2021

World Opera Day retrospective

The third edition of World Opera Day with its motto ‘Opera Reboot’ seized the opportunity to underline the positive value of opera for society. 

The focus on the next generation of artists was particularly well illustrated this year. Besides the OperaVision programme which put 7 young artist programmes in the spotlight on 25 October, opera houses have presented their young artists and young colleagues through video clips or by streaming their performances.

Representing our diverse world is the aim of the arts. Many opera houses and artists have highlighted their will to create equal opportunities on stage, backstage and in the audience with short films or through the topic of their productions. On social media, many and various contributions from all over the world with ‘Happy World Opera Day’ messages resonated with this message.

It is evident that we all have to seek for a greener future, and World Opera Day was an occasion to show the commitment of the opera world to the issue of sustainability. Opera houses presented through their eco-strategies or some of their productions, which are raising awareness on the topic. 

25 October also provides an occasion to meet your community by opening your doors or by going out from the theatre. From Open rehearsals to free streams, from discovery activities to open air concerts and interviews in the streets, opera houses have been really creative to find ways to meet its audience. 

Opera Reboot was followed worldwide. Besides an online discussion on the three strands held by Association for Opera in Canada, 18 Canadian opera companies have contributed with a special World Opera Day content underlining one of the three topics of the edition. Ópera Latinoamérica and 13 of their members in South America have contributed with special events. Many breath-taking rooftop concerts were shot in various Latin American cities and the first Brazilian opera forum was launched this World Opera Day. OPERA America members were active on social media with #WorldOperaDay messages. Worth a mention is the inaugural concert of Kosovo Opera on 31 October in the framework of World Opera Day. It was the first concert played by the newly created institution, which should start its very first season in autumn 2022. 

This year we launched a #WorldOperaDay TikTok challenge, which brought 567,300 views to the OperaVision TikTok channel and generated over 100 #WorldOperaDay contributions around the world.