As the coronavirus pandemic officially turns a year old next week, Arizona Opera is rolling out a new series of virtual concerts as part of its 2020-21 season.
The two-part Arizona Arias kicks off Sunday, March 14, with Tony Award-winner baritone Paulo Szot, Grammy-nominated soprano Chelsea Basler, tenor Terrence Chin-Loy, soprano Cheyanne Coss, and members of Arizona Opera’s Marion Roose Pullin Opera Studio.
The concert will include works from operas by Verdi and Puccini including “La Traviata,” “Gianni Schicchi,” “Edgar,” “Madama Butterfly” and “Rigoletto.”
Arizona Arias was originally planned as a socially distanced outdoor series, but given the COVID-19 situation in the state, Arizona Opera decided to make the series virtual, President and General Director Joe Specter said in a news release.
“Given the challenges of COVID that have been with us for almost a year, it’s almost impossible to describe the emotional experience of having the opportunity to bring this group of incredibly talented artists together for our viewers in a soaring program of Puccini and Verdi,” Specter said.
The Arizona Opera Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Cal Kellogg also will be part of the performance with Szot and Basler, who has appeared with major opera companies around the country including The Metropolitan Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and Nashville, Santa Fe and Sarasota opera companies.
Sunday’s performance begins at 6 p.m. and tickets are $20 through ondemand.azopera.org.
