Spotlight Events
Get Closer to the Music
Spotlight Events are your backstage pass to the opera world — curated conversations, pop-up performances, and one-night-only experiences.
These events are always evolving, so check back for new moments to connect, celebrate, and explore the art beyond the mainstage.
Mark Your Calendar
Tap or click a date to learn more about each Spotlight event.
Opera in the Atrium
Join Anchorage Opera as we pop up in the Anchorage Museum atrium for free performances as part of the First Friday festivities.
For opera newbies and afficionados alike, it’s great fun – and good for the whole family!
Drop by for a few minutes or get there early and get a seat so you can take in the whole program!
Friday, September 5, 7:15 PM
Friday, March 6, 7:15 PM
The B-Side: Lesser-known favorites from our favorite composers
Sunday, September 7, 3-5 PM
Akela Space, 320 W. 6th Ave, #132F, Anchorage
Verdi, Puccini, Menotti, Humperdinck… they all wrote hummable earworms that have entered our collective consciousness. But they also wrote many gems that never truly saw the limelight.
Explore the stunning variety of songs, arias, scenes, and ditties, performed by participants in the Alaska Artist Development Program and other guest artists. Susan Wingrove-Reed is at the keyboard and Italianissimo snacks will be served, along with wine and beer.
Take One: The Medium|Gianni Schicchi
Sunday, October 26, 4:00 – 6:30 PM
Home of Brian Chen and Tim Pearson on the Anchorage Hillside
Savor a buffet of surprise flavors as we celebrate two operas with surprise endings. You’ll take in a breathtaking concert while mingling with the stars of the show and hearing all the juicy details!
Lights! Camera! Opera!
Hansel & Gretel
Saturday, December 13, 2:00 PM
Wilda Marston Theatre at the Anchorage Public Library (Z.J. Loussac Library)
3600 Denali St, Anchorage, AK 99503
Music by Engelbert Humperdinck
English translation by Ben Robinson
Parlando Singing Shakespeare
Sunday, December 14, 3-5 PM
Home of Brian Chen and Tim Pearson, on the Anchorage Hillside
William Shakespeare inspired many an opera and we are diving into the very best musical scenes from the Bard, from Falstaff, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, and more.
And you’ll get to hear the original scenes that inspired their operatic counterparts, too! Naturally, there will be an English tea party, wine, and beer.
Take One: Bound
Sunday, January 25, 4:00 – 6:30 PM
Home of Brian Chen and Tim Pearson, on the Anchorage Hillside
Explore the heart-wrenching true story of Bound while experience its fascinating music, all with a bold Vietnamese-inspired buffet.
Take One: Aida
Sunday, March 15, 4:00 – 6:30 PM
Home of Brian Chen and Tim Pearson, on the Anchorage Hillside
Take in a preview of the grandest of grand operas in a most intimate setting, alongside a buffet of Egyptian and Ethiopian delicacies.
A Singer’s Singer: Biography in Music of Winnaretta Singer, a Complicated, Fabulous Patron of the Arts
Sunday, June 28, 3-5 PM
Alaska Botanical Garden
Winnaretta Singer was many things: an heiress to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune, a princess by marriage, a lesbian, a muse, and one of the great arts patrons of all time.
With the likes of Fauré, Debussy, and Cole Porter in her circle, she lived a grand, out-of-this-world life – and every detail of her story will be rendered through the music she inspired. Presented in partnership with Lyric Fest, Philadelphia’s critically acclaimed art song series. Served with a side of French delicacies, wine, and beer.