Artistry, Originality, Diversity, Community, Philanthropy Located in the state capital of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg Opera Association has mounted over 50 productions with seasoned veterans and emerging young performers from opera companies including The Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera and also Broadway.
HAPPENINGS
November 2023 News
Giving Tuesday is on 11/28/2023. Please consider a donation to Harrisburg Opera Association on this day and throughout the rest of the year. Check out our donation page for details. If you are on Facebook click HERE to donate to our campaign. We have much in store for 2024! Sign up for our newsletter by sending us a note at info@harrisburg-opera.org to find out. Your donation will help further our goal of a summer arts festival geared toward education and a philanthropy. HOA is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization and your donations are tax deductible. We are all eternally grateful for your support!
August 2023 News - Opera in the Park 2023 Announcement
This Just In! Artistic/Executive Director and Arts and Education Officer Tami Swartz and Michael Gamon had a blast visiting with Brett Thackara on Good Day PA! on ABC27 on August 7th, 2023. Here's a link to their interview and performance. Thank you, always, everyone over at ABC27 for making us feel at home and letting us share our news and events with you.
Harrisburg Opera Association will present Opera in the Park – Make ‘Em Laugh on Sunday, August 13th, 2023, 4 PM at Italian Lake Park drizzle or shine. This year’s theme has comedy taking center stage with multiple forms of music from opera to country, geared toward pure amusement. Spinto soprano Samia Bahu makes her debut with HOA. Tenor Stephen W. Hallman also makes his live debut. He performed in our 2021 virtual Concert Outside While Inside and has been our videographer for over 20 years. Violist Jenny Huerter Gamon joins us for the first time on stage. She has performed numerous times with our orchestra, in the sound studio and at special events. Baritone, Richard Hobson, returns! His debut appearance with HOA was at our 2019 Opera in the Park concert Exotic Places. Also returning is Central Pennsylvania jazz icon and woodwind specialist Tom Strohman along with pianist Greg Strohman, tenor/instrumentalist Adam CJ Klein, director and soprano Tami Swartz and our always intrepid narrator and violist, Michael Gamon. Our free, educational outreach concert is kid friendly and geared toward music lovers of all ages – so bring your family, friends and especially your funny bone! As always, picnicking and aloha or casual attire will be celebrated.
Would you like to help out? Here are ways to donate.HOA is a 501(c)(3) non profit org and your donations are tax deductible.
Donate to us via Network for Good. Just click on the link and Facebook takes care of the rest. The campaign runs through 12/31/2022, but your donations will be double on Giving Tuesday.
HOA Donate Page - if you prefer to write a check or donate directly to us via Network for Good the information is located on our website at: HOA Donate Page. Also included are the different tier levels, current and historical donors. Impresario and Benefactor levels get you free tickets to all events.
HOA Newsletter
Would you like to receive our newsletter? Just drop us a line at info@harrisburg-opera.org with your email address and we'll be happy to add you.
July / August 2022 News
Harrisburg Opera Association returns to live performances with Opera in the Park: Songs of Freedom on Sunday, August 14th, 2022 at 4 PM at Italian Lake Park in Harrisburg, PA.
Inspired by recent world events, HOA will present a concert that musically represents what it means to be free from multiple perspectives. Wear your aloha or casual attire and bring a picnic blanket if you would like. Narration in between selections provides musical, historical and cultural context geared toward children, adults, the inquisitive and aficionados. Since 1993 HOA has been providing this educational and highly entertaining concert free to the public; however, donations are always appreciated. Committed to diversity and inclusion our performances reflect the voices of multiple races and cultures in casting and content. If you are not vaccinated for COVID-19 we ask that you please mask and distance for the safety of our artists and audience members.
Our Executive / Artistic Director, Tami Swartz, and our Vice President, Christyan Seay, had a great visit with Amy Kehm, host of Abc 27's Good Day PA! morning show promoting our concert. You can see the full interview here.
Would you like to receive our newsletter? Just drop us a line at info@harrisburg-opera.org with your email address and we'll be happy to add you.
Spring 2022 News
HOA did a thing! We donated three songs to a fundraising dinner to benefit Ukraine, put on by Rubicon in Harrisburg, PA on April 19, 2022.This video presents the three songs performed, plus images from Ukraine. Adam CJ Klein edited this most excellent video. To learn more about the evening and where to donate click on the link at the top of the video where is says "Harrisburg Opera Association". It will take you to YouTube where you can view it full screen.
Save the date! HOA returns to live performances with Opera in the Park: Songs of Freedom on Sunday August 14th, 2022. The geese have been know to sing along with us, too! More details are forthcoming.
Would you like to receive our newsletter? Just drop us a line at info@harrisburg-opera.org with your email address and we'll be happy to add you.
Opera in the Park 2021 Video Presentation
Opera in the Park - Birding for a Better World, premiered on 8/28/2021 at 7:30 PM. It is now in permanent reruns and you can view it here. Suggested donation is $10 per viewer. This original story is about an ornithologist who believes birding can save the world, his colleagues who organize his movement and one newcomer who is inspired to bring this message to young people. If you need a family oriented evening this highly enteraining video with well known and original music comes with a program full of learning oppportunities in the areas of music and nature. It is currently being presented as curricula at The Harrisburg Academy and at Hendrix College in Conway, AK.
Auditions
For those artists who have been inquiring, thank you for contacting us. We are not currently holding auditions, but hope to do so in the future. We will post notices when we do!
Publicity
-HOA's returns to live performances with Opera in the Park 2022 - Songs of Freedom. View the promotional interview on ABC27's Good Day PA! here.
- Penn Live's generous preview article from 8/11/2020 promoting our 2020 virtual season can be found here.
- We had a fantastic time visiting with everyone at WHTM ABC27's Good Day PA! talk show on 8/8/2019. Executive Director/Artistic Director Tami Swartz and Adam Klein talk about HOA's first season in ten years and perform one of the pieces that was featured in our mainstage production, An Artists' Journey. If you missed it the link is here.
- Penn Live's generous article from 8/7/2019 promoting our 2019 season can be found here.
- Executive Director and Artistic Director Tami Swartz returns along with Adam Klein for an informative and fun interview on Tom Richards "By the Way" radio talk show promoting our 2019 season which aired on 8/4/2019. You can catch the interview here.
-Hanna Martin's lovely article in The Burg Magazine announcing our 2019 Season.
- Here's our entertaining and informative INTERVIEW featuring Executive/Artistic Director, Tami Swartz and Michael Gamon on Tom Richards "By the Way" radio talk show which aired on Sunday 8/12/2018 on Fun 101.3 FM.
- Tami Swartz's 8/11/2018 live interview with Logan Wilson on ABC 27 regarding HOA's comeback!
Giving Tuesday is on 11/28/2023. Please consider a donation to Harrisburg Opera Association on this day and throughout the rest of the year. Check out our donation page for details. If you are on Facebook click HERE to donate to our campaign. We have much in store for 2024! Sign up for our newsletter by sending us a note at info@harrisburg-opera.org to find out. Your donation will help further our goal of a summer arts festival geared toward education and a philanthropy. HOA is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization and your donations are tax deductible. We are all eternally grateful for your support!
Harrisburg Opera Association returns to live performances with Opera in the Park: Songs of Freedom on Sunday, August 14th, 2022 at 4 PM at Italian Lake Park in Harrisburg, PA.
Opera in the Park - Birding for a Better World, premiered on 8/28/2021 at 7:30 PM. It is now in permanent reruns and you can view it