OperaDelaware's series "Sunday Spotlight" streams two shows in February

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2 minute read

Sunday afternoons have traditionally been prime time for chamber and vocal concerts, and audiences who have been missing that weekend musical touchstone can find it virtually at OperaDelaware. The Wilmington ensemble has been offering a winter series, Sunday Spotlight, that concludes with two recorded concerts this month.

Sunday spotlights

On February 7, Curtis grad and rising opera star Chrystal E. Williams and accordionist Felipe Hostins present eclectic repertoire in a performance that they are calling “Forrópera.” This concert will explore the intersection of Williams’s operatic repertoire and that of forró, a musical style from northeastern Brazil for which Hoskins is noted. The husband/wife duo will perform opera, Broadway, and Brazilian folk music, and they plan that the genres will “exuberantly collide in a jubilant recital.” The ticketed concert premieres on Sunday, February 7, and streams again on Wednesday, February 10.

The final Sunday Spotlight in the series features popular Delaware baritone Grant Youngblood performing some of his favorite art songs on Sunday, February 21 (also repeated the following Wednesday, February 24). Youngblood is an accomplished recitalist, and he’ll perform an intimate, introspective, and personalized musical afternoon, accompanied by Aurelien Eulert, OperaDelaware’s principal pianist. Works will include songs by American composer Chris DeBlasio (noted for his AIDS-era song cycles), and French composers Henri Duparc and Maurice Ravel, among others.

For these 60-minute concerts, performers were free to choose their repertoire. "We are thrilled to present these stunning, artist-curated recitals from the Presser Black Box Theater at OperaDelaware," said General Director Brendan Cooke. "Chrystal and Grant each have a long history of performing with OperaDelaware, and though we miss our audiences terribly, it’s been a thrill to find a safe way to present art within our walls again.” After each premiere (the first date listed), Cooke and the artists will join the virtual audience for Q&A and a discussion.

What, When, Where & Accessibility

Sunday Spotlight Virtual Concerts presented by OperaDelaware. February 7 & 10: Forrópera: with Chrystal E. Williams (mezzo-soprano) and Felipe Hostins (accordion). February 21 & 24: Song Recital, Grant Youngblood (baritone) and Aurelien Eulert (piano). Tickets available online.

Image Description: Chrystal E. Williams is pictured standing to the left of Felipe Hostins, who is sitting and has an accordion. Black curtains are behind them, and the floor is sparkling red.

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