
OperaDelaware Blog
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OperaDelaware is a professional non-profit opera company with a reputation for excellence in both opera and arts education.
OperaDelaware Blog
1w ago
Donna elvira in don giovanni at arizona opera
The Never-Ending Training of an Opera Singer
One of the things I love most about being an opera singer is that the training never stops! Our work goes far beyond just singing—we constantly refine our minds, bodies, and voices to meet the demands of this incredible art form.
Opera singers train in acting, dance, movement, stage combat, music theory, piano, and multiple languages—just to name a few essentials. Each role brings new challenges and requires a deep dive into history, culture, and technique.
Movement Matters
Costumes aren’t just for show ..read more
OperaDelaware Blog
3w ago
George Gershwin was looking to move on from Tin Pan Alley to land a job that would advance his career. He heard that Irving Berlin was looking for a secretary of sorts to transcribe his songs, because Irving Berlin could not read music and could only play in one key. George Gershwin went to audition for Irving Berlin by playing a few Berlin songs in a variation of a medley with Ragtime influences. It is said that Berlin told Gershwin then and there, “Kid, don’t be my secretary. Go out and write your own songs.”
This story is my inspiration for my program notes because it speaks to the heart ..read more
OperaDelaware Blog
4M ago
Don’t miss Emily as Musetta in La bohème on october 25 + 27 at The Grand opera House in Wilmington!
I will never forget when I first was introduced to OperaDelaware. It definitely was lucky timing and not the formal audition process for which we’ve trained! That’s what memories are made of- special, unique, crazy circumstances! Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans I think is the phrase? I’ll drink to that! I met OperaDelaware by phone on January 10, 2023! I was attending The Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, and we had recently concluded our production of La Traviata. I was ..read more
OperaDelaware Blog
4M ago
Hello, everyone! For those of you I haven’t met yet, I’m Emily Margevich! OperaDelaware has created a new staff role called a “Company Artist”, and I am thrilled to be the first one on the job!
My fiancé Dylan and I just moved here to Wilmington less than a month ago, specifically for my new job at OperaDelaware. Along with singing roles and performing solo concerts this season (stay tuned for those exciting details!) I am going to be working on the engagement side of OperaDelaware! Write to me if you have an idea to help our company, what theme of music you want me to sing for a solo concer ..read more
OperaDelaware Blog
1y ago
OperaDelaware presents Verdi's Rigoletto on October 27 & 29 at The Grand. Our incredible artists have been rehearsing since late September, and they're preparing to present the opera this weekend with our coproducers at Opera Baltimore at Towson University. Before the cast, chorus, crew, and all the brilliant minds behind this production made their way down to Baltimore, we had a very important rehearsal with the full orchestra.
The Sitzprobe!
What's a Sitzprobe? A Sitzprobe is a chance for the cast and orchestra to perform the entire show, without costumes or set pieces. The purpose is to ..read more
OperaDelaware Blog
2y ago
OperaDelaware’s Development Associate Sarah Asmar was able to make some dreams come true for two young opera fans over the holidays! Coordinating with parents for a trip to the Metropolitan Opera, Sarah arranged a special stage door meet up with the sisters and soprano Lindsay Ohse following one of Lindsay’s performances as Papagena in The Magic Flute. We are so excited to welcome Lindsay Ohse to Delaware this March to star as Violetta in La traviata at The Grand Opera House. Read Sarah’s guest blog below.
Greetings from your favorite opera singer turned Development Associate, Sarah Asmar!
Sa ..read more
OperaDelaware Blog
2y ago
As we wrap up our rehearsals at the OperaDelaware Studios and prepare for tech week at The Grand and next weekend's performances, we are so grateful to these remarkable artists who poured themselves into this process over the last few weeks. Colleen Daly, Marie Engle, Amanda Sheriff, David Walton, Paul La Rosa, and Eric McKeever have been as dynamic and engaging in their acting as they are in their singing. The level of talent is out of this world. Led by Maestro Domenico Boyegian and directed by Sam Mungo, this production has come together with charm, cheek, heart, and soul.
We were fortunate ..read more
OperaDelaware Blog
2y ago
Cosi fan tutte rehearsals started yesterday and the artists are all smiles after their first sing through. Singers often refer to the first day of rehearsal as “the first day of school” which is even more appropriate when we’re doing Cosi! For those who don’t know, the full title is “Così fan tutte ossia La scuola degli amanti” which means “All women are like that or The School for Lovers” - too appropriate, right?
Mozart’s classic comedy lampoons relationships by introducing a cheeky bet to test the fidelity of two devoted couples. In our production, soprano Colleen Daly takes on the tour d ..read more
OperaDelaware Blog
2y ago
On Saturday, September 10, OperaDelaware and the Delaware Symphony Orchestra will join The Grand Opera House in an opening night celebration featuring Tony Award-winning Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell. Learn more about "Stokes" (as he prefers to be called) and the fabulous OD artists sharing the stage for this one-night-only event! Get your tickets Brian Stokes Mitchell
Dubbed “the last leading man” by The New York Times, Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell has enjoyed a career that spans more than 40 years in Broadway, television, film, recordings and concert appearances with t ..read more
OperaDelaware Blog
2y ago
Hello, Delaware! My name is Kerriann Otaño, and I'm over the moon to join OperaDelaware and this fabulous team as the Vice President of Engagement. I'd like to tell you a bit about me, my career, and what makes me most excited about living and creating opera in America's first state. I'll be keeping the ODBLOG up to date throughout the season with exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes features, and fresh content twice a month. I can't wait to see you at the opera!
Kerriann Otaño, Vice President of Engagement
I was born and raised on Long Island, NY, with my two incredible parents and my equa ..read more