Enjoy an elegant evening of wine and song at the Vestavia Country Club, as five outstanding finalists take the stage to compete for over $10,000 in cash prizes and a chance to star in an Opera Birmingham production! Compare your picks with those of our savvy panel of judges… Will your favorite win the day?

Reservations are open to season subscribers now, ahead of the general public. General reservations begin January 1, 2019. All reservations are required by May 10, 2019.

Black tie optional.

*Singers interested in applying to the competition can find more information here

Hear the stars of tomorrow as 20 outstanding young singers from around the nation compete for a chance to sing in our finals concert for over $10,000 in cash prizes and a chance to star in an Opera Birmingham production!

*Singers interested in applying to the competition can find more information here.

Sung in Italian with projected English translations

Overwhelming passion against the perils of war

Tosca, Puccini’s dramatic and beloved masterpiece sweeps our mainstage in a tale of love, lust, deceit, and murder. A tragic and political love story, Tosca explores sacrifices made for love. Treat yourself to magnificent melodies and nonstop action!

Sung in Italian with projected English translations

Overwhelming passion against the perils of war

Tosca, Puccini’s dramatic and beloved masterpiece sweeps our mainstage in a tale of love, lust, deceit, and murder. A tragic and political love story, Tosca explores sacrifices made for love. Treat yourself to magnificent melodies and nonstop action!

Sung in English with projected English text

America’s longest-held prisoner of war returns home to a country he no longer recognizes.

Glory Denied is the story of an American family during the turbulent Vietnam War era. This intimate chamber opera chronicles the saga of Colonel Jim Thompson, America’s longest-held prisoner of war, from his suffering in the jungles of southeast Asia to the personal struggles of his family following his liberation and repatriation. 

Sung in English with projected English text

America’s longest-held prisoner of war returns home to a country he no longer recognizes.

Glory Denied is the story of an American family during the turbulent Vietnam War era. This intimate chamber opera chronicles the saga of Colonel Jim Thompson, America’s longest-held prisoner of war, from his suffering in the jungles of southeast Asia to the personal struggles of his family following his liberation and repatriation. 

Kick off the holidays with Sounds of the Season, a concert of favorites both sacred and secular. Drawing on the talent of the Opera Birmingham Chorus, the concert will feature a variety of solo and ensemble performances by native Birmingham artists, setting the perfect mood for the holiday season.

Opera Birmingham is teaming up with the U.S. Marine Corps to provide toys for less fortunate children in the community this season through their TOYS FOR TOTS program. To participate, please bring a new, unwrapped toy to Sounds of the Season, and let's make sure EVERYONE has a Merry Christmas!

Featuring:
(subject to change)
Opera Birmingham Chamber Chorus

Free and open to the public

Opera Birmingham partners with the Arts and Medicine program at UAB to discuss how the arts can be a powerful tool in medicine and healing.  The panel will include therapists using a variety of creative arts to help patients in their path of recovery.

Fee: $25, reservations in advance

Hear insight from Tom Cipullo, composer of Glory Denied, about the creation of his opera.  He will be joined by soprano Kathleen Buccleugh, who will be singing the role of Younger Alyce in our production, and will perform an excerpt of the opera.  A reception will follow the conversation.

Catch a Rising Star features the winner of our 2018 Vocal Competition in an intimate recital. Previous competition winners have included a number of artists who have gone on to international careers, with this return concert providing valuable exposure and experience for the rising generation of opera stars.

Featuring:

(subject to change)

Emmett O’Hanlon, Baritone

Sung in English with projected English text

Free and open to the public

Join Opera Birmingham and health professionals from the Veterans Administration for a roundtable conversation on the impacts of military service on veterans and their families. Topics will include mental health treatment, resources for families, and how treatment is helping veterans live more fulfilling lives. Refreshments will be served following the conversation.

Enjoy an elegant evening of wine and song at the Vestavia Country Club, as five outstanding finalists take the stage to compete for over $10,000 in cash prizes and a chance to star in an Opera Birmingham production! Compare your picks with those of our savvy panel of judges… Will your favorite win the day?

Advance reservations are required by May 11.

Black tie optional.

Hear the stars of tomorrow as 20 outstanding young singers from around the nation compete for a chance to sing in our finals concert for over $10,000 in cash prizes and a chance to star in an Opera Birmingham production!

Sung in French with projected English translations

Shakespeare’s tragic romance returns to our stage after an absence of over 40 years, combining the powerful drama with Gounod’s lush music. Family rivalries cannot fight the young love of Romeo and Juliet, with tragic consequences as the couple is determined to be together forever.

Sung in French with projected English translations

Shakespeare’s tragic romance returns to our stage after an absence of over 40 years, combining the powerful drama with Gounod’s lush music. Family rivalries cannot fight the young love of Romeo and Juliet, with tragic consequences as the couple is determined to be together forever.

Grammy nominee American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton has been described by The Guardian as "a great artist, no question, with an imperturbable steadiness of tone, and a nobility of utterance that invites comparison not so much with her contemporaries as with mid-20th century greats such as Kirsten Flagstad." She has claimed virtually all of the highest awards in the world of opera including the Beverly Sills Artist Award, Richard Tucker Award, Cardiff Singer of the World and was the winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

This performance is part of the Davis Architects Guest Artist Series, and is sponsored by Dr. Chandler and Jane Paris Smith and co-presented with Samford University School of the Arts and Birmingham Chamber Music Society.

Sung in French with projected English translations

The gypsy Carmen is a sexy temptress, drawing the eye of the naïve Don José. When she leaves him for the bullfighter Escamillo, jealousy ignites and threatens to burn them all. Peter Brook’s gripping adaptation of Bizet’s Carmen distills the drama into an intense one-act chamber opera. 

Sung in French with projected English translations

The gypsy Carmen is a sexy temptress, drawing the eye of the naïve Don José. When she leaves him for the bullfighter Escamillo, jealousy ignites and threatens to burn them all. Peter Brook’s gripping adaptation of Bizet’s Carmen distills the drama into an intense one-act chamber opera. 

Kick off the holidays with Sounds of the Season, a concert of favorites both sacred and secular. Featuring surprise guest artists and familiar faces, the concert will feature a variety of solo and ensemble performances to set the perfect mood for the holiday season.

Opera Shots is our annual series of pop-up concerts throughout the community, held in unexpected places and designed to break down the stereotypes of opera. Opera Shots concerts will feature members of the Opera Birmingham Chorus and surprise guest artists presenting an open-mic-style concert of the greatest hits of opera and musical theatre. Admission is free!

As part of the festivities, there will be ticket giveaways, social media contests, and more. Also among the perks of attending Opera Shots, guests will receive a discount code to use in purchasing tickets for specific future Opera Birmingham performances.

Let us know you're coming!

Catch a Rising Star features the winner of our 2017 Vocal Competition in an intimate recital. Previous competition winners have included a number of artists who have gone on to international careers, with this return concert providing valuable exposure and experience for the rising generation of opera stars.

Join us for a seated dinner and program on the history, plot and symbolism of Romeo & Juliet presented by General Director Keith A. Wolfe with selections from the opera performed by guest artists.

$40 per person. (Cash bar available.) Reservations and payment required by October 13.

Enjoy an elegant evening of wine and song at the Vestavia Country Club, as five outstanding finalists take the stage to compete for over $10,000 in cash prizes and a chance to star in an Opera Birmingham production! Compare your picks with those of our savvy panel of judges… Will your favorite win the day?

Advance reservations are required by May 17.

Black tie optional.

Hear the stars of tomorrow as 20 outstanding young singers from around the nation compete for a chance to sing in our finals concert for over $10,000 in cash prizes and a chance to star in an Opera Birmingham production!

Opera Shots is our new annual series of pop-up concerts throughout the community, held in unexpected places and designed to break down the stereotypes of opera. This Opera Shots event will feature members of the Opera Birmingham Chorus and guest artists in a KARAOKE TAKEOVER of holiday favorites and a few other surprises -- You never know what you're going to hear!

Admission is free!

As part of the festivities, there will be ticket giveaways, social media contests, and more. Also among the perks of attending Opera Shots, guests will receive a discount code to use in purchasing tickets for specific future Opera Birmingham performances. 

Sounds of the Season will start off your holidays on a good note! Drawing on the talent of the Opera Birmingham Chorus, the concert will feature a variety of solo and ensemble performances by native Birmingham artists, setting the perfect mood for the holiday season.

Featuring:

• Alison Sanders, soprano
• Daniel Seigel, baritone
• John Robertson, piano

Opera Shots is our new annual series of pop-up concerts throughout the community. Held in unexpected places and designed to break down the stereotypes of opera, Opera Shots concerts will feature members of the Opera Birmingham Chorus and surprise guest artists presenting an open-mic-style concert of greatest hits of opera and musical theatre, chorus favorites, and jazz standards. Admission is free!

As part of the festivities, there will be ticket giveaways, social media contests, and more. Also among the perks of attending Opera Shots, guests will receive a discount code to use in purchasing tickets for specific future Opera Birmingham performances.

Let us know you're coming!

About the Show

Catch a Rising Star features the winner of our 2016 Vocal Competition in a intimate recital. Previous competition winners have included a number of artists who have gone on to international careers, with this return concert providing valuable exposure and experience for the rising generation of opera stars.

Featuring:

Alex DeSocio