Program areas at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
The 2023 festival season included four brand new productions, including a new performing version of scott joplin's treemonisha, with additions by composer damien sneed and librettist karen chilton, puccini's tosca, mozart's cosi fan tutte, and floyd's susannah. In addition, the season featured two concerts, center stage and the road to freedom. The main stage performances featured early career singers in chorus, feature, and principal roles alongside established performers in productions led by world renowned conductors, stage directors, and designers. The st. Louis symphony orchestra accompanies all performances. Sets, props, costumes, and lighting are created locally by professional technicians and craftspeople. The 29 performances saw 21,124 tickets sold, and 2,480 given away as part of the phyllis' seats initiative to bring new people to Opera. Attendees came from across the region, country, and globe.
New works collective is a new program dedicated to expanding the american Opera canon with original, innovative productions that authentically represent stories of our community. The new works collective is a dynamic group of st. louis-based artists, activists, and educators that is tasked with identifying and commissioning works that are relevant and relatable for the broader st. Louis region. In 2023 the collective selected three creative teams from a broad, nation-wide open call. The first cycle of three new works selected by the collective premiered in march 2023 to soldout audiences at coca's catherine b. berges Theatre.
In fiscal year 2023 the education and engagement programs reached more than 72,000 students in 423 schools across 47 states and 5 countries. Programs included: a digital streaming Opera program in private, parochial, and public schools across the world; docent presentations in the community; arts intensive programs in 7 local schools culminating in students creating and performing their own world premiere operas; vocal instruction and coaching for high schools students from local schools culminating in a public recital and scholarship awards; camps for middle and high school age students; and trailblazers in opera-an interactive lesson series spotlighting groundbreaking past and present black Opera singers and composers.