Meet the stars of Al Fresco Arias: Andrew Bidlack (tenor)

Tenor ANDREW BIDLACK makes his OD debut in Al Fresco Arias (April 24 & 25)!

Scaling new heights: Named one of Opera News’ “top 25 brilliant young artists” (2015), the Pittsburgh native and San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow earned accolades for his recent performances as Beppe in The Met’s production of Pagliacci (2018) and Andy in Stonewall with New York City Opera (2019). But it was his star turn as Rob Hall in Everest, a role he debuted with Dallas Opera in 2015 and reprised to great acclaim last season with Chicago Opera Theater, that began his ascent as one of opera’s most wanted tenors. Opera News raved: "Tenor Andrew Bidlack sang with exceptional tonal beauty and expressive intelligence… The role's tessitura seems as cruelly high as Mt. Everest's summit, but Bidlack's soaring upper register negotiated the role fearlessly." Other career highlights include singing the roles of Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Santa Barbara, Lensky in Eugene Onegin with Dallas Opera, and Bill in Flight with Des Moines Metro Opera.

Modern marvel: Equally at home with both classic and contemporary repertoire (he created the roles of Irving Tashman in Ricky Ian Gordon’s Morning Star at Cincinnati Opera and Greenhorn/Ishmael in a developmental production of Moby-Dick at San Francisco Opera), Andrew recently made his European debut as Private John Ball in Welsh National Opera’s In Parenthesis and is slated to star as the Doctor in Dallas Opera’s world premiere of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly for the 2022/23 season.

“I enjoy doing new work because it’s vital to say something to audiences about where we are now,” he said in an interview with Opera News. “Creating a role gives me a new level of confidence as a singer—I find I’m not as daunted by the challenges of the nineteenth-century repertory.” 

Live from the fire escape: We’re delighted to introduce Andrew to OD audiences with Al Fresco Arias on April 24 & 25. Expect to hear him perform favorites from La traviata, Don Giovanni, plus a few surprises. Tickets are selling fast—secure your spot today! [Read more: andrewbidlack.com]

Meet the stars of Al Fresco Arias: Toni Marie Palmertree (soprano)

Soprano TONI MARIE PALMERTREE makes her OD debut in Al Fresco Arias (April 24 & 25)!

A heavenly voice: A graduate of San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Adler Fellowship program (where she appeared as the Voice of Heaven in Don Carlo and High Priestess in Aida), Toni Marie’s star began to rise after she stepped in to cover the role of Cio-Cio-San in the company’s production of Madama Butterfly (2016). San Francisco Classical Voice raved of her performance, “The young soprano not only met the challenge, but she claimed her place among the finest vocal interpreters of the role...” Other notable appearances include the title role of Suor Angelica in West Bay Opera’s Il trittico (2017), her return to San Francisco Opera as Liù in Turandot (2017) and Nedda in Pagliacci (2018), and the title role of Luisa Miller at the Lyric Opera of Chicago (2019). She also joined the roster of The Metropolitan Opera for their 2019/20 season productions of Madama Butterfly and Il Trovatore.

The show must go online: With theaters still closed, the Fleetwood, PA, native embraced live-streaming, producing and performing in The Heart of a Woman, a digital concert celebrating women composers with pianist Ellen Rissinger. “I have missed the nervous excitement anticipating an opening night for the past year,” she posted on Instagram about the show. “This one feels no different because I'm singing for a purpose... I sing because people need to escape for just a few minutes… This year hasn't been easy, but that is what will make my art even better. So many artists long to connect with their audiences, and I'm excited to have that opportunity.”

Live from the fire escape: We’re delighted to introduce Toni Marie to OD audiences (in person!) with Al Fresco Arias on April 24 & 25. Expect to hear Toni Marie perform favorites from Madama Butterfly, Don Giovanni, Tannhäuser, and more! [Read more: tonimariepalmertree.com]

VIDEO: #DoMore24DE thank you - "Nessun dorma"

WATCH NOW: “Nessun dorma” performed by tenor Matthew Vickers and OD's Head of Music Staff Aurelien Eulert

Exciting #DoMore24DE update:

Thanks to your generous support of our Do More 24 Delaware fundraising campaign, we just received word that OD was awarded $61,000 in stretch pool funding from the Delaware Division of the Arts! This additional gift of support will allow us to offer more performances to our community this spring and summer, and it puts us in a great position to return to the theater when it is allowed.

Many thanks to Do More 24 Delaware and DDOA, and thank you for making OD the top-performing nonprofit on Delaware’s biggest day of giving! As a special thank-you, please enjoy this gorgeous performance of Puccini’s “Nessun dorma” by tenor Matthew Vickers and OD's Head of Music Staff Aurelien Eulert from our Opera Jukebox, 75th-anniversary celebration. GRAZIE MILLE! [More info: domore24delaware.org]

Meet the stars of Al Fresco Arias: Jarrod Lee (bass-baritone)

We’re delighted to welcome back bass-baritone JARROD LEE for Al Fresco Arias (April 24 & 25)! 

Previous OD appearances: Hailed by critics for his “seemingly effortless bass baritone” (The Washington Post) and “vocal artistry and versatility” (The Baltimore Sun), Jarrod made his OperaDelaware debut as Le Bailli in Werther (2017). 

And the Grammy goes to…: The Baltimore-based singer was a featured soloist in the ensemble of The Met’s 2019/20 production of Porgy and Bess, which recently won a Grammy for Best Opera Recording. Other notable appearances include his Atlanta Opera debut as the Undertaker in Porgy and Bess (2020), soloist in Figaro Meets Frederick Douglass with Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts, Giulio Cesare in an excerpt from Giulio Cesare with the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) Festival Orchestra in Austria, and Angelotti/Jailer in Tosca and Marchese d’Obigny in La Traviata with Annapolis Opera.

A vocal knockout: An advocate of new works, especially operas championing diverse voices, Jarrod premiered the roles of boxing great Joe Louis in Shadowboxer with Maryland Opera Studio, and Levi in Cloud Nebula, an Afro-futuristic opera/ballet with Afro House Baltimore. He also serves as a Project Manager for the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA), and as a librettist enjoys creating works that are rooted in the experience of being black, gay, and American; adding to the cannon of stories in opera written by Black Americans which are rarely seen on the operatic stage. [Read more: jarrodlee.com]

Meet Forrópera star Felipe Hostins

Get to know accordionist FELIPE HOSTINS, who stars with wife CHRYSTAL E. WILLIAMS in Forrópera, our next Sunday Spotlight with Baltimore Concert Opera (streaming Feb. 7 & 10).

KEY PLAYER: An in-demand touring and recording musician who’s performed all over the globe, Felipe began playing the accordion at just 3 years old with his grandfather, Valmor Hostins. After completing his studies at the School of Music Amormega in his hometown of Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Felipe went on to tour and collaborate with Latin music giants including Téo & Edu, Padre Fábio de Melo, Eliano Braz, Davi Vieira, Mauro Refosco, and more. 

LOVE SONGS: Felipe specializes in Brazilian rhythms including forró (a type of folk music and dance with origins in northeast Brazil) and música gaúcha, but perhaps the music closest to his heart is Forrópera, a genre he created with his wife, mezzo-soprano Chrystal E. Williams. [Read more about Chrystal here.] Combining forró (which translates to “for all”) and opera (which means “work of art”), the couple hopes that this joyous blending of Brazilian folk and classical music will break down barriers and diversify audiences while fostering unity, peace, and understanding through music. 

Felipe and Chrystal’s repertoire includes everything from Bizet and jazz to forró and spirituals, but we’re especially blown away by “Meu Brasil de Cristal”, a gorgeous piece Felipe composed specifically for Chrystal. Get a sneak peek of the couple performing the song and hear the poignant story behind it here:

Streams Feb. 7 (2 pm) and Feb. 10 (7:30 pm); Tickets: $15 per household

Also: Meet Chrystal E. Williams and hear how Chrystal and Felipe created Forrópera