Hello Florentine Family,
Summer is here! For us, Pasta & Puccini meant sunshine, cool cocktails, and awesome Italian food and tunes in the La Lune courtyard. What a wonderful way to celebrate being back together this year! We worked hard to bring groups together and keep those who are a bit more cautious feeling safe, so we could all focus on singing after all the Chianti! We are all still recovering from the event – I’ll share more details next month! (Honestly, what a joyous weekend!)
Speaking of singing, our Summer Concert Residents: Gabrielle Gilliam-Soprano;Raphaella Medina-Mezzo-Soprano; Jordan Marshall Schreiner- Tenor; & Spencer Reichman- Baritone; are settling into Riverwest. Rehearsals are going strong, and we’re spotting them out and about on beaches and long walks, so they’re feeling the season as well. We did a surprise performance as part of Milwaukee Art Museum’s “Americans in Spain” opening, with some great arias paired with art. (We love to push the boundaries of predictable.) This crew is so ready to sing for an audience, and we can’t wait to introduce you. Want to know more before you see them perform?
Learn More About our Summer Concert Residents
Summer feels like it’s roaring along, thanks to that long winter of being cooped up. Everyone had so much fun with our Al fresco performances last year that we’re bringing them back! We’ve talked some friends with gorgeous properties into opening up their gardens to song. Flora & Fauna, inspired by the world around us, will take place on July 17 at the Robbins home in River Hills. You’d be surprised how much repertoire ties back to animals and flowers. Janna and I have been tickled by some of our discoveries, and can’t wait to share! On August 13, we’ll be in Fredonia, with traditional opera scenes on a riverbank. I snuck a peek at the Shully’s menus and am already planning my dinner. And this summer, we get a bar and to mingle! Familiar favorites with a glamorous dinner? Can’t wait. We’ll close out the summer with John Holiday on September 1 at Andy Nunemaker’s new home on the East side. All of these are selling quickly, so if you’d like to come sign up now!
Our fiscal year closes at the end of June, and I want to thank each and every one of you for taking advantage of the Herzfeld challenge and investing in our future. The “more is more” art form is back in all its glory, and while we grew to love our experimental digital projects (Voyages is at the top of my all-time favorites!), the pure joy we felt coming back to Uihlein Hall was palpable. Still, big shows call for big budgets. And our next season is bursting with costumes, chorus, kids, and more. Waiting has not gotten any easier, and we’re so excited to finally bring you these shows. You have worked extra hard to support us through this year, and it’s our turn to return the favor. So join us for something, and let us show you how inspired and excited we are to curate the grandest art form for our favorite people.
I’m off to Glimmerglass in August, to compare notes with the remarkable Francesca Zambello and see what madness we could get up to together in the future. If you’re traveling for opera, please drop me a line! What did you see, how did you like it, any standout performers? There’s a lot of great work happening around the country right now, and I wish I could see it all. Be my eyes and ears. Not into opera festivals yet? Lots of shows in a short period of time can be overwhelming and amazing. Some of my favorites? Santa Fe, Salzburg, Saint Louis, and Tanglewood!
Best,
Maggey Oplinger
General Director and CEO
Learn More About Our Al Fresco Series!
