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Press Releases
Finger Lakes Opera's Summer Festival Presents July Events
Rochester, NY - Finger Lakes Opera’s (FLO) Summer Festival continues in July with four programs including a movie screening, two happy hour events, and the first of two fully staged operas.
Summer Festival July Schedule
The 2022 Searchlight movie Chevalier, depicts the challenges Anonymous Lover composer,Joseph Bologne, faced as a Black composer in 18th Century, European society. Following the movie, WXXI’s Mona Seghatoleslami and Associate Dean of Equity & Inclusion at the Eastman School of Music Dr. Crystal Sellers Battle, will co-moderate a panel including FLO Artistic Director Stephanie Havey, Dr. Julia Hamilton-Touey of Ithaca College, and Jonathan Pierce Rhodes, who will sing the title role The Anonymous Lover.
“The Anonymous Lover is Bologne’s only complete, surviving opera,” FLO Executive Director Elizabeth Long explains, “To help introduce audiences to this fascinating composer of French and Afro-Caribbean descent, FLO is presenting Behind the Curtain. Patrons can purchase movie only tickets through The Little, or, the full event package which includes the movie, followed by a panel discussion and as an added bonus, a Caribbean snack box!”
“The panel discussion will not only connect Bologne’s life to The Anonymous Lover, but it will also help us as artists, and art enthusiasts, to understand how truly influential Black composers and musicians are today,” says FLO Artistic Director Stephanie Havey.
Saturday July 12th @ 3–6 PM
The Little Theatre
240 East Ave * Rochester, NY 14604
FLO favorite Out Loud at ARTISANworks, is a fun, happy-hour event that features Jonathan Pierce Rhodes and the 2025 Young Artists singing opera arias, complete with appetizers and drink.
Tuesday, July 15th @ 5–7 PM
ARTISANworks
565 Blossom Rd * Rochester, NY 14610
“The Anonymous Lover is a comedic love story and FLO’s production, a classically whimsical romp, combines a world of secret admirers, heartfelt passion, and timeless melodies in an elegant yet irresistibly charming love story,” Havey describes and continues, “One of the things I wanted to do with this production is show the juxtaposition of the life Bologne was born into with the one he actually lived and thrived in as an artist.” The performance will also feature choreography by Garth Fagan Dance Artistic Director Norwood Pennewell and Executive Director Natalie Rogers-Cropper.
Cast Includes
- Jonathan Pierce Rhodes as Valcour
- Georgia Belmont as Léontine
- Marieke de Koker as Dorothée
- Jason Garcia as Kakuk as Colin
- Julia Tooker as Jeannette
- Charles Bohrer as Ophemon
Sunday, July 20th @ 2 PM
Panara Theatre at RIT/NTID
52 Lomb Memorial Dr * Rochester, NY 14623
OPERA & ALE
This event will feature the Apprentice Artists at Heroes Brewing Company. This free event is open to all.
Friday July 25th @ 5–7 PM
Heroes Brewing Co.
543 Atlantic Ave * Rochester, NY 14609
For more information or to purchase tickets
- Visit www.fingerlakesopera.org
- Call 585-450-3880
- Stop by 1040 East Ave Mon - Fri 10am - 4pm
About Finger Lakes Opera (FLO)
FLO is committed to the professional creation and production of opera in Rochester and the Finger Lakes region with a roster of mainstage and emerging young artists drawn from diverse regions and backgrounds. Through engagement and accessibility, FLO adds value to the cultural and economic landscape of the community. FLO presents a Summer Festival and delivers over 30 engagement events throughout Rochester and the Finger Lakes region annually.
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