Fantastic Mr. Fox
June 5–8, 2025
Composed by Tobias Picker
Libretto by Donald Sturrock
Skip into a whimsical world of furry friends and adventures in Fantastic Mr. Fox. Roald Dahl's classic novel comes to life in this delightful opera by American composer Tobias Picker. Join
Mr. Fox and his clever animal companions as they outsmart three bumbling farmers. Perfect for opera enthusiasts and families alike, this new production will leave you with a smile as big as Mr. Fox's plans!
The Rake's Progress (Sellem)
Composed by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Libretto by W.H. Auden (1907-1973) and Chester Kallman (1921-1975)
Composed, 1951. Opera Omaha Company Premiere.
Fri. Feb. 7, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Sun. Feb. 9, 2025 | 2:00 PM
Embark on a journey through the perils of excess in The Rake's Progress. This satire depicts the rise and fall of Tom Rakewell, a young man enticed by the promise of wealth and pleasure. Features some of the finest singing actors in opera, with Stravinsky’s genius score at the forefront, join us and find out whether Trulove conquers all.
Tom Rakewell | Adrian Kramer
Nick Shadow | Craig Colclough*
Anne Trulove | Liv Redpath*
Baba the Turk | Margaret Gawrysiak*
Mother Goose | Rehanna Thelwell*
Sellem | Brian Jeffers*
Principal Guest Conductor | Steven White
*Opera Omaha Debut
Someplace Fun
The World Premiere workshop performance of Joshua Brown’s SATB Song Cycle, Someplace Fun. A poetic and musical exploration of grief, perseverance, and love’s transferability.
Composer, Lyricist, Poet: Joshua Brown
Music Direction, Pianist: Kyle Walker
Stage Direction: Stephen M. Eckert
Remnant 1: Makayla McDonald, soprano
Remnant 2: Sydney Roslin, mezzo-soprano
Remnant 3: Brian Jeffers, tenor
Remnant 4: Brad Baron, bass
Mahler's Resurrection Symphony (Symphony no. 2)
Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, Soprano
Ekaterina Gubanova, Mezzo-Soprano
NY Philharmonic, Maestro Jaap van Zweden
NY Philharmonic Chorus, Maestro Malcolm J. Merriweather
Thursday, May 6th at 7:30pm SOLD OUT
Friday, May 7th at 8:00pm SOLD OUT
Saturday, May 8th at 8:00pm SOLD OUT
In his final subscription concerts as Music Director, Jaap van Zweden conducts Mahler’s colossal — and profound — Second Symphony. With the forces of a vast orchestra and chorus, two vocal soloists, and offstage brass and percussion, Mahler valiantly explores themes of death and resurrection, tragedy and triumph.
Composer & the Voice: First Glimpse
Friday, May 17th and Saturday, May 18th at 7:30pm
American Opera Project presents the First Glimpse concert for the Composer and the Voice cycle 2023-2025. Performances of the Composers and Librettists in residence new work can be publicly seen for the first time.
Composers-in-Residence: JL Marlor, Joshua Brown, Joy Redmond, Kavita Shah, Kervy Delcy, Leighton White Librettists-in-Residence: Aiden F. Feltkamp, Andi Lee Carter, Anita Gonzalez, Melisa Tien Resident Ensemble Singers: Natalie Tramm -soprano, MaKayla McDonald -soprano, Ilene Pabon -mezzo-soprano, Brian Jeffers- tenor, Phillip Bullock- baritone, Hans Tashjian- bass
Cendrillon
Knoxville Opera
Count Barigoule
House Debut
Pauline Viardot’s adaptation of the classic French fairytale.
Bring your whole family to enjoy the delightful 'Cendrillon' by Pauline Viardot at the Bijou Theatre. This enchanting take on the Cinderella story is full of fun, laughter, and captivating music that will charm audiences of all ages. Each scene is filled with magical moments and light-hearted humor, providing the perfect backdrop for a whimsical adventure. Don't miss this opportunity for a memorable family outing – it's a fairy tale come to life on stage that you and your loved ones will treasure.
May 3 & 4: 7:30pm | May 5: 2:30pm
Dean Anthony, director
Kelly Kuo, conductor
Handel's Messiah
Choir and Orchestra of the Universalist Unitarian Congregation of Shelter Rock
Stephen Michael Smith, Conductor
Sarah Moulton Faux, Soprano
Leah Wool, Mezzo-Soprano
Brian Jeffers, Tenor
Brace Negron, Bass-Baritone
Songs of a Lark
“Tenor Brian Jeffers, currently from New York City, is one of our own, being born and educated in and around Omaha. He returns home with a variety of his favorite music in this solo recital.”
-Vesper Concert Series Omaha
Brian will make his recital debut in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, with an auto-biographical selection of art song, musical theatre, and cabaret, including a World Premiere of composer Buck McDaniel’s setting of 3 of Nebraska’s own literary legend, Willa Cather.
Mostly Mozart Festival
Mozart’s Mass in C Minor
Louis Langrée, conductor
Erin Morley, soprano
Kate Lindsey, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Jonathon Adams, bass
Malcolm J. Merriweather, choral director
Amir ElSaffar, trumpet
Two Rivers Ensemble
Amir ElSaffar World Premiere, Title TBA
W. A. Mozart Mass in C Minor
For the first pair of concerts in the newly renovated David Geffen Hall, Louis Langrée conducts an epic program that is sure to be a night to remember. An homage to one of the earliest concerts of Langrée’s tenure—which brought together the Indo-Persian instrumental ensemble Ghazal paired with Mozart’s Requiem—this new program finds inspiration in Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and Middle-Eastern traditional and jazz-infused maqam, reflecting the spiritual elements of both. A new commission by Amir ElSaffar inspired by Mozart's Mass joins musicians from his Two Rivers Ensemble with musicians from the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, bringing together 16 musicians from a broad spectrum of musical worlds. Mozart's dazzling Mass in features a star-studded roster of soloists, with choral direction by Malcom J. Merriweather.
La tragédie de Carmen
Music by Marius Constant after Georges Bizet
Text by Jean-Claude Carrière & Peter Brook
Adapted by Peter Brook
Performance Date: July 20
Stage Director: Chía Patiño
Conductor: Steven Osgood
Almost 100 years after the premiere of Bizet’s Carmen, visionary director Peter Brook transformed the grand opera into a gritty 90-minute theatrical tour-de-force. Stripped down to the story’s four central characters, and including all of Bizet’s beloved melodies, this groundbreaking adaptation packs a surprising punch.
Featuring:
Carmen: Monique Galvão ^
Micaëla: Lili Juyeon Yoo ^
Don José: Louis Tiemann ^
Escamillo: Tshilidzi Ndou^
Lilias Pastia: Brian Jeffers^
Zuniga/Garcia: Evan Lazdowski
^2023 Apprentice Artist
Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Opera and Pops
Stuart Chafetz, conductor
Steven Osgood, General and Artistic Director, Chautauqua Opera Company and Conservatory
Every summer, the Chautauqua Opera’s Young Artist Program unites some of America’s most exciting artists and voices. Continuing this beloved tradition, Chautauqua Opera’s 2023 Apprentice Artists take center stage alongside the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra for a mid-season performance of popular standards from the American Songbook and some of opera’s most beloved melodies
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Performance Dates: June 30, July 7, 12, & 21
Stage Director: Dennis Whitehead Darling
Conductor: Steven Osgood
Join us for a dark tale riddled with ghoulish humor set in Victorian London. Sweeney Todd returns from exile to seek revenge on the lecherous Judge Turpin, who destroyed what was once a happy life. When Sweeney reunites with the devious Mrs. Lovett, the owner of a failing meat pie shop, they hatch a plan that will help her with her business struggles and satisfy his hunger for revenge.
Featuring:
Sweeney Todd: Kevin Burdette
Mrs. Lovett: Eve Gigliotti
Beggar Woman: Amanda Lynn Bottoms*
Pirelli: Arnold Livingston Geis*
Judge Turpin: Michael Colman*
Johanna: Angela Yam^
Anthony Hope: Louis Tiemann^
Tobias Ragg: Felix Aguilar Tomlinson^
Beadle: Brian Jeffers^
*2023 Festival Artist
^2023 Apprentice Artist
The March To Liberation
Thursday, March 2nd and Sunday, March 4th, 2023
Program To Include
Courtney Bryan & Tazewell Thompson, New Work (World Premiere–New York Philharmonic Commission)
William Grant Still, Symphony No. 2, Song of a New Race
Adolphus Hailstork, Done Made My Vow, A Ceremony
Artists
Leslie B. Dunner, Conductor
Tazewell Thompson, Director
Rasean Davonté Johnson, Video Artist
Ryan Speedo Green, Bass-Baritone
To Be Announced, Speaker
Janinah Burnett, Soprano
Rodrick Dixon, Tenor
To Be Announced, Boy Soprano
The New York Philharmonic Chorus; Malcolm Merriweather, Music Director
Saturday Night Live
Brian will perform as part of the 28 voice backing choir for Sam Smith’s 2023 SNL performance. Sam Smith will be debuting the title track Gloria from their upcoming album.
Conducted and Music Directed by Buck McDaniel
Vesperae solennes de confessore
Collegiate Singers of New York City returns to live performance with a concert including Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore and selections by Thomas Tallis, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Maurice Duruflé, and Charles Osborne.
The evening will be conducted by and dedicated to Maestro Martin Rutishauser.
Program:
Vesperae solennes de confessore by W.A. Mozart
Dona Nobis Pacem - Mvt. VI - O Man, Greatly Beloved by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ubi Caritas by Maurice Duruflé
If Ye Love Me by Thomas Tallis
Samachti B’omrim Li by Charles Osborne
Keep Your Lamps! Spiritual arr. by Andre Thomas