The Capulets cry out for justice after the death of Tybalt in 2008's Roméo et Juliette.
2005's "Carmen" (Kate Aldrich) and Don Jose (Richard Troxell). 
Peter Volpe as "Don Giovanni" in 2006. 
PORTopera's first-rate chorus in the chaotic end of Act 1, "Il Barbiere di
Siviglia," 2007. Russ Burleigh Photo. PORTopera to Replace “Don Pasquale” with 15th Anniversary Grand Concert
PORTopera, Maine’s only professional opera company, will celebrate its 15th Anniversary with a series of events in the spring and summer of 2009, culminating in a grand opera concert featuring a full orchestra and singers from its past productions. The concert will take place at Merrill Auditorium July 30 at 7:30 pm. Robert Moody, Music Director of the Portland Symphony Orchestra, will conduct.
This grand opera concert, scheduled for one night only, will replace the company’s originally scheduled performances of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. The company’s Board President, Donald L. Head discussed the decision, saying, “As we anticipate continuing financial uncertainty, we are eliminating the risk a full opera production poses, replacing it with an alternative event that celebrates our 15 years of producing world-class opera for audiences in Maine.” Head also acknowledged that Maine’s opera fans, the thousands who have attended PORTopera’s productions over the years, would rightly expect a special event signifying that PORTopera will continue to be an important player in Maine’s, and New England’s, cultural scene.
“We plan to return for our 16th season with a fully staged production of an opera in 2010,” added Head. “We will not lose track of our mission: to present great operatic masterpieces in Maine.”
Robert Moody, Conductor
Dona D. Vaughn, Director
FEATURING
Pamela Armstrong, Soprano
Jeniece Golbourne, Mezzo-Soprano
Sandra Lopez, Soprano
Michael Mayes, Baritone
Lauren McNeese, Mezzo-Soprano
Jan Opalach, Bass-Baritone
Gaston Rivero, Tenor
In addition to the grand opera concert on July 30, PORTopera will continue with its long-standing tradition of supporting Maine’s operatic talent through its Maine’s Emerging Artists program. This program, led by Ellen Chickering, Director of the Opera Workshop at the University of Southern Maine School of Music, was presented in five locations last year (Portland Museum of Art, Portland; University of Maine at Augusta; Salyard Center for the Arts, Conway, NH; The Temple, Ocean Park; Deertrees Theatre, Harrison) Auditions for the 2009 production have been held and plans are underway for this annual traveling production.
Other 15th anniversary events include an Anniversary Celebration kick off on April 3rd, a gala dinner-dance and auction on June 5th, the company’s traditional President’s Dinner on July 30, and summer and fall fund-raising recitals.
