The fledgling arts group that aims to make Arlington the premier opera city debuts Friday at Tate Springs Baptist Church.
Six vocalists will sing arrangements of Christmas carols classics, including 鈥淪ilent Night鈥� and 鈥淛oy to the World,鈥� as well as other songs.
鈥淲e intend on showcasing repertoire all the way back from the Middle Ages through modern,鈥� says Bree Nichols, Opera Arlington's founder.
The performance is the first public introduction to the troupe, but not the troupe鈥檚 first introduction to the city. Members of Opera Arlington have performed at private shows, or 鈥渟alons,鈥� and the group has for months fundraised in 2023.
Similarly, Nichols is no stranger to kickstarting local opera organizations. She in 2016 with much of the same goals: to make opera performances accessible to the wider public, and to make opera careers attainable for people trying to break through a selective industry.
鈥淲e have a huge population of very, very gifted singers in this area, and we have the opportunity in Arlington, which is such an amazing arts town with such a booming cultural center going on downtown, to make this a place where artists can get their start and not have to be paying a lot of money for that opportunity,鈥� Nichols says.
Nichols, who earned her doctorate in musical studies from the University of North Texas, saw better-working programs and opportunities for emerging vocalists in Europe while on a Fulbright grant in the Czech Republic.
European countries, she says, have governmental and cultural support for the arts, making it easier to begin a career. She described returning to the U.S. as a 鈥渟ad wake-up call鈥� because the industry鈥檚 selectiveness creates a higher barrier for entry.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e not fighting, and fighting to put your name out there, no one鈥檚 going to call you,鈥� Nichols says.
She wants to raise the curtain for performers to be treated and paid as professionals. Nichols says she鈥檚 heartened by the environment for arts in Arlington, including the city鈥檚 2020 designation as a music-friendly community by the Texas Music Office, Theatre Arlington and the Levitt Pavilion.
鈥淔or a city of Arlington鈥檚 size, there鈥檚 a really huge arts presence and culture presence,鈥� Nichols says. 鈥淚 can see this as a place where our organization will really fit right into that scene and bring this element of opera that is not there yet in this town.鈥�
Christmas performance
Nichols and five other vocalists will perform Friday, including her husband, Jason Nichols. He says the events pricing -$15 plus fees for people ages 13 and up, and $7 for those 12 and under- is part of Opera Arlington鈥檚 ethos of accessible arts, and one of the less expensive professional Arlington holiday performances.
The repertoire also comprises works from iconic composers including Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Gustav Holst and Felix Mendelssohn.
鈥淧eople were saying, 鈥楾his is where you need to price it at,鈥欌�� Jason Nichols says. 鈥淲e heard them, but then we also talked to, like, real people and talked to them about what can they afford, especially considering everything that鈥檚 been going on? You know, realizing this is where people are at.鈥�
Megan Koch, a soprano, and board member, says she wants attendees to leave the performance Friday knowing Opera Arlington鈥檚 goals鈥攖o become part of the community.
鈥淲e want to include people in the music and we want to expose them to some really beautiful art that perhaps they haven鈥檛 been exposed to before,鈥� she says.
Erica Vernice Simmons, a featured soprano soloist in the Christmas Concert, says Opera Arlington has the potential to become another Fort Worth or Dallas opera.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about the community investing and wanting it for itself and supporting it,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t can be as great as we want it to be.鈥�
Future Opera Arlington shows
Fundraising efforts will go towards production costs, operations and artist fees for a around North Texas and beyond.
Planned shows include a 鈥減ocket opera,鈥� or mobile production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart鈥檚 鈥�Cos矛 fan tutte,鈥� or 鈥淲omen are Like That.鈥� Opera Arlington鈥檚 mainstage production of Antonin Dvo艡谩k's 鈥淩usalka,鈥� based off Hans Christian Andersen鈥檚 鈥淭he Little Mermaid,鈥� is slated for fall 2023. The group also plans to host artist recitals and concert and gala performances.
Nichols says the group is still looking for homes to host salons, where hosts provide the piano and party and performers take it from there.
鈥淲e鈥檙e kind of bringing that to life in a modern context,鈥� Nichols says.
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