Pittsburgh Opera, Inc.

Pittsburgh Opera enriches Pittsburgh and the tri-state area, and draws national and international attention to the region by: creating live opera at the highest standards of artistic excellence;making opera intellectually and financially accessible to a diverse audience;developing young American singers into tomorrow's artists; ensuring the future through responsible fiscal management.

Headlined by the world premiere of THE SUMMER KING, an opera inspired by a unique Pittsburgh story, Pittsburgh Opera's 2016-17 productions showcase diverse musical and dramatic styles, present visually compelling productions, and feature world-renowned casts, including several debut performances by highly-in-demand artists. Highlights of the 2016-17 season include: Verdi's LA TRAVIATA - an intimate drama that explores the grand themes of women's role and position in the society with heart wrenching melodies; Strauss's SALOME - an intense biblical drama that helped reinforce the composer's reputation as "the greatest genius of the age"; Resident Artist regional premieres of Handel's RICHARD THE LIONHEART (in only its second United States performances) and Laura Kaminsky's 2014 opera AS ONE highlight the broad range of artistic experiences Pittsburgh Opera offers our audiences; Puccini's TURANDOT features the spectacular Barbe-Doucet production that Pittsburgh Opera premiered five years ago. For the final production of the season, Pittsburgh Opera presents Daniel Sonenberg's THE SUMMER KING as the company's first-ever world premiere. THE SUMMER KING tells a poignant story of the life and early death of the legendary Negro Leagues baseball player Josh Gibson, a Pittsburgh native widely known as the "Black Babe Ruth." A player for the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords in the 1930s and 1940s, Josh Gibson was arguably among the very best catchers and power hitters in the history of any league. Reexamining the personal trials and triumphs of one of Pittsburgh's greatest athletes against the backdrop of the racial divide in America's favorite pastime, THE SUMMER KING invites a renewed consideration of civil rights and social justice in our own community and beyond. Pittsburgh Opera will bring renewed vitality to opera and the arts as a cultural and social catalyst capable of weaving together challenges and trials of the past with dreams and aspirations of the future to challenge, inspire, and transform the audiences of the present.