The Opera Festival of Chicago presents world-class standard productions of Italian opera masterpieces in Chicago that rarely grace the stage in the United States. In doing so we aspire to: generate an inquisitive operatic appetite within Chicago audiences; make our work – and its cultural context – accessible to a wide audience; provide a stimulating and inspirational environment of Italian opera for artists and audiences alike; provide a vital opportunity for young artists entering the profession to uphold the high integrity and demands of Italian opera with artists and musicians who are established professionals; and to highlight and celebrate the immense talent that has originated from the Chicagoland area.
Mission
To present world-class standard productions of Italian opera masterpieces in Chicago that rarely grace the stage in the United States. In doing so we aspire to: generate an inquisitive operatic appetite within Chicago audiences; make our work – and its cultural context – accessible to a wide audience; provide a stimulating and inspirational environment of Italian opera for artists and audiences alike; provide a vital opportunity for young artists entering the profession to uphold the high integrity and demands of Italian opera with artists and musicians who are established professionals; and to highlight and celebrate the immense talent that has originated from the Chicagoland area.
Vision
The Opera Festival of Chicago has been founded to fill a void within the city’s current operatic climate and celebrate the rich operatic heritage, culture and lifestyle of the country that it germinated from. The Festival will amalgamate the atmosphere and artistry of the operatic festivals of Spoleto, Pesaro, Verona and Festival Puccini and deigns to become America’s go-to hub for world class Italian Opera performances.
Founding Members
Emanuele Andrizzi, Music Director
Franco Pomponi, Festival President
Ella Marchment, Artistic Director
Tim Corpus, Marketing & Operations Director
Thank you to our sponsors
