Austin Opera celebrated its 40th birthday in style at the Long Center this past weekend.
Music Director Timothy Myers, in an interview with KXAN news, said in advance of the weekend celebration “It’s a perfect programme for anyone who wants to come. It encompasses everything from Mozart to contemporary music theatre. We have four world-class soloists who sing at major opera houses all over the world, plus our orchestra and chorus. It’s a feast for the ears and the eyes.”
The concert featured four singers with a very special attachment to Austin Opera: Leah Crocetto (soprano; lead photo), Jonathan Burton (tenor), Malcom MacKenzie (baritone) and Mela Dailey (soprano). They were also joined on stage by Zoie Reams (Mezzo-soprano).
Myers (pictured below) noted that “Leah Crocetto sings title roles at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, which is the largest opera house in the world. All four of these artists have a history with Austin Opera – they’ve been with us before. And so, we were really intentional at bringing them back; they are part of the Austin Opera family and part of the DNA of the company and the community. So, it’s really wonderful to bring all of them back: it’s kind of like a homecoming. In addition to celebrating our birthday, we’re doing it with really close friends who also happen to be super-famous opera stars!”
The first of the celebration featured composers from the 18th and 19th centuries, beginning with the Overture to The Magic Flute by Mozart. This was specially selected, as it was the very first composition played by the Austin Opera Symphony 40 years ago. With the exception of the Prelude to Carmen by Bizet, the last half was comprised of selections from 20th century composers.
Notable among these was two selections from Fiddler on the Roof, which will be the first full production of Austin Opera in February 2026 (Most tickets are already sold, so get yours soon!) In the birthday celebration, the singing of Tradition from that musical was by Rabbi Neil Blumofe.
While the inclusion of musicals, such as West Side Story and Sound of Music, in this operatic feast may not be appreciated by purists, the international opera awards now includes a category that encompasses such Broadway musicals.
Back in the 2024-25 season, Austin Opera selected composer Jorge Sosa and librettist John de los Santos to workshop a new one-act opera, Ofrenda. Clearly giddy with excitement, Sosa was in the audience as a duet from his opera was performed. The exciting news for the audience is that Ofrenda will be given a full performance in September 2026, to inaugurate the new 2026-27 season! The duet was performed to thunderous applause at the birthday celebration by Crocetto and Reams.
In all more than 20 selections were performed. I especially noted the trio of Crocetto, Burton and MacKenzie, doing Tace la notte from Verdi’s Il Trovatore. A rousing rendition! Reams also delivered an intense Dime from Zorro, composed by Hector Armient. Burton & MacKenzie also gave the audience a power duet of Lily’s Eyes from Secret Garden, composed by Marsha Norman.
My companion for the evening, who is new to opera, appreciated that “for an opera concert of its kind it was well-planned and organized, and most informative in terms of the history of Austin Opera. It was a fine sampling of operatic arias, and the Broadway tunes were well-curated.”
With a new building to contain not only offices but a performance space, slated to open in about a year, Austin Opera is well situated to achieve the goals set out in their “Inspire 2030” plan. For more on this, visit their website:
https://austinopera.org/support-us/inspire-2030
As a sparkling gem in Austin’s cultural landscape, Sun News Austin wishes the Opera all the best on its 40th birthday!
Lead photo: Leah Crocetto. Photo credit Erich Schlegel.
Second photo: Timothy Myers. Photo credit Erich Schlegel.
Third photo: curtain call. Photo credit C. Cunningham