Changing the narrative

 

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

 NPR questions Is Opera Stuff (Only) Rich People Like? How can we, as young professionals, change that narrative?

Should our passion for great art come with the ire of others? The New York Times, in an article discussing a successful year of fundraising at the Metropolitan Opera, received some harsh commentary:

In the comments section, vitriol against the Met donors spewed hot and heavy. "At least some of those sickening Wall Street bonuses are going to good use," wrote one reader. "Sounds like at least a few folks can afford to pay more taxes," groused another. One more sample: "Just as drug money built the Miami skyline, the corrupt nature of New York's financial center will continue to fund the monuments of their success."

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Save the Date: Silent Night Preview Event on October 26

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 6:00 pm

Humphrey School of Public Affairs, 301 19th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55455

Minnesota Opera’s commissioned opera Silent Night tells the story of Christmas Eve in the Great War’s trenches. Preview this work in an evening where all is calm and all is bright: Art and policy intersect as Minnesota Opera and the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs convene a public conversation concerning military policy and dissention. Musical selections presented by composer Kevin Puts and the cast of Silent Night.

Go AWOL with fellow Tempo members in a pre-lecture cocktail hour, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Fill your fatigues with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar before the lecture.

Admission: Free for Tempo members, $5.00 general admission with RSVP; limited seating. $10.00 for everyone at the door.

Call 612-333-6669 to R.s.v.p.

For information visit mnopera.org/tempo.

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10 Questions with MN Opera Intern and Future Tempo Blogger Clark Rahman

Photo by Drew Krason

1. What’s your sign?
Libra

2. Favorite opera?
I will do top three.... That is just a toughie; it is like asking someone's favorite movie!
a. Bizet's Carmen (I am a proud francophile) http://youtu.be/jG-0_p_yefg
b. Stauss' Ariadne Auf Naxos (best memories of my life are in Germany and it is such a vocal delicacy) http://youtu.be/SzM9QOUPeI0
c. Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti for my Scottish roots http://youtu.be/JW5Ol3jNrJI

3. If you could have any other job in the world, what would it be?
I would be Jackie O.

4. What is your favorite dessert?
Pot de creme

5. If you had to describe yourself using three words, what would they be?
Sassy, busy, fulfilled

6. What is your favorite holiday?
Depends on what country I am in.

7. What was your first opera?
It might not count as a full fledged opera, but The Mikado when I was four years old during the Tulip Festival in Iowa. My mom was sure my sister and I would hate every moment but it has always remained one of my favorite childhood memories.

8. If they made a movie of your life, what would it be about and which actor would you want to play you?
It would be sort of a cross between The Red Shoes (1939) and Breathless (1960). Don't care who plays me, as long they are smouldering.

9. Are you a morning or night person?
Night.

10. What’s your favorite thing to do in the winter?
Going on vacation.

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Newlyweds Matt & Chad win Tempo Membership and Subscription

Chad (L) and Matt (R) with Robyne Robinson (C) at Opera Tasting 2011

Newlyweds Matt and Chad won a Tempo membership and a 5-opera subscription to Minnesota Opera at Opera tasting 2011!  To win, Matt concocted a highly creative 3-opera season:

Opera 1:  Sandra Bullock directs Faust on a moving bus that cannot go slower than 60 MPH
Opera 2:  The Octomom directs Don Giovanni - - in the womb.
Opera 3:  Carmen Sandiego directs Carmen, set in historic places around the globe and conducted by Rockapella.

Chad received honorable mention for his...er...sensual...entry:

Opera 1:  Paris Hilton directs The Magic Flute - - with her mouth.
Opera 2:  Bob Barker directs Tosca using a cast of spaded cats.
Opera 3:  Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and Will Smith direct Porgy & Bess set in L. Ron Hubbard's basement.

Who knows?  Maybe Tempo has some new opera impresarios that just joined the ranks?  Good luck producing these operas, and welcome to Tempo, Matt & Chad!

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The Guardian takes on "The Little Pavarotti"

Vittorio Grigolo is no doubt one of the hottest (and Hottest) singers on the international scene right now.  The Guardian chronicles his arrival at opera-stardom.

Vittorio Grigolo: 'Opera is just like boxing or Formula 1. It's dangerous."

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Last Call: Opera Tasting 2011: Pouring out from the Heavens

Photo from OT 2010

Like your Puccini with hints of smoky etherealness, bouquets of strawberry and oak, or aromas of earth and tobacco? Then come and taste your opera while enjoying lashings of wine at Opera Tasting 2011: Pouring out from the Heavens on Saturday, September 17, at Minnesota Opera Center.

What is Opera Tasting chair Megan Pelka most looking forward to?  "I'm definitely psyched for the season preview - while we all know what is being performed it will be fascinating to hear about the details of the production as well as costumes and scenery. And of course, performances from the Minnesota Opera Resident Artists. There are new singers this season and I'm looking forward to hearing their voices and getting to know them!"

A five course wine tasting courtesy of Solo Vino with delicious pairings from Toast Wine Bar & Café accompany your main dish - Minnesota Opera’s Resident Artists - as they swoon you, with a little Italian on the side. Indulge your taste buds on cadenzas, cabalettas, and arias by opera’s greatest composers as you preview Minnesota Opera’s 2011-2012 season. Wear decadent glam to fit in with our theme of Pouring out from the Heavens: Garden Party under the Stars.

Tickets are $50 for Tempo members; $75 for non-members.

Purchase your tickets by calling the Minnesota Opera Ticket Office at 612-333-6669.

Opera Tasting 2011 Sponsors

Food and Beverage Sponsors: Solo Vino, Toast Wine Bar and Café
Media sponsor: l’étoile and CityPages

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Sustain your Passion: Give to MN Opera

As do all young professionals, Tempo members and friends understand the importance of philanthropy.

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." ~Winston Churchill

Minnesota Opera is offering exclusive incentives for Tempo members who become sustaining donors to the Annual Fund.  Sustaining donors provide Minnesota Opera with a reliable revenue stream, which is vital to the company’s current and future success.  Donors receive exclusive benefits and behind-the-scenes experiences (visit mnopera.org/DonorBenefits for a current list of benefits).

Sign up online at mnopera.org/SustainingGiving or call 612-342-9569 to enroll by phone.  Join at the $5 a month level (or a $60 one-time gift) by Friday, September 16, and we will send you one Ordway drink/dessert voucher.  Sign up for $10 or more a month (or a $120+ one-time gift) and you will receive two Ordway drink/dessert vouchers.  These vouchers are in addition to the existing donor benefits, found at the link above. Every gift makes a difference.

Make your life by sustaining your passion.  Give to Minnesota Opera today.  Help continue the programs that make your life rich with music and art.

http://www.mnopera.org/SustainingGiving

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