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2019-2020: The Unfinished Season


Music and theatre history is filled with legendary “incompletions.” Among them, Schubert had his inexplicable “Unfinished Symphony,” Mozart’s mysterious death yielded his fragmented Requiem, and cancer prevented Puccini from providing a final scene for Turandot. Now, the tragic viru crisis has caused the entire performing arts world to cut short its finales for the 2019-2020 season.

"At Knoxville Opera we unfortunately had to cancel 25 presentations in schools and community venues including the Tennessee Premiere of Okoye’s Harriet Tubman and the 19th Annual Knoxville Opera Rossini Festival," said Brian Salesky, the opera's Executive and Artistic Director. "However, prior to mid-March, we had a robust “banner year” providing 75 programs for about 10,000 students and 11,000 adults." These included Madama Butterfly and Romeo et Juliette at the Tennessee Theatre, the 11th Annual Knoxville Opera Goes to Church concert at New Covenant Baptist Church, and 17 performances of Romeo and Juliet in schools. In addition, the opera's vital relationship with the University of Tennessee provided 75 performing opportunities for 26 current and former UT School of Music students.

"During the crisis, even though our building has been closed, we have continued to work every day on fundraising and making contingency plans for a 2020-2021 season. With patience, caution, perseverance, and creativity, we look forward to serving you, our East Tennessee community, with glorious music and theatre again – as soon as possible," added Salesky
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Published May 23, 2020








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