News

TY COOK Meet One of the Leaders of Act I


Meet Ty Cook, one of the leaders of Act I, OGR’s young professionals group. Learn more about Act I here.

Where are you originally from?
I was originally born in Ann Arbor, MI at U of M (Go Blue), and raised in Flint, MI.

What do you do for a living?
I support arts & creativity as the CFO of Stevens Advertising.

Hobbies?
My hobbies include discussing local and global arts, meeting new artists, finding new art mediums, and watching football.

Where is your favorite place to travel? Why?
I don’t enjoy traveling but when I do travel, I typically go somewhere by the lakeshore for day trips or to Windsor because you can go and come back in the same day.Read More >

OGR Welcomes Alexandra Galla as Box Office and Community Relations Manager

Alexandra Galla is a recent graduate of Western Michigan University with a degree in Vocal Performance. Ms. Galla has performed with Opera Grand Rapids as a Chorus member in The Magic Flute and La Traviata, was the winner of the 2017-18 Collegiate Vocal Competition, and has been a part of the Opera Grand Rapids Emerging Artist program. Ms. Galla works part-time in the Box Office, and will join the staff full-time in September as the Opera’s Box Office and Community Relations Manager.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT Donald Hartmann

Where are you originally from?
Greensboro, NC

Who has inspired you/been your greatest influence professionally? Why?
This would be a difficult question to answer. I have always been inspired by the many teachers I had as a student. I suppose as soon as I became an “artist”, I received most of my inspiration from colleagues: singers, conductors, stage directors, etc. There have been too many influences to list!

Who/what brought you into the world of Opera?
As a student, I began to listen to opera recordings. I heard two very famous singers perform recitals in person: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Leontyne Price. Those events changed my world.
I had NO idea how the human voice
could sing like that and they could enthrall an audience. The two programs
were amazing.

Where do you live now?
I live in Greensboro, NC where I am a Professor of Voice at the University of NC at Greensboro.Read More >

GREGORY SANIAL From around the world to OGR

Opera Grand Rapids Board Member Spotlight

Where are you originally from?
I was born in Miami, but combination of my father’s military career and my own military career means I moved 24 times.

What do you do for a living?
Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer at Grand Valley State University

Hobbies?
Reading, Running, NY Times Crossword Puzzle, homebrewing, time with my 6 year old daughter.

Where is your favorite place to travel? Why?
Europe… my wife was born in Prague and grew up in Norway, there is so much history and things to see.

What/Who got you involved with OGR? (Past and Current)
Bob Evett recruited me when I indicated my interest in supporting the organization.Read More >

Opera Grand Rapids Announces 2019-2020 Season

For its 52nd Season of great operatic spectacles, Opera Grand Rapids is excited to bring to West Michigan two stunning performances: Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado and Puccini’s Turandot. 

“We are thrilled to bring to life two iconic works for our Grand Rapids audiences for the up-coming season. By pairing Gilbert & Sullivan’s beloved satire The Mikado with Puccini’s final opera Turandot, Opera Grand Rapids offers two truly contrasting stories, continuing the company’s long-standing reputation for providing unique musical experiences to the community.”

– James Meena, Artistic Director at Opera Grand Rapids

Opera Grand Rapids will open the 2019-20 performance season with The Mikado, at St. Cecilia Music Center on November 1-2, 2019. The production will feature the robust voice and excellent comedic timing of opera “buffo” role expert Steven Condy, under the stage direction of rising star Eve Summer who has been described as having “a gift for translating classical symbolism into familiar detail.

Bookending the performance season, Opera Grand Rapids will present a fully-staged, traditional telling of Puccini’s deathbed masterpiece, Turandot, on May 1-2, 2020 at DeVos Performance Hall. Known for her “voice of true substance,” soprano Amy Shoremount-Obra will make her debut with the company as the legendary ice princess, Turandot.

Read the full press release here.