Opera Ball Gala.....Where Fashion Meets Opera
Get ready for one of the most exciting events in Central Illinois in 2023! MIOpera’s Opera Gala will take you on a fantastical journey of the hits of opera combined with a runaway fashion show that will blow you away! Local designers and the In-Stitches Sewing Studio partner with MIOpera to bring you the show of the fall that everyone will be talking about!
MIOpera: A TOUCH OF OPERA AT THE CULTURAL FEST
A Touch of Opera!
MIOpera will be performing at the Cultural Fest in Bloomington on August 12 @ 2:00pm!! Join us as the MIOpera Vocal Ensemble performs the greatest hits of opera!!
Artists: Adriana Martinez, Krisyn Szwajka, Casey Nabors, Sidney Megeff, Rachel Cremer, Olivia Schickel, Macauley Allen, Matthew Mancillas, Dr. Dennis Gotkowski
The Pirates of Penzance
Set sail with MIOpera as it opens its 2023 Season in its new home venue at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts (BCPA) with the hilarious and witty comedy: The Pirates of Penzance!
The Pirates of Penzance
Set sail with MIOpera as it opens its 2023 Season in its new home venue at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts (BCPA) with the hilarious and witty comedy: The Pirates of Penzance!
MIOpera performs at Make Music Normal: North Street Stage
MIOpera is looking forward to being a part of this music festival again!! Come out and hear your favorite opera and musical theater gems sung by professional voices!!! Then later that evening see and hear them onstage at the BCPA in Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance!!
Ticket link: https://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/57842
The Pirates of Penzance
Set sail with MIOpera as it opens its 2023 Season in its new home venue at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts (BCPA) with the hilarious and witty comedy: The Pirates of Penzance!
MIOpera at Bobzbay Books (Pirates of Penzance Event)
Bobzbay Books is excited to host the cast & crew members that are part of vibrant MIOpera productions for a short performance from their upcoming June show of "Pirates of Penzance". A photo op will be available after the performance. Like nearly all of our events, this is a free event open to the public!
MIOpera Ribbon Cutting and Reception @ the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts (BCPA)
Join MIOpera, The McLean County Chamber of Commerce and the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts (BCPA) as we celebrate MIOpera's new home venue for its 2023 Season!
Ribbon cutting will take place in the lobby of the BCPA @4:30pm with a reception to follow from 5:00pm to 6:00pm! Reception includes live performances and light refreshments!
Join us!
Music at the Manor: Nicole Heinen, soprano in recital
Join us for an amazing evening of Opera and art song presented by our inaugural 2023 Mary Ellen Clancy Memorial Scholarship Winner! This scholarship is given in partnership through the MIOpera International Vocal Competition and the Opera Illinois League to honor Mary Ellen Clancy's legacy of helping emerging artists through the founding of the Opera Illinois League.
Friends of MIOpera: Paint Nite: A Night at the Opera
The Original Paint Nite: Unleash your inner artist while listening to opera's greatest hits!
$35.00 per person (all supplies, finger foods and non-alcoholic drinks included)
Bring your friends!
Come join original artist, Becky, at Normal First Methodist Church for a fun and creative Paint Nite event AND FUNDRAISER! Unleash your inner artist with step-by-step instructions as she helps you create your own masterpiece. Enjoy a night of creativity, laughter, and bonding with friends or family as you paint your own unique work of art. All supplies are provided, so come prepared to have a great time!
Music at the Manor presents Dueling Divos!
Join us for an evening of amazing tenor & baritone duets from Opera, Operetta and Broadway!
Brunch at Biaggi's with MIOpera
Brunch at Biaggi’s with MIOpera
An Afternoon Gala and Fundraiser
Date: Sunday March 26, 2023
Time: 12:00pm to 3:00pm
Location: Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano
Address: 3010 E Empire St, Bloomington, IL 61704
Tickets: $75.00 per person/ $150.00 per couple
Passion. Music. Food
Join MIOpera as we take you on a tour of Italian Opera!
Be surrounded by the stunning vocal artists of MIOpera as you savor the amazing menu hand picked by Biaggi’s for you to enjoy! It will be a feast for all your senses!
Activities: Silent Auction and Raffle for Prizes and full performance of Italian Opera’s Greatest Hits!
The performance will be sung in Italian with English supertitles!
Music at the Manor presents Stephanie Tokarz, soprano and Patrick Conklin, tenor
Stephanie Tokarz, soprano
Patrick Conklin, tenor
Join us for an amazing recital featuring the vocal talents and fireworks of Stephanie Tokarz, soprano and Patrick Conklin, tenor!
Soprano Stephanie Tokarz is excited to be returning to MIOpera after her debut with the company last summer as Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music. She is especially looking forward to sharing her love of song in recital! Stephanie holds a Performance Diploma from Indiana University, Master of Music from Bowling Green State University and a Bachelor of Music from Indiana University. Past roles include Madame Lidoine in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Princess Ida in Princess Ida, and Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas; in recent years Stephanie has enjoyed working with the IU Opera, and Toledo Opera Choruses. Stephanie currently lives in Bloomington, IN with her husband and three cats.
Tenor Patrick Conklin hails from Collins Ohio where he spent his early years singing with the Oberlin Choristers, with whom he had many opportunities to sing with groups such as the Cleveland Opera, and Apollo’s Fire Baroque Orchestra. Patrick received his Bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green Ohio. During his time at Bowling Green, he performed several leading roles such as Hyllus in G.F. Handel’s Hercules, Basilio in Mozart’s the Marriage of Figaro, and Camille, Count de Rosillion in Franz Lehar’s the Merry Widow. Patrick is now pursuing his Master’s degree at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where he has performed the roles of Scaramuccio in Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, and Count Almaviva in Giaccomo Rossini’s the Barber of Seville. Patrick has also performed the role of Tamino in Mozart’s the Magic Flute as a Young Artist at Opera Steamboat. Recently, Patrick performed the role of St. Nicolas in Benjamin Britten’s St. Nicolas cantata and sang the tenor solos from George Fredric Handel’s Messiah with Maestro James Kallembach. In his free time Patrick enjoys hanging out with his wife Stephanie and cats, woodworking, and cooking.
Friends of MIOpera: Aria Circle Kick-Off Event and Meeting!
Friends of MIOpera: Aria Circle Kick-Off Meeting and Event
Date: Monday February 20, 2023
Time: 1:00PM to 2:30PM
Location: The Creativity Center: 107 E Chestnut St, Bloomington, IL 61701
Light Refreshments Served
Selections from MIOpera's La Traviata: the motion picture will be showcased as our entertainment!
Join Tracy Koch, MIOpera's Artistic Director and Elaine Cousins, MIOpera Board Member and Aria Circle Coordinator as we host a kick-off meeting for the Aria Circle Volunteers, Donors and Members! Meet other Aria Circle members as we discuss ways to help and support MIOpera! Learn more about MIOpera's plans for the 2022-2023 season, upcoming exclusive Aria Circe Events and about our Fundraising Gala: Brunch at Biaggi's!! Meet a variety of unique, fun and artistic people who are a part of our circle, people who just love the arts especially Opera and Musical Theater!
See how YOU can best use your talents to help MIOpera grow and thrive in the future, while experiencing the amazing programming, music and drama that MIOpera has to offer!
RSVP Contact: Tracy Koch by phone 309-838-9011 (Text or Leave Message), or email mioperaoffice@gmail.com
More amazing Aria Circle Events to be announced soon!!
Illinois Symphony Orchestra Scintillating Shakespeare with MIOpera Partnership
Scintillating Shakespeare with MIOpera Partnership
The stage is set for an evening of romance and drama, as the classic works of Shakespeare come to life in music and song. If music be the food of love, then play on! From the glitz of Korngold’s Much Ado About Nothing to the glamor of Bernstein's West Side Story, from the lyrical opulence of Verdi to the blood-soaked beauty of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, this concert is sure to set pulses racing and get you in the Valentine’s Day mood. Come and join the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, as well as soprano Madison King and tenor Carl Rosenthal of MIOpera, for Scintillating Shakespeare!
Jacobsen Woollen, Conductor
MIOpera Collaboration | Madison King, Soprano | Carl Rosenthal, Tenor
Korngold Much Ado About Nothing Suite – Gounod Selections from Romeo & Juliette – Bernstein Selections from West Side Story – Verdi Selections from Macbeth, Otello, Falstaff – Tchaikovsky Romeo & Juliet Fantasy-Overture
Concert Comments at 6:30 PM in the hall hosted by Laura Kennedy in Bloomington-Normal.
Tickets: $63 / $42 / $21
Students (Age 12-24 with ID): $10
Students (11 & Under): $5
or
Use the QR code below.
Bloomington-Normal
Saturday, February 11, 2023 @ 7:30 PM
ISU Center for the Performing Arts, Normal, IL
MIOpera Community Partnership
We are excited to host MIOpera as a community partner at this upcoming concert. As a community partner, MIOpera patrons can purchase full-price tickets, at any price level, using the code MIOpera. The opportunity will help MIOpera build awareness within the community AND will receive 50% of the ticket sales, less ticket office fees, to further support the mission of MIOpera.
Order Today!
Tickets may be purchased online, in person, or by phone through the Center for the Performing Arts ticket office at Illinois State University. When ordering, reference CODE MIOpera.
Music at the Manor presents An Evening with the MIOpera Vocal Ensemble
MIOpera’s Music at the Manor Series Returns!
Join the MIOpera Vocal Ensemble as they entertain you with Opera’s Greatest Hits! Get to know MIOpera’s Resident Artists and enjoy the splendor, history and beauty of Ewing Manor.
An Evening with the MIOpera Vocal Ensemble
Dr. Dennis Gotkowski, tenor & pianist
Dr. Adriana Martinez, soprano
Kristyn Szwajka, soprano
Rachel Cremer, mezzo soprano
Macauley Allen, tenor
Matthew Mancillas, baritone
Program
Three Operatic Highlights
-La donna è mobile from Rigoletto
-O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi
-Toréador from Carmen
Chacun à son gout from Die Fledermaus
Vedrai carino from Don Giovanni
Una furtiva lagrima from L’elisir d’amore
Bella siccome un angelo from Don Pasquale
Chi’ il bel sogno from La Rondine
Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffmann
Il mio tesoro from Don Giovanni
Si, mi chiamano Mimì from La bohème
Di provenza il mar from La Traviata
Nessun dorma from Turandot
The Music of the Night from The Phantom of the Opera
Christkindl Holiday Market @ Desthil Brewery and Beer Hall
MIOpera Carolers will be caroling at this event from 12:00pm to 1:30pm on both days of this event! Shop, listen and celebrate!
Details
We crave authentic goods, and we know you do too! So, experience the unique opportunity to meet the makers and see where your goods come from.
Inspired by the German market, our Christkindl Holiday Makers Market will celebrate the season and feature live music. You'll find high-quality gifts, fantastic food & beverage, and handmade products that honor the ideals of American craftsmanship & ingenuity - where wood, clay, glass, textiles, leather, and metal are transformed into timeless treasures. In addition, you'll find products that are sustainably sourced or made - whether reclaimed, recycled, up-cycled, or produced with ethically sourced materials.
This two-day indoor market will showcase handcrafted goods from a variety of local artisans & craftspeople in several areas of our brewery & beer hall. Find something unique for yourself, or give it as a gift!
CONFIRMED VENDORS:
Wild Moon Boho
Bee Glass Art
Cedar & Scotch
Backroad Boards & Co.
The Flower Café
Saturday Morning Tea Co.
When Bead Met Wire
Drop Into Health
The Grumpy Grizzly
Perfectly Imperfect Resinart
Hollbrook Handcrafts
Lisa FH Hinshaw Art Studio
Vandana Bajikar Art
Tangled by Vanessa
The Swift Arrow
Strawberry Void
Timber Wolf Designs
Nai Nai's Sweets
S.M. Smith Woodworking
Christkindl Holiday Market @ Desthil Brewery and Beer Hall
MIOpera Carolers will be caroling at this event from 12:00pm to 1:30pm on both days of this event! Shop, listen and celebrate!
Details
We crave authentic goods, and we know you do too! So, experience the unique opportunity to meet the makers and see where your goods come from.
Inspired by the German market, our Christkindl Holiday Makers Market will celebrate the season and feature live music. You'll find high-quality gifts, fantastic food & beverage, and handmade products that honor the ideals of American craftsmanship & ingenuity - where wood, clay, glass, textiles, leather, and metal are transformed into timeless treasures. In addition, you'll find products that are sustainably sourced or made - whether reclaimed, recycled, up-cycled, or produced with ethically sourced materials.
This two-day indoor market will showcase handcrafted goods from a variety of local artisans & craftspeople in several areas of our brewery & beer hall. Find something unique for yourself, or give it as a gift!
CONFIRMED VENDORS:
Wild Moon Boho
Bee Glass Art
Cedar & Scotch
Backroad Boards & Co.
The Flower Café
Saturday Morning Tea Co.
When Bead Met Wire
Drop Into Health
The Grumpy Grizzly
Perfectly Imperfect Resinart
Hollbrook Handcrafts
Lisa FH Hinshaw Art Studio
Vandana Bajikar Art
Tangled by Vanessa
The Swift Arrow
Strawberry Void
Timber Wolf Designs
Nai Nai's Sweets
S.M. Smith Woodworking
Caroling at Broadview Mansion
Tour one of Bloomington-Normal's amazing historical homes filled with stunning decorations and history while enjoying the beautiful voices of the MIOpera Carolers!
Happy Holidays!
Carols, Cookies and Cocoa at Green Top Grocery!
Free Cookies and Cocoa will be served while you enjoy the amazing voices of the MIOpera Carolers!
A raffle will be held for a "Green Top Co-op gift basket" that is valued at $150.00!
Join us for this amazing holiday event, who knows even the "big man" himself will make an appearance!
Happy Holidays!
2022 MIOpera International Vocal Competition Finals and Winners Concert
2022 MIOpera International Vocal Competition Finals and Winner’s Concert!
2022 MIOpera International Vocal Competition Semifinals
2022 MIOpera International Vocal Competition Semifinals
Bizet's Carmen
The most popular opera of all time! All are obsessed with Carmen, the captivating and sensual gypsy, except for repressed corporal Don José. He has received a letter from his mother via Micaëla, a woman from his hometown, urging that he return home and marry Micaëla. However, when Carmen is arrested for a street fight, José is ordered to guard Carmen. She gives him a private dance and he is captivated…Carmen asks José to prove his love by running away with her – he refuses, but when jealousy over Carmen causes him to attack a senior officer, José is left with no choice but to desert his post. The pair become involved in smuggling, but by now, Carmen has grown tired of his possessiveness and turned instead to the swaggering Escamillo. But can see into the future that José’s and her fates are sealed…..
CAST TBA Maestro Timothy Semanik, conductor Tracy Marie Koch, stage director
Bizet's Carmen
The most popular opera of all time! All are obsessed with Carmen, the captivating and sensual gypsy, except for repressed corporal Don José. He has received a letter from his mother via Micaëla, a woman from his hometown, urging that he return home and marry Micaëla. However, when Carmen is arrested for a street fight, José is ordered to guard Carmen. She gives him a private dance and he is captivated…Carmen asks José to prove his love by running away with her – he refuses, but when jealousy over Carmen causes him to attack a senior officer, José is left with no choice but to desert his post. The pair become involved in smuggling, but by now, Carmen has grown tired of his possessiveness and turned instead to the swaggering Escamillo. But can see into the future that José’s and her fates are sealed…..
CAST TBA Maestro Timothy Semanik, conductor Tracy Marie Koch, stage director
Bizet's Carmen
The most popular opera of all time! All are obsessed with Carmen, the captivating and sensual gypsy, except for repressed corporal Don José. He has received a letter from his mother via Micaëla, a woman from his hometown, urging that he return home and marry Micaëla. However, when Carmen is arrested for a street fight, José is ordered to guard Carmen. She gives him a private dance and he is captivated…Carmen asks José to prove his love by running away with her – he refuses, but when jealousy over Carmen causes him to attack a senior officer, José is left with no choice but to desert his post. The pair become involved in smuggling, but by now, Carmen has grown tired of his possessiveness and turned instead to the swaggering Escamillo. But can see into the future that José’s and her fates are sealed…..
Bizet's Carmen
The most popular opera of all time! All are obsessed with Carmen, the captivating and sensual gypsy, except for repressed corporal Don José. He has received a letter from his mother via Micaëla, a woman from his hometown, urging that he return home and marry Micaëla. However, when Carmen is arrested for a street fight, José is ordered to guard Carmen. She gives him a private dance and he is captivated…Carmen asks José to prove his love by running away with her – he refuses, but when jealousy over Carmen causes him to attack a senior officer, José is left with no choice but to desert his post. The pair become involved in smuggling, but by now, Carmen has grown tired of his possessiveness and turned instead to the swaggering Escamillo. But can see into the future that José’s and her fates are sealed…..
The Sound of Music
A tuneful, heartwarming story based on the real-life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world's best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. Maria, the tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children and brings a new love of life and music into their home and lives.
The Sound of Music
A tuneful, heartwarming story based on the real-life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world's best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. Maria, the tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children and brings a new love of life and music into their home and lives.