JOHNSON CITY – Efforts are under way to establish a community-based, regional opera theatre for the Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia region.
According to the National Endowment for the Arts, opera attendance has risen steadily since 1982. This trend continued through 1997, when opera's share of the total arts audience grew by 12.5 percent, more than any other art forms.
The regional opera theatre is being formed to introduce opera to young audiences in the region and to enrich the artistic life of area residents. The theatre will produce one fully staged production for the public and one touring production for public school students.
This project is made possible by funding from the Johnson City Area Arts Council, the East Tennessee State University Friends of Music and private donors.
Open auditions for local artists are being held for all future productions. Positions are available for principal and supporting roles and the chorus.
This season will feature Puccini's famous opera, "La Bohème," which will be sung in Italian with English supertitles. It will take place in Bud Frank Theatre in ETSU's Gilbreath Hall on March 22-23, 2002, at 7:30 p.m. Volunteers and supporters are also needed to make this project possible.
For more information or for an audition appointment, contact Dr. Oliver Lo, director of the ETSU Opera Workshop and assistant professor of music, at (423) 439-5787 or lo@etsu.edu.