The Park City Opera will host a special holiday celebration at Jordanelle State Park’s Hailstone Event Center from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Monday, March 17.
Taking place on St. Patrick’s Day, Opera on the Jordanelle will feature a program dedicated to Irish music, folk songs and compositions inspired by Irish heritage.
The event will begin with a reception sponsored by Park City Brewing, adding to the traditional flavor of St. Patrick’s day, said Park City Opera Co-founder and Development Director Lisl Wangermann.
While each of the organization’s programs is tailored to its venue, season or holiday, this event marks a unique milestone for the organization, which is approaching its first anniversary this month, as it is the first time they will present a St. Patrick’s Day-themed event.
Founded by Wangermann, Executive Director Lena Goldstein and Artistic Director Benjamin Beckman, the group has brought more than 20 performances to more than a dozen venues across Park City in its first year.
The idea behind the organization is to “bring opera outside of the traditional opera house into venues where people love to be, and to present opera in approachable, fun and accessible ways,” providing people with an opportunity to rediscover a familiar location in a new way said Goldstein.
She said this particular event is an opportunity to reimagine how people engage with the State Park and the Hailstone Event Center at this time of year.
“For anyone who hasn’t been, it’s just stunning. It’s a glass pavilion, and the backdrop is the reservoir, the Jordanelle itself,” Goldstein said, adding that presenting music that reflects both St. Patrick’s Day and the natural beauty of Park City will make for a perfect evening.
The event will feature three singers, including Goldstein, and an accompanying pianist, Beckman. The other two singers will be tenor David Silvano and soprano Clara Hurtado Lee, both Park City residents.
“I’m especially looking forward to performing Samuel Barber’s Hermit Songs, which set 10 poems by ninth through 13th century Irish monks (translated to English),” said Beckman. “It’s incredible how modern and prescient the poetry feels, despite it being a thousand years old, and Barber composes music with so much humor and charm to match.”
Beckman, along with fellow co-founders Wangermann and Goldstein, met while completing their studies at Yale University. The three have been working together since then. Goldstein and Wangermann are both soprano singers, while Beckman brings his expertise as a pianist, composer and conductor.
Wangermann said that, as a young musician passionate about classical music, she is often faced with the misconception that she is in the minority and that appreciation for the classical music genre is limited or that there is little demand for it. However, her contrary beliefs have been reaffirmed over the past year as the Park City community has embraced the organization.
While their performances include some modern repertoire, much of the music they present has been performed for decades or even centuries.
Still she emphasized that by creating engaging and different experiences, it is possible to attract audiences eager to explore and appreciate classical music regardless of their previous experiences with it.
“We’re doing it in a really unique and new way,” she said. “So you might have heard this aria before, but you’ve never heard it like this, and I think that that’s been a really fun part of what we have done.”
Wangermann, who is 50% Irish, shows a special excitement for the upcoming event as she takes great pride in her heritage and is excited for the opportunity to honor her background.
“Having pride in your roots is something that I feel strongly in my soul, and I’m really excited to translate that into a program of classical music,” said Wangermann. “I see it happen with other groups and other identities, but this is maybe one of the first times that Irish music has been presented, and this holiday has been celebrated through classical music. It’s a really unique way of celebrating St Patrick’s Day.”
The group has found music to be an incredible way to connect with different cultures and with different identities within the Park City community, all of which is part of their work, said Goldstein.
“For me, the most rewarding work that we’ve done is embark on a journey that’s additive to the vibrant cultural scene that already exists in Park City,” she said. “When you’re working with organizations that already contribute so much to the arts ecosystem, it’s easier to do right by the community and to design a product for the Park City community.”
The group shares a sense of pride for what they have accomplished so far and looks forward to the future with a steady determination.
“We’re really interested in what people want and what people think and their feedback, and bringing opera to places that are important to them, and so building with a community-centered approach, I think, is what I’m most proud of over the past year,” Goldstein added.
Park City Opera invites the entire community to come together and experience classical music, welcoming both newcomers exploring opera for the first time and longtime enthusiasts who have made it a lifelong tradition.
Goldstein emphasized their programs are designed to create an experience that is meaningful for everyone, regardless of their familiarity with classical music.
“We believe there’s something in classical singing and classical music for everybody, and our programming intends to encapsulate that,” she said.
Tickets for the event are available on the Park City Opera website, with general admission priced at $30 and premium seating at $55. Attendees will also receive free entry to Jordanelle State Park.
Park City Opera: Opera on the Jordanelle
- When: 7 p.m., March 17
- Where: Hailstone Event Center
- Tickets: givebutter.com/pcojordanelle
- Web: parkcityopera.org