History
In its 40-year history, Pittsburgh Festival Opera has presented more than 50 rare regional premieres and 28 world premieres. Over summer seasons since 2012, PFO has drawn more than 50,000 people to operas sung in English, musicals, new works and recitals. Its 150 performers include top national singers and rising stars from its Young Professional Artists Program. Jonathan Eaton has served as PFO Artistic and General Director since 1999. Notable productions: Weill's Lost in the Stars conducted by Julius Rudel; a historic revival of Duke Ellington's Beggar's Holiday; and Shining Brow at Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic Fallingwater. His 40 or more staged productions include Wagner's complete Ring Cycle in Jonathan Dove's reduced orchestration with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and at Long Beach Opera. Company founder mezzo-soprano Mildred Miller Posvar, a featured Metropolitan Opera artist for 23 consecutive seasons, appeared with every major US and European opera houses.
Specialties
Pittsburgh Festival Opera (PFO) presents innovative opera, producing American works, reinterpretations of older works, and new works, for the widest possible audience. Opera Theater focuses on diversity in programming and casting, on crossing boundaries and bringing together talents from all the arts, on encouraging new talent, and on broadening audiences through outreach and education, to create a body of work that is original, entertaining, contemporary and relevant. Summer season now at Winchester Thurston School, 555 Morewood Ave., Pittsburgh 15213. Touring and special events take place at varied venues around the region. See web site for details.
