Welcome to Bel Cantanti, an opera company within the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area devoted to giving performance experience to both seasoned and aspiring professionals. Between the beautiful singing and glorious music, you will find yourself thoroughly captivated.

"Bel Cantanti Opera continues to be one of the best kept musical secrets in the Washington area."

AllArtsreview4u

"The future of opera as fun rather than spectacle or museum piece, lies with such groups as Bel Cantanti Opera."

Washington Post

"Bel Cantanti… reaffirmed the belief that we are living in a golden age of opera and the hope that opera in America has a promising feature. Bel Cantanti … makes the special magic of opera happen.”
Washington Post

“… an absolute delight for opera aficionados and the perfect opportunity for timid newbies to be surprised at just how much fun opera can be.”

Washington Times

"Bel Cantanti Opera has emerged as a great showcase for area talent."

Arlington Weekly News TV

"Bel Cantanti…shows a serious, focused orientation, high ambition and significant potential."

Washington Post

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" Bel Cantanti reminds us that our region's smaller companies are arguably smarter, better stewards of the art form, spending more wisely than the big-budget houses, presenting sturdy, smaller-scaled evenings of opera..."

Tom Huizenga. Washington Post, September 27, 2010

Upcoming Performances of the Season:

AUDITIONS 2019-2020

Auditions for Bel Cantanti Opera's season 2019-2020 on Saturdays, May 25 and June 1, 2019 at the Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, MD.

Verdi's Rigoletto (October 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27, 2019)
Donizetti's Don Pasquale (December 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 2019)
Frances Pollock's Mario and the Magician (March 7, 8, 14, 15, 2020, world premiere)
Rimsky Korsakov's May Night (May 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 2020)

Audition Information

Past Performances:

The Tsar's Bride

An opera by N. Rimsky Korsakov

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Second fully staged performance in US, in Russian with English supertitles. In costume. Accompanied by orchestra.

Marfa Sobakina: Asmik Arutiuniants; Grigory Gryaznoj: Rob McGinness; Lyubasha: Viktoriya Koreneva;
Vasily Sobakin: John Scherch; Ivan Lykov: Michael Butler; Bomelius: Peter Burroughs;
Domna Saburova: Katie Manukyan; Dunyasha: Sofiya Schug, Marie Herrington; Malyuta: Kofi Hayford.

Orfeo ed Euridice

An opera-ballet by C. W. Gluck

orfee

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Orfee : Francesca Aguado; Euridice : Chelsea Lehnea; Amour : Robin Steitz;
Furies, blessed spirits : The Olney Ballet.

Stage Director: Elizabeth Dinkova, Stage Designer: Ksenia Litvak, Choreographer: Runqiao Du, Lighting Designer: Brydon Geisler, Producer and Artistic Director: Katerina Souvorova

Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)

An opera by W. Mozart

nozze

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Figaro: Robert Mellon, Susanna: Emily Tweedy,Count Almaviva: Erik Grendahl, Countess Almaviva: Claire Kuttler, Cherubino: Francesca Aguado; Marcellina: Laura Zahn, Megan Heavner, Don Bartolo: Alex Adam Leytes, Don Basilio, Don Kurzio: Peter Burroughs; Barbarina: Marie Marquis: Antonio: Elliot Matheny.

Stage Director: Jennifer Blades, Stage Designer: Ksenia Litvak,Producer and Artistic Director: Katerina Souvorova

My Beautiful Galatea

An operetta by F. Suppe

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Pygmalion : Max Zander; Galatea : Kelly Curtin; Ganymede : Joseph Baker; Midas: Alex Alburqueque.

Stage Director: Jennifer Blades, Stage Designer: Ksenia Litvak, Choreographers: Runqiao Du, Producer and Artistic Director: Katerina Souvorova

Les Pecheurs de Perles (Pearl Fishers)

An opera in three acts by G. Bizet

leila

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Nadir : Tom Mulder; Leila : Katherine Boyce; Zurga : Kyle Oliver; Nourabad : Antoine Hodge.
The Olney Ballet Theatre. Choreography by Runqiao Du.

Stage Director: Phillip Collister, Stage Designer: Ksenia Litvak, Lighting Designer: Brydon Geisler, Choreographers: Runqiao Du, Producer and Artistic Director: Katerina Souvorova

Taste of Tomorrow. Opera a la Carte

buddha

Concert-preview of Bel Cantanti's 15th season will include the snippets of the future performances of 2018-2019:

C. Bizet's opera Les Pecheurs de Perles (Pearl Fishers), operetta by Franz von Suppe My Beautiful Galatea ,W. Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro , W. Gluck' Orfeo ed Euridice N. Rimsky-Korsakov The Tsar's Bride .

Singers: Katherine Boyce, James C Kil, Rob McGinness, Sarah Hayashi, Erik Grendahl, Francesca Aguado, Katie Manukyan, Laura Zahn, John TK Scherch. The Olney Ballet Theatre. Choreography by Runqiao Du.