EDWARDSVILLE — High notes and high drama will mark the high summer as Opera Edwardsville presents its annual outdoor spectacle at Edwardsville’s City Park on Aug. 23. This is the first time the event will take place in late summer. The free concert is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Guest artists for the evening include sopranos Vanessa Becerra and Alexandra Lobianco, contralto Lauren Decker, countertenor Ley’mon Murrah, tenors Martin Luther Clark and Eric Ferring, baritone Evan Bravos, and pianist Joseph Welch. Founder and artistic director Chase Hopkins will serve as the emcee. A special student spotlight performance will feature Lucy Schapman, a senior at Edwardsville High School and the star of Opera Edwardsville’s recent opera for children, "Little Red Riding Hood."
The all-English musical program will showcase highlights from the mid-20th century, a period when innovative and creative composers in the U.S. began blending opera and musical theater. The program will include works by composers such as Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Weill, Carlisle Ford, Igor Stravinsky, George Gershwin, and Samuel Barber, blurring the lines between Broadway and the operatic stage.
Attendees are encouraged to bring picnic refreshments and lawn chairs to fully enjoy the concert experience. Opera Edwardsville has also partnered with Cleveland Heath to offer a special pre-performance menu for diners. The restaurant, located at 106 N. Main St., is a short distance from City Park. Donors will be treated to a pre-performance reception hosted by Carrollton Bank and a post-performance champagne toast and artist meet-and-greet on the outdoor patio of Edwardsville Public Library.
The event will feature state-of-the-art amplification provided by Chicago’s Aphorism Studios, led by audio engineer Dan Nichols, who was named Person of the Year in Classical Music by the Chicago Tribune in 2021.
Lead season sponsors for the event include Stifel, the City of Edwardsville, and an anonymous donor. Presenting sponsors are Lewis Rice, the Rotary Club of Edwardsville, and the Schmidt and Barton Family Fund. Patron sponsors are Carrollton Bank and Irwin Chapel. Additional support comes from the Bank of Madison County, Miller and Maack General Contractors, Southern Illinois Young Artist Organization, and Tessitura Music.
Special thanks are extended to Cleveland Heath, Edwardsville Public Library, First Presbyterian Church of Edwardsville, the Edwardsville Parks and Recreation Department, Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, Scott Evers Photography, SIUE School of Music, and Urban Collective Hotel.
More like this:
