Summer Opera Festivals 2016 

It may not feel quite like summer yet here in Chicago, but I thought I’d alert you to several classical, pop and opera music festivals for your enjoyment this summer in case you’re planning your vacations.
 
Our first stop is the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown, NY, one of the oldest festivals in the US. Around since 1975, Glimmerglass has been dazzling classical buffs and music lovers with their wonderful staged productions. Composed of several stages, Glimmerglass has something for everyone. On the main stage this season are La Boheme,  Sweeney Todd, The Thieving Magpie, and The Crucible, just to name a few. Go to www.glimmerglass.org for more details.
 
If your plans are to head a bit further north up the east coast, there is Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Tanglewood is hosting a wide range of acts from cellist Yo Yo Ma to Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys to country great Dolly Parton. Tanglewood has been in existence since 1934. Go to www.bso.org/brands/tanglewood for more details of their summer series.
 
Let’s head out west now to Santa Fe Opera’s summer series. Every July and August since 1957, opera lovers have been drawn to the magnificent northern New Mexico mountains to enjoy productions by one of the premier opera companies in the US. This summer the festival includes classics such as Don Giovanni, Romeo and Juliet, Capriccio, La Fanciulla del West and Vanessa. Don’t miss out on visiting this gorgeous venue made of adobe, which blends so beautifully with its natural landscape. Go to www.santafeopera.org
 
Of, course, I’d be remiss if I did not include our own Ravinia Music Festival, on the north shore, in Highland Park, IL. This is the summer home for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Still standing tall, since 1904, Ravinia Festival started as an amusement park to draw people to this area north of Chicago. People from all over Chicagoland and beyond come out to relax, soak in the great weather, feel the comfortable Lake Michigan breezes, and hear fine music from diverse acts. This summer brings performers such as the Julliard String Quartet, Chanticleer, rocker Chris Cornell and James Levine will conduct a concert with the Symphony Orchestra. I assure you, it’s a wonderful experience. Go to www.ravinia.org for a complete calendar of summer festivities.
 
And last, but certainly not least, Third Eye Theatre Ensemble will be a part of the wonderful late summer festival, The Chicago Fringe Festival. Running August 31st –September 11th, theater lovers will be flocking to the northwest side neighborhood of Jefferson Park to see 50 different acts perform in various venues in that area. There’ll be roughly 200 performances over the span of the festival and Third Eye will have 3 performances of the comedic opera, The Filthy Habit by Peter Hilliard and local librettist Matt Boresi. More details to come as we receive more information. Please keep up with Third Eye at www.thirdeyete.com. Come out and see us this summer!

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