Portland Opera Presents 2019 Big Night Concert

Portland Opera is thrilled to present the company's annual Big Night concert on May 11, 2019 at the Keller Auditorium. Music Director George Manahan will lead the Portland Opera chorus, orchestra, resident artists, and guest soloists in an evening of some of the most beautiful music ever composed, with works by Verdi, Bizet, Mozart, and more. General Director Christopher Mattaliano will host the evening's program, which will feature a special reveal of the company's 2019/20 season.

"We are delighted to continue our annual Big Night concert tradition," says General Director Christopher Mattaliano. "We love the opportunity to put the spotlight on our fantastic orchestra and chorus and pay homage to the greatest works in opera."

This year's Big Night concert will feature Portland-based soprano Vanessa Isiguen, who was last seen on the Portland Opera stage in the 2018 Big Night concert; mezzo-soprano Aleksandra Romano, who returns to the stage after her 2016 company debut as Isabella in The Italian Girl in Algiers; tenor and former Portland Opera Resident Artist Matthew Grills, who performed the role of Nemorino in the company's 2015 production of The Elixir of Love; and baritone John Moore, who made his Portland Opera debut in 2016 as Papageno in The Magic Flute. The Big Night concert will also feature the company's 2018/19 Resident Artists: soprano Helen Huang, mezzo-soprano Camille Sherman, tenor Thomas Cilluffo, and baritone Geoffrey Schellenberg. The performance will be sung in numerous languages, with English captions projected above the stage. There will be no intermission.

Sponsors for the 2019 Big Night concert include Artslandia and Winderlea Vineyard and Winery. Portland Opera appreciates the ongoing support of Meyer Memorial Trust, The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts - Art Works, The Oregon Arts Commission, and the Regional Arts and Culture Council.

Tickets for Big Night are on sale now, starting at $35. Portland Opera is a proud participant in Arts for All-providing $5 tickets for Oregon Trail Card holders. We also celebrate supporters of the Arts Impact Fund by offering special discounts through the Arts Card program. For more information, and to purchase tickets visit http://www.portlandopera.org/big-night/ or call Patron Services at 503-241-1802. For more information, patrons may also contact the Opera Concierge at concierge@portlandopera.org.

A limited number of rush tickets (for seniors, students, and United States Armed Forces personnel and their families) are available. Student rush tickets are available online on the Monday before the performance. Call 503-241-1802 for more information.

Portland Opera exists to inspire, challenge, and uplift our audiences by creating productions of high artistic quality that celebrate the beauty and breadth of opera. The company produces both classic and contemporary opera, which are performed in the Keller Auditorium, Newmark Theatre, and the Gregory K. and Mary Chomenko Hinckley Studio Theatre at the Hampton Opera Center. All performances are sung in the original language with English surtitles projected above the stage.

Portland Opera's 2018/19 season features Verdi's La Traviata, Laura Kaminsky's As One, the annual Big Night concert, Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Mozart's La Finta Giardiniera, and Philip Glass's In the Penal Colony. The company is also a committed educational partner, touring 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.