Portland, OR. Portland Opera is pleased to present the company’s fifth annual Big Night concert on April 14, 2018 at 7:30 PM at the Keller Auditorium. Music Director George Manahan will lead soloists, orchestra, and chorus from the 2018 season in an evening of opera’s greatest hits. The program, hosted by General Director Christopher Mattaliano, will feature popular works by Verdi, Wagner, Mozart, Rossini, and Bizet, as well as a few Broadway favorites.

“We’re incredibly excited for this year’s Big Night concert as we kick off our 2018 season,” says Christopher Mattaliano. “Big Night is a celebration of opera, and also a celebration of the amazing talents that breathe life into the masterpieces of our art form. We love taking this opportunity to highlight our orchestra and chorus, and share an evening of fun with our audience.”

This year’s Big Night concert will feature 3 principal artists, as well as the four members of Portland Opera’s 2018 Resident Artist program, who will share the stage with the Portland Opera orchestra and chorus. The principal artists are baritone Stephen Powell, who will sing the title role in Verdi’s Rigoletto this season, soprano Vanessa Isiguen who returns to the Portland Opera stage after her appearance in last season’s La Bohème, and tenor Barry Banks, who makes his company debut in this concert before singing the role of the Duke in Rigoletto.

Resident Artists Helen Huang (soprano), Thomas Cilluffo (tenor), and Shi Li (bass) also make their Portland Opera debuts, with soprano Kate Farrar returning for her second year in the program. Nicholas Fox returns as Chorus Master, with Daniel Meeker as Lighting Designer.

The 2018 Big Night concert is presented by Umpqua Bank. Portland Opera appreciates the ongoing support of funders including The Collins Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, Oregon Arts Commission, Work for Art, the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, and The Regional Arts & Culture Council, including support from the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and the Arts Education & Access Fund.

Tickets for Big Night are now available, starting at $25. Portland Opera is a proud participant in Arts for All—providing $5 tickets for Oregon Trail Card holders. A limited number of rush tickets (for seniors, students, and United States Armed Forces personnel and their families) are available for the 2018 Big Night concert. For more information, and to purchase tickets visit http://www.portlandopera.org/production/big-night-2018/ or call Patron Services at 503-241-1802.  For more information, patrons may also contact the Opera Concierge at [email protected].

About Portland Opera

Portland Opera exists to inspire, challenge, and uplift its audiences by creating productions of high artistic quality and is proud to be a part of the region’s thriving artistic and business community. We celebrate the beauty and breadth of the opera repertoire with four main stage performances each season. Our 2018 main stage opera season includes Gounod’s Faust, Verdi’s Rigoletto, Rossini’s La Cenerentola, and Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. The company is also a committed educational partner, touring fully staged operas to schools and community centers throughout Oregon and SW Washington region each year, in addition to a host of other efforts designed to make opera accessible for all.

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