Superstorm
is always scouting for new talent. They have an apprentice program for local college students and
recent graduates, in which young talent is trained for understudy roles at the opera house, located
in the Jefferson Center in Roanoke.
Opera Roanoke has been bringing productions of the world’s greatestmusical dramas to the Roanoke
Valley for nearly 40 years. It was founded in 1976 and remains the premiere opera company in this
region. Under Williamson’s direction, it has partnered with Virginia Western College (VWCC) and
the Taubman Museum of Art.
Each year Opera Roanoke, along with VWCC, sponsors cinematic productions entitled Met Live in
HD, which are viewed in the Whitman Auditorium at the college. Ten opera performances by the
Metropolitan Opera in New York are slated to be shown at the college this year. Guests may purchase
single tickets at the door the day of he perfor ance or season tickets online or at the door. Opera
Roanoke subscribers and Met subscribers receive discounts. Students attend free. These broadcasts,
which are live, feature some of the most popular operas today such as: Carmen; The Merry Widow;
and the Barber of Seville among others.
Listening to Paintings is another innovative program under Williamson’s tutelage. He pairs music,
arias and poems with paintings that are displayed at the Taubman Museum of Art. Attendees
are allowed to listen to a live performance while looking at similarly themed works of art. It is a
relatively new concept that is growing in popularity.
“It is an extra-sensory window into the artistic experience,” Williamson says, “and it’s free.”
This summer, Opera Roanoke joined hands with SMAC (Smith Mountain Arts Council) as part of its
endeavor to educate the public about opera.
“We are extremely happy Opera Roanoke has become one of our affiliates,” says Betsy Ashton,
secretary of SMAC and a member of the all volunteer organization since 2007 when she and her
husband relocated to this area. “We look forward to bringing opera to the Lake.”
As an affiliate of SMAC, Ashton explained that Opera Roanoke’s local programs will be promoted
through SMAC’s Website and newsletter as a service to its nearly 400 members. Opera Roanoke’s
calendar of events is also published on its Website and Facebook as well as in local media.
Below: Scottish refugees in a scene fromAct IV of
Verdi’s “Macbeth.”
Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera
Above: Zeljko Lucic in the title role of Verdi’s “Macbeth.”
Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera
Discover Smith Mountain Lake
Winter 2015
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