Allied Arts

Here’s a group with big voices and a big mission. It’s time to hear all about Central Oklahoma’s professional opera company from its general director, Bradley Williams. Meet Cimarron Opera!

Give us the gist of your organization, Twitter-style (that means 140 characters or less).
Cimarron Opera is Central Oklahoma's professional opera company providing educational touring and community arts programming with a vision to grow into the grand opera company for the Oklahoma City metro. Our motto: "Opera for Everyone!  Experience the Joy!"

What does your organization bring to Central Oklahoma?
We bring the joy and grandeur of the most challenging and all-inclusive performing art - OPERA. We share opera with Oklahoma's children through annual school tours and our summer opera camp and with the general public through innovative programming.

List a few things that your organization is looking forward to in the coming year.
• Annual Scholastic Opera Tour - we are taking two operas into Oklahoma's schools: "The Owl, the Tree, and Me", and "Hansel and Gretel". (throughout the academic year)
• "Amahl and the Night Visitors" - a collaborative project with Norman North High School’s choral program.  High school students will play the shepherds with professional singers in the principal roles.  Members of the Oklahoma Youth Orchestra will be featured as well. (December 11 – Nancy O'Brian Performing Arts Center)
• "Divas Unleashed" - an operatic play by Todarte Productions in New York which combines the physical comedy styles of "The Carol Burnett Show" and Victor Borge with opera singing.  (January 23, 2010 - Sooner Theatre)
• 40th Annual Festival of Spirituals - this Norman traditional celebrates our cultural diversity and the uniquely American song genre of the spiritual.  Soloists and choirs come together for this event which will be held at company founder Thomas Carey's home church.  (March 28, 2010 - First Presbyterian Church, Norman)
• 15th Annual Summer Opera Camp - this popular summer adventure for youth produces a fully staged Gilbert and Sullivan operetta each year.  (June 7 - July 2, 2010)

How can people get involved with your organization?
Call Cimarron Opera at 364-8962, or email us at info@ccocopera.org.  We welcome anyone who wants to share their time, talent, treasure, or all three to help us bring an annual grand opera season to the OKC metro.

Name your favorite piece of art or art performance.
The aria "Nessun dorma" sung by Luciano Pavarotti.

Which artist would you most like to meet?
As an international opera singer for the past 20 years, I have had the privilege of performing with many of the world's most renown opera singers.  While I do not have an artist in mind that I would like to meet, I have many great artists in mind that I would like to present to the Oklahoma City arts-supporting public in a Cimarron Opera production.

For more information, visit www.ccocopera.org.

This is a repeat picture, but we just love Bradley’s Pavarotti ghost!