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Opera Roanoke

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Opera Roanoke is professional opera company based in Roanoke, Virginia. The institution presents fully staged productions and a variety of smaller-scale presentations each year. The company is resident in the Shaftman Performance Hall in Roanoke's Jefferson Center.

History

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The Jefferson Center in 2023

The company was founded in 1976 as the Southwest Virginia Opera Society.[1] Its inaugural production, Menotti's The Consul, was mounted in May 1977.[1] Performances of The Marriage of Figaro and Die Fledermaus constituted the 1978-1979 season.[2][3] The group became a professional company in 1989, and changed its name to Opera Roanoke in 1991.[4][5] It and the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra moved their headquarters to the newly-remodeled Jefferson Center in 1992.[6]

In 2006, the company celebrated its 30th Season with main stage productions of La Boheme and Macbeth.[7] The institution moved its headquarters in 2007, joining the Downtown Music Lab as the first tenants of the renovated Dumas Center for Artistic and Cultural Development.[8] Three years later, however, the headquarters were moved again, this time to the downtown Roanoke arts and culture hub Center in the Square.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b Poff, Mag (13 October 1977). "Picking up the tab for performing arts". Roanoke Times. p. 27.
  2. ^ Armistead, Mary Bland (13 September 1978). "Civic opera society producing 'Figaro'". Roanoke Times. p. 27.
  3. ^ Willis, Trudy (25 May 1979). "River activities added to festival". Roanoke Times. p. 25.
  4. ^ Dickensen, Kathie (24 July 1992). "Opera taste-teaser". Roanoke Times. p. 60.
  5. ^ DeBell, Jeff (17 August 1991). "Ballet's director leaves company". Roanoke Times. p. 31.
  6. ^ Petty, Adrienne (26 July 1992). "Roanoke symphony, opera to move, may renovate hall". Roanoke Times. p. 16.
  7. ^ Kittredge, Kevin (6 July 2006). "Post School of Ballet to be sold to longtime associate director". Roanoke Times. p. 31.
  8. ^ a b Allen, Mike (10 August 2010). "Dumas Center struggles to find its Roanoke role". Roanoke Times. p. 1.
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