Opera Memphis has sold its building on Wolf River Boulevard and announced its upcoming performance season.
Confirmed so far are a collaboration with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for a concert with famed soprano Renee Fleming on September 8th, and Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca with Opera Memphis favorite Reginald Smith Jr. in his role debut as Scarpia. The Christmas Fiesta, a collaboration with Cazateatro and the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, will return in December, and 30 Days of Opera will celebrate its 11th year in April. Closing the season will be the return of Zach Redler and Jerre Dye’s powerful The Falling and the Rising at the Scheidt Family Music Center at the University of Memphis.
Opera Memphis formed a committee in 2019 to explore new locations, and in early 2020, began preparing for a move. On Friday, June 24th, the Clark Opera Memphis Center was sold to Memphis Obstetrics and Gynecological Association, and will be used as a health care facility.
“The Clark Opera Memphis Center has been an amazing home for almost two decades,” said Ned Canty, Opera Memphis’ general director. “It helped us to grow from 10 or 12 performance days a year to well over 50, but it was designed to meet the needs of who we were 20 years ago. For opera to continue expanding in Memphis, we need to be a part of the positive change and growth that have defined the past 10 years and are creating the next 10, from Crosstown Concourse and Overton Square to Northside Renaissance and TONE’s Orange Mound Tower.”
The organization’s temporary offices will be in Overton Square, while rehearsals will take place at partner institutions throughout the city. The 2022-23 season will be in venues and public spaces across Memphis and Shelby County. This includes performances with its long-standing partners, as well as Opera Memphis’ inaugural performance at the soon-to-open Scheidt Family Music Center at the University of Memphis.
