Boston declares 40 days of opera

It’s not one of the world’s opera destinations, but Boston Lyric are turning a 40th anniversary to good use.

Looks like they have defined a market hunk.

Press release:

Boston, MA — August 22, 2016 – Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) Stanford Calderwood General and Artistic Director Esther Nelson announced today a multi-platform, regional recognition of the robust opera and vocal music offerings in Greater Boston over the next six weeks, and debuted an online calendar that combines them all as part of the company’s “40 Days of Opera” celebration.

Inspired by BLO’s 40^th season and its status as the most-enduring opera company in the city’s history, “40 Days of Opera” includes free and low-cost live events designed for audiences of all ages and all levels of familiarity, including those experiencing opera for the first time.  BLO, its artistic partners, and producers and music artists across the city will be part of the celebration.  In addition to live events, fresh opera-related content on partner sites and social media platforms (#40DaysOfOpera on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) will spread opera history and information to a variety of audiences.  The initiative begins this week with three opera-related events at the Boston Public Library and ends with the final performance of BLO’s Carmen on October 2.

“At the heart of our mission is the belief that opera is for everyone,” Nelson said, “As the largest, oldest opera company in the region, we take seriously our position to develop future audiences for the art form and support the local organizations who produce, present and support it.  It is heartening to see how many Boston-area groups are dedicated to making opera a vibrant force here.”

Among the activities during the “40 Days” event: an Opera Walking Tour of Boston from Boston by Foot; concerts and educational events at the Boston Public Library and the Boston Center for Adult Education; a weekend of film screenings of acclaimed opera productions at ArtsEmerson; a special film screening and event at the Somerville Theater; live performance events from Boston Lyric Opera, the Handel and Haydn Society,Odyssey Opera, Guerilla Opera, Opera on Tap, Cerise Jacobs’ Ouroboros Trilogy (presented by ArtsEmerson and Beth Morrison Projects), and local conservatories.  An in-school performance will be coordinated with theBoston Public Schools’ Arts division. Other participating groups will share Boston-centric opera highlights and create digital events across social media platforms throughout the 40 days.  Additional activities are expected to be added to the calendar.

picture caption: (L.-r.) Alex Davis, Joseph Yonaitis, Richard Wingert, Dave Ginsberg.  Photo: Robert Leger