Peach State Opera Company

AUDITION ANNOUNCEMENT:

Peach State Opera, Georgia's premier touring opera company, will hold live auditions in the metro Atlanta area for its 2024-2025 season on Saturday and Sunday, August 3-4, 2024 . Help us share the thrill of live opera with small communities in Georgia and beyond! PSO will be touring a production of Verdi's La Traviata (presented in English) throughout Georgia and neighboring states. For La Traviata, we are casting 8 principals and 4 solo choristers SATB - all roles are available. We will also use these auditions to cast our “Operatizers” programs presented throughout the season. These are semi-staged opera highlight performances that utilize 3-6 performers and minimal staging.

Music rehearsals are planned for December 7-8, with blocking rehearsals scheduled for Dec 16-21. All rehearsals will be in the Metro Atlanta area. Performances are currently being finalized and will occur on select weekends mid-January through March 2025. Singers are paid per performance, and housing is provided for each of the tour weekends. PLEASE NOTE: Peach State Opera does NOT provide travel allowances, nor does it provide housing for the rehearsal periods.

Follow this link to submit your application for audition: https://forms.gle/fafWaaayTQaMQd3T6. The application must include a PDF version of the singer's opera performance resume, as well as a digital headshot. All auditionees must submit a non-refundable $22 audition fee at the time of application to our Venmo handle: -state-opera. Qualified singers will be invited to audition. The deadline for applying and paying the audition fee is Monday, July 22.

Audition requirements:
All singers must present 2 memorized arias in contrasting styles, one of which must be in English. A pianist will be provided. For singers auditioning for Violetta, at least one of the arias must display high-range flexibility. These requirements also serve as “Operatizers” auditions. All singers must bring a hard copy resume and a hard copy 8x10 headshot to the audition.

Here are pictures from our Die Fledermaus performance at The Ritz Theatre. We love this wonderful historic theater, and the audience really enjoyed this hilarious production. We are always thankful to work with Golden Isles Arts & Humanities to bring our touring shows to Brunswick, GA.

Photo Credit: Lauren Gaines

In case you missed it, here are some shots of our Die Fledermaus Performance in Newnan at the beautiful Charles Wadsworth Auditorium. Thank you to the Newnan Cultural Arts Commission for hosting us, and to The Newnan Ballet Theatre for their beautiful addition to the performance.

Photo Credit: Alex Melendez, Pedro Carreras, Jr. - Tenor

We had so much fun in Newnan this past weekend!

Join us and the Newnan Cultural Arts Commission at 3pm on the stage at the beautiful Charles Wadsworth Auditorium in Newnan, GA. We hope to see you there!

🎟️ *****TICKETS ON SALE NOW******🎟️
🎭 Opera Afternoon & Free Art Exhibition! 🖼️

Join us this weekend for a magical blend of opera and art:

👉 **Opera Afternoon:** Experience enchanting music for only $25! SUNDAY JAN 21st 3pm with Peach State Opera Company

🎨 **Art Exhibition:** Free admission to explore stunning creations by local artists! Newnan Coweta Art Association
FRIDAY: 10am-1pm
SATURDAY: 4pm-7pm
SUNDAY: 1pm-Showtime

🗓️ Sunday January 21st | ⌚3:00pm
📍 Wadsworth Auditorium

🎟️ **Get Opera Tickets Here:**
newnancac.com

Don't miss this artistic celebration! 🌟

Newnan Cultural Arts Commission
Peach State Opera Company
Kyle Kahn Studios

of Newnan (Government)

Friends of Peach State Opera,

Giving Tuesday is upon us, and we humbly ask that you consider donating to our cause this year. The campaign will run through Dec. 31st.

Peach State opera is growing and focusing on offering more educational opportunities than ever before. In addition to our usual community involvement in our touring productions, we are also offering Masterclasses to local students in underserved communities that would not normally have these experiences.

Ticket sales make up only a small percentage of the funds needed to sustain a touring opera company. Your tax-deductible gift will allow us to continue producing operas of the highest artistic quality while also broadening the reach of our touring mission and enhancing our production values in the future. Your contributions will also enable us to expand our educational outreach throughout Georgia and neighboring states.

Your gift, no matter the size, will make a huge difference in helping us succeed in our mission of enriching the cultural life of small communities in the Georgia region and nurturing the careers of emerging professional opera singers. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Thank you for considering supporting us this holiday season.

Peach State Opera is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.

Please stay tuned for announcements on our next performances coming in January. We hope to see you there!

Support Peach State Opera: Enrich, Empower, Engage on GAgives Help PSO bring quality productions and educational experiences to Georgia communities and beyond.

TODAY'S THE DAY!

COME ON OUT TO SPIVEY HALL TODAY AT 3PM TO SUPPORT THESE WONDERFUL PERFORMERS. SEE YOU THERE!

2000 Clayton State Blvd, Morrow, GA

PERFORMER SPOTLIGHT:

EBONY COLLIER is a native of Miami, FL and a graduate of Kennesaw State University. Ms. Collier performed in numerous roles with the KSU Opera Theatre, including the roles of Madame Flora in The Medium and the Sandman in Hansel and Gretel. Ms. Collier has also performed various roles with Peach State Opera in their Operatizers series, and has also sung with Atlanta Opera and Capital City Opera. Most recently, Ms. Collier was seen in two new works with the Atlanta Opera’s 96 Hour Opera Project, as Sadie Hutchinson in “Faces in the Flames” and as Odella Syrus in “Forsyth County is Flooding.” Ms. Collier is also a member of the Georgia Spiritual Ensemble.

Come see her singing some of opera and musical theatre's finest selections.Performer Spotlight:

EBONY COLLIER is a native of Miami, FL, and a graduate of Kennesaw State University. Ms. Collier performed in numerous roles with the KSU Opera Theatre, including the roles of Madame Flora in The Medium and the Sandman in Hansel and Gretel. Ms. Collier has also performed various roles with Peach State Opera in their Operatizers series and has also sung with Atlanta Opera and Capital City Opera. Most recently, Ms. Collier was seen in two new works with the Atlanta Opera’s 96 Hour Opera Project, as Sadie Hutchinson in “Faces in the Flames” and as Odella Syrus in “Forsyth County is Flooding.” Ms. Collier is also a member of the Georgia Spiritual Ensemble.

COME SEE HER SINGING SOME OF OPERA AND MUSICAL THEATRE'S FINEST SELECTIONS AT SPIVEY HALL. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, AT 3PM.

PERFORMER SPOTLIGHT:

Megan Reader sang with “simplicity and charm” (The Boston Globe) in her Boston Symphony Hall debut as soprano soloist in Haydn’s Creation. Ms. Reader gave her international debut as “Die Königin der Nacht” at the Amalfi Music Festival in Italy. Megan began singing with the Atlanta Opera Chorus in 2008, where she made her solo debut as a “Daughter” in Philip Glass’ Akhnaten. She went on to sing various comprimario roles and special events with the company, including “Barbarina” in their production of Le Nozze di Figaro. Her performed roles include: “Adina” in L’Elisir d’Amore with New Rochelle Opera, “Valencienne” in The Merry Widow with Capitol City Opera, “Cunegonde” in Candide with Georgia TAG, Vera in Hoiby’s A Month in the Country, “Lady with a Handmirror” in Argento’s Postcard from Morocco with Boston University’s Opera Institute, and “Susanna” in Le Nozze di Figaro with L’Orchestra da Camera Boston. As soprano soloist, Ms. Reader sang Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem at Emory, Schubert’s Mass in G with the Asheville Symphony, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with Clemson University. As a guest artist, Megan has sung with the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus, the Ludwig Symphony, the Albany Symphony, gloATL, the Michael O’Neal Singers, the Atlanta Opera’s “Opera with an Edge” and Manhattan enCanta. Megan was a Young Artist with the Texas Music Festival’s Le Chiavi di Bel Canto, where she worked with RuthAnn Swensen, as well as, the Opera Studio for the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. As a soloist with Morningside Presbyterian of Atlanta’s Chancel Choir, Ms. Reader has sung Vivaldi’s Gloria, the Fauré Requiem, the Rutter Requiem, and many other great works. Megan sang the soprano solos from Mozart's Requiem in d minor in Vienna's Votivkirche, as well as concerts in Mondsee, Vienna, and Prague. Recently, she tried on the roles of "Mimi" from La Boheme, "Rosalinda" from Die Fledermaus, and the titular role of "Maria Stuarda" by Donizetti with Capital City Opera's Dinner and a Diva series. Lately, she has traveled regionally giving a recital featuring Purcell songs, the lieder of Richard Strauss and Josef Marx, and songs by Stephen Sondheim.

COME SEE HER PERFORM THIS WEEKEND AT SPIVEY HALL! SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, AT 3PM. SEE YOU THERE!

PERFORMER SPOTLIGHT:

Marietta native and founding member of the Georgia Spiritual Ensemble TIMOTHY HARPER made his opera debut as Thomas in the world premiere performance of Zabette. He performed the role of Don Jose in Bizet's Carmen with Peach State Opera. Other roles consist of; Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Spoletta, in Puccini's Tosca, Cavaradossi (cover ), in Tosca, Don Jose in Bizet's Carmen in Rome,Italy, Second Man in Armor in Mozart's The Magic Flute, and Judge Danforth in Miller's The Crucible. He holds degrees from Kennesaw State University (Bachelors of Music in Opera Performance) and Georgia State University (Masters of Music in Opera Performance) and is currently is on the voice faculty at the University of North Georgia. He has won numerous honors throughout the state and South Eastern region. Mr. Harper has been featured as a soloist with the Ludwig Symphony Orchestra as well as the Georgia Symphony Orchestra. Other featured works include; Handel's Messiah, Bach's M
agnificat, Saint Saëns Christmas Oratorio, Shubbert's Mass in G, Mozart's Coronation Mass,
Requiem, and Solemnes Vespers, and Thomas’ Seven Last Words of Christ.

COME SEE TIM SING SOME WONDERFUL MUSIC AT SPIVEY HALL THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, AT 3PM.

PERFORMER SPOTLIGHT:

Bass-baritone BRIAN BONIN has benefitted from a sustained relationship with the touring company Peach State Opera, having most recently sung Count Almaviva in the company's production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro (2022). He has also sung with the Lyric Opera Studio of Weimar (Germany), Opéra Louisiane, New Orleans Opera, and Opera in the Ozarks. Brian is currently an Assistant Chair in Fine Arts and Associate Professor of Music at Perimeter College, Georgia State University. Brian earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in vocal performance from Louisiana State University and is a past President of the Georgia chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO HEAR BRIAN AT OUR SPIVEY HALL CONCERT! SUNDAY, OCT 1 AT 3PM

PERFORMER SPOTLIGHT:

Baajah Mohammed is a North Carolina native performer and teacher. Praised for her clear tone and expressive performance, Baajah’s love for performing developed at a young age while attending Penn-Griffin School for the Arts in her hometown of High Point, NC. She continued her studies in music and now holds a Bachelor’s of Music in Voice Performance from East Carolina University and a Master of Music in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. Baajah has been seen on stage, most recently, as Barbarina in Peach State Opera’s production of The Marriage of Figaro. Other notable appearances include the roles of Lydia (Pride and Prejudice), Soeur Constance (Dialogues of the Carmelites), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Una Conversa (Suor Angelica), Celia (Iolanthe), and more. As a proponent of choral music, Baajah has also been a member and frequent soloist for many choirs and vocal ensembles, including the Grammy Nominated ECU Chamber Singers. Post-pandemic, Baajah enjoys teaching voice and music theory, songwriting, and performing along the east coast.

DONT MISS YOUR CHANCE TO SEE HER PERFORM THIS SUNDAY AT SPIVEY HALL!

Next up is Peach State Opera’s production of “Operatizers: Mystery and Magic” at Spivey Hall on Sunday, October 1, 2023, 3pm. This performance will include semi-staged arias, ensembles, and scenes selected from classic opera and music theatre genres. Featured performers include: sopranos Baajah Mohammed and Megan Reader, mezzo-soprano Ebony Collier, tenor Timothy Harper, bass-baritone Brian Bonin, pianist Grant Jones, and narrator Kurt-Alexander Zeller. The opera chorus from Clayton State University, directed by Dr. Zeller, will assist. Please join us for a mysterious and magical afternoon of beautiful music!

For tickets, please follow the link below:

https://spiveyhall.org/events/event/peach-state-opera/

We had a wonderful time performing at Historic Ritz Theatre in Brunswick yesterday! Thank you to everyone who came to support live opera! Be sure to catch our ATL area performance. This Sunday, Feb. 5 at 3pm at Cole Auditorium in Clarkston, GA.

Today's the day! We love Performing at the Ritz! See you at 3pm.

Did you know that Golden Isles Arts & Humanities has been presenting Peach State Opera at the Ritz for over ten years? Great productions and talent from Georgia's touring opera company! See them this Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets available at http://ow.ly/Kxnr50Mu3Mw
More info on Peach State Opera at http://ow.ly/if7550Mu3Mv

Thank you to Brunswick News for this great article about our Operatizers performance at The Historic Ritz Theatre in Brunswick, GA, this Sunday at 3pm! Be sure to catch our Atlanta area performance on Feb. 5 at Cole Auditorium!

Operatizers to offer flavor of classics Pedro Carreras’ road to becoming an opera singer wasn’t exactly from point A to B. It began when he was in college, studying business.

Please join us in welcoming Pedro Carreras, Jr. to his new position as PSO's Executive Director, and be sure come to our OPERATIZERS: Dreams and Desires concert at Cole Auditorium this Feb. 5 at 3pm. See you there!


Read about Pedro here:
https://peachstateopera.org/?page_id=22728