The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra plays with Chautauqua Opera Company to put together the “Opera & Pops” concert July 22, 2025 in the Amphitheater. Tenor Eric Botto plays Werther in “Pourquoi me réveiller,” a song in Jules Massenet’s “Werther.”
ROCCO PRIOLETTI
Staff Writer
LAYLA VINSON
Staff Writer
Merging familiar pop hits, operatic highlights and orchestral arrangements, Chautauqua Opera Company and Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra will showcase “Opera & Pops” at 8 p.m. tonight in the Amphitheater.
Conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz and organized by Carol Rausch, music administrator and chorus master for the Company, the event is designed to highlight synergy across disciplines and align with the programmatic theme of Week Five.
“We like to base the theme of the program on the theme for the lecture platform of the week, and this year it was ‘Art and Artists Against the Odds’ so it made it a little bit easier,” Rausch explained. “I just did arbitrary categories of inspiration for the arts and having those down days and lots of competition, and yet — music is magic.”
Creating an opportunity for the eight Apprentice Artists in the company to act as soloists while Studio Artists assume chorus backup roles, Rausch deems “Opera & Pops” a full-company event that “shows people off in classical and popular music.” Tonight’s repertoire spans Mozart classics to more modern Sondheim songs.
In past years, “Opera & Pops” was once two separate productions programmed outside of the Company. Now, combining the opera highlights and separate pops concert has provided Rausch a unique opportunity in programming.
“I can actually pick things,” Rausch said.
Initially, she said she was both intimidated and excited when the responsibility shifted to her.
“It’s not prepackaged at all, it’s starting from scratch, and I get to pick the ingredients and really tailor them to our individual talent.”
This personalization of the event is only furthered by her collaboration with Chafetz, who likened their program to being an “operatic Broadway sampler.” For Chafetz, the distinction between opera and popular music is non-existent onstage.
“I say, ‘Everything is music.’ Whether you’re doing pops, whether you’re doing classical, whether you’re doing ballet, whether you’re doing opera — it’s all music,” Chafetz said.
Raush and Chafetz have worked together on the annual “Opera & Pops” show for 15 years now.
“I look forward to this concert every year because it’s challenging. And, again, you can kind of see the CSO’s M.O. — we have basically one run-through, then we go,” Chafetz said. “So, there’s a lot to get done (during rehearsal) in two hours and ten minutes, I believe.”
He described the collaboration between himself, the singers and pianists as being “very enlightening.” While some singers have performed the program’s arias previously, a full orchestral backing transforms the experience into something entirely new.
“What I love about it is — because there are some always really strong singers — to be able to hear them cross over between legit opera and pops, and seeing how they can switch back and forth. It’s a real great experience for them to be able to do that and to have that variety. But there’s always some glorious singers,” Chafetz said.
Chafetz highlighted Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s “Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen” (Pierrot’s Tanzlied) from Die tote Stadt, Op. 12, as an “absolutely sublime” piece that appears in the first half of the program, encapsulating themes of childhood and nostalgia.
“It’s probably the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. So, I can’t wait for that one. It’s absolutely gorgeous. … That’s the one I’m looking forward to most.” Chafetz said.
