Sept. 23, 2022
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Pittsburgh Opera and Point Park University Present ‘Animated Arias’ Special Live Concert on October 14
Pittsburgh Opera will perform an enthralling concert combining live singing and music with contemporary video animation at Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse on Friday, October 14 at 7:30 PM.
‘Animated Arias’ is a result of a unique collaboration between Pittsburgh Opera and the Cinema Arts Department of Point Park’s Conservatory of Performing Arts.
Point Park Students worked with Pittsburgh Opera to select arias and other portions of well-known operas. They then designed, created, and refined six animated video shorts to bring the beautiful world of opera to life in new, exciting ways.
The videos feature music by Mozart, Verdi, Dvořák, and more, from operas such as The Marriage of Figaro, Il Trovatore, and Rusalka. They will be unveiled publicly together for the first time – and will be accompanied by live performances of the opera music by singers from Pittsburgh Opera’s acclaimed Resident Artist program – at the free ‘Animated Arias’ concert.
Image from the animation for the Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore
Rebekah Diaz, Pittsburgh Opera’s Director of Community Engagement and IDEA Initiatives, explains that the videos “can introduce opera to new audiences who might otherwise feel opera is ‘not for them’ while simultaneously inviting opera aficionados to look at opera in a new lens, explore the magic of animation, and inspire joy at viewing these well-loved pieces in a new context.”
Image from the animation for “Canzonetta sull’aria” from The Marriage of Figaro
Garfield Lemonius, Dean of the Conservatory of Performing Arts and Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh Playhouse, adds “We are committed to showcasing the work of our talented students and proud of the work our students did through this partnership. I encourage everyone to see this incredible work, which highlights how these two art forms intersect.”
Image from the animation for “Tacea la notte placida” from Il Trovatore
As part of the event, the students who created the animated videos will discuss their inspiration and the creative process.
Pittsburgh Playhouse is at 350 Forbes Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh.
Admission is free, but registration is required. Patrons can register online.
