World Opera Day, celebrated on 25 October, acquires added resonance in 2020 because of the disruption to theatre activity caused by the pandemic. The crisis forces us to reflect on opera’s place in society and to ask when and how live performances will resume.
World Opera Day 2020 is a vital step on the road to recovery.
Recovery will be driven by a sense of purpose. As we rebuild our economies, we aspire to re-create jobs and also to renew that which contributes to people’s physical and mental well-being. Can human beings survive without culture?
Opera Europa, Opera America and Opera Latinoamérica, in collaboration with Opera for Peace, offer vocal performances from six continents alongside messages from ambassadors worldwide, including Ai Weiwei, Ernesto Ottone (UNESCO), Isabel Leonard, Brian Jagde, Elsa Dreisig, Peter Sellars, Golda Schultz and Nicole Car, and emerging artists Raehann Bryce-Davis, Victoria Karkacheva and Leonardo Sánchez. This free celebration concert, commissioned by OperaVision, will be streamed on multiple platforms to encourage accessibility.