By David Salazar“Spotlight on Opera” at Tulsa Opera will return for its second season this summer.
The 2026 season, titled “Tales and Treasures,” features family friendly productions of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” and Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel,” alongside the touring children’s opera “Goldie B. Locks and the Three Singing Bears” and a program of Verdi excerpts.
“After the incredible response to our first season, we’re excited to bring the Spotlight on Opera program back for a second year,” said Maestro Aaron Beck, Artistic Director of Tulsa Opera and Spotlight’s Music Director, per an official press release. “Spotlight celebrates the remarkable talent we have here in Oklahoma while welcoming artists from across the country to learn, collaborate, and perform together. Through five weeks of intensive training, coaching, and performance opportunities, these emerging artists develop their craft while sharing it throughout the community.”
Classes and rehearsals will take place at First Presbyterian Church and Tulsa Opera’s Laven Sowell Opera Center, with performances presented at the Opera Center and throughout the community, including Trinity Woods, College Hill Presbyterian Church, libraries, museums, and other partner venues.
The season opens with a free “Welcome Concert and Reception” at Baden Hall at the Laven Sowell Opera Center. The program will feature Spotlight teaching artists Kara Shay Thomson, Argo, Aaron Beck, Gwendolyn Brown, Machele Miller Dill, Whitney Hollis, Felix Jarrar, Dottie Randall, Nicholas Simpson, Andrew Stuckey, and Cindy Sadler, along with Tulsa Opera General Director and CEO Lori Decter Wright.
Performance Date: July 12, 2026
The Verdi program on July 25 will bring together teaching artists such as soprano Kara Shay Thomson, contraltos Gwendolyn Brown and Cindy Sadler, tenor Nicholas Simpson, baritone Andrew Stuckey, and bass Matthew Treviño. They will be joined by sopranos Amanda Britt, Jessica Broaddus, Sabrina Cohn, Faith Dengate, Lila Frazier, Jonel LaTorre, Jenn Liebig, Melody Prater, Jessi Rheinhart, Lauren Stokke, Dalena Williamson, and Genevieve Young, mezzo soprano Amelia DeCoster, tenors Kyle Gallien, Joshua Ross, and Nathan Rothe, and baritone Orest Dutko. Felix Jarrar conducts.
Performance Dates: July 25, 2026
Then come free performances of “Goldie B. Locks and the Three Singing Bears” at venues including the Hardesty Regional Library, Central Library, and Discovery Lab. The cast includes Lila Frazier, Melody Prater, Joshua Ross, Sabrina Cohn, and Kyle Gallien. Whitney Hollis conducts and Nicholas Sampson directs.
Performance Dates: July 28 – 31, 2026
The “Aria Extravaganza” concert will follow at College Hill. The performance will be headlined by Amanda Britt, Jessica Broaddus, Sabrina Cohn, Amelia DeCoster, Faith Dengate, Orest Dutko, Kyle Gallien, Kirkland Fenerty, Lila Frazier, Jonel LaTorre, Jenn Liebig, Melody Prater, Jessi Rheinhart, Josh Ross, Nathan Rothe, Lauren Stokke, Dalena Williamson, and Genevieve Young.
Performance Dates: July 31, 2026
The “Opera at College Hill” concert will feature Amanda Britt, Jessica Broaddus, Sabrina Cohn, Amelia DeCoster, Faith Dengate, Orest Dutko, Kyle Gallien, Kirkland Fenerty, Lila Frazier, Jonel LaTorre, Jenn Liebig, Melody Prater, Jessi Rheinhart, Josh Ross, Nathan Rothe, Lauren Stokke, Dalena Williamson, and Genevieve Young.
Performance Dates: August 1, 2026
Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” will be performed at Baden Hall. The opera will star Lauren Stokke as Pamina, Kirkland Fenerty as Papageno, Jonel LaTorre as the Queen of the Night, and Chris Jenkins as Sarastro, under the direction of Cindy Sadler. Megan Barth Argo conducts.
Performance Dates: August 7 & 9, 2026
“Hansel and Gretel” will feature Amelia DeCoster and Faith Dengate in the title roles, with Jessi Rheinhart as the Witch, and Machele Miller Dill directing. Whitney Hollis conducts.