical music.Richard Beaudoin was born in 1975 in North Attleborough, Massachusetts. He graduated from North Attleborough High School in 1993. Five years later he graduated summa cum laude from Amherst College, where he studied with Lewis Spratlan. He...
to precede its February 2011 performances of Viktor Ullmann
Viktor Ullmann
Viktor Ullmann was a Silesia-born Austrian, later Czech composer, conductor and pianist of Jewish origin.- Biography :...
's Der Kaiser von Atlantis
Der Kaiser von Atlantis
Der Kaiser von Atlantis, oder Die Tod-Verweigerung is a one-act opera by Viktor Ullmann with a libretto by Peter Kien. Both Ullmann and Kien were inmates at the Nazi concentration camp of Theresienstadt , where they collaborated on the opera, around 1943...
. Beaudoin responded with a 20-minute work for singers and chamber ensemble.