Bellissima Opera is a non-profit opera company based in Oak Park, Illinois. It was founded in 2006 by Christine Steyer, Paul Geiger and Franco Martorana.
Contents
History
Founded in 2006 as Bellissima Opera Productions, the organization changed to Bellissima Opera LLC in 2009 and was incorporated as the non-profit Bellissima Opera in 2010. Over that time the company has given dozens of concerts and produced and performed in abridged versions of La Traviata and Madame Butterfly. In 2008 the company, in partnership with Sounds True, recorded a CD of sacred music entitled Caroline Myss’ "Voices of the Sacred". In 2014, it produced a concert called “The Music of the Universe” that combined voice, violin, Hawaiian dance and images, and featured a new vocal work for soprano by David Shenton set to a poem by Charlie Rossiter.
Artists
The founders of Bellissima Opera are often the company’s core performers. The company has also featured singers Partick Blackwell, Dominique Frigo, Ryan de Ryke, Marta Kasten and pianists Eugenia Chang, Anatoliy Torchinskiy, Jeff Panko and Marta Johnson. Others include violinist Chris Nemeth, dancers Fujima Shunojo, Fujima Yoshinojo and June Tanoue, artist David Robbins and directors Carl Ratner and Beaumont Glass. The company has also commissioned arrangements and new works from Ed Zelnis, Stuart Leitch, Daniel Vines and David Shenton.
Members of the Board of Bellissima Opera
Christine Steyer, Artistic Director and Chairman
Paul Geiger, Managing Director
Franco Martorana, Managing Director
Kimberly Zuehlke, Treasurer
Jan Sodaro, Secretary
Bellissima Opera Outreach
In 2009, the company created Bellissima Opera Outreach which has since presented age-appropriate classical vocal concerts for 19,600 schoolchildren ages K -12 in three states. The presentations are designed to introduce the children to a variety of vocal music produced without the need for amplification.
The Transcendence Triptych
Bellissima Opera is currently creating The Transcendence Triptych, three short operas that examine racial issues.
Performances by year
2006:
La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, the Village Players Theatre, Oak Park, Illinois, May, 2006.
2007:
Madame Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini, the Village Players Theatre, Oak Park, Illinois, June, 2007.
2008:
La Traviata by Verdi, the New Buffalo Performing Arts Center, New Buffalo, Michigan, July 26, 2008.
Caroline Myss' Voices of the Sacred, songs of the world's most famous and beloved sacred music, recorded in partnership with Sounds True©. The CD release concert was held at Unity Temple, Oak Park, Illinois, Sept. 6, 2008.
2009:
“The World’s Greatest Arias” a concert including songs from La Traviata, Madame Butterfly, La Boheme and The Merry Widow, the Beverly Arts Center, Chicago, Illinois, Nov. 21, 2009.
2010:
“A Night of Opera and Song," including songs of Tosti, Tchaikovsky, and Donizetti, as well as traditional Japanese dance and the world premiere of a song by composer Daniel Vines, Unity Temple, Oak Park, Illinois, Aug. 5, 2010.
2011:
La Traviata, Opera Up Close,The Center for Performing Arts, Governors State University, University Park, Illinois, Mar. 27, 2011.
2013:
“Celebrate Earth Day” with Bellissima Opera, Munch Restaurant, Oak Park, Illinois, Apr. 22, 2013.
2014:
“Music of the Universe,” a multimedia concert in voice, violin, dance and imagery. The concert featured an original commission by composer David Shenton, who composed a song to the poem "Music of the Universe" by Charlie Rossiter, at Unity Temple, Oak Park, Illinois, Jun. 1, 2014.