PORTopera Receives $10,000 Grant from National Endowment for the Arts

January 7, 2010

PORTLAND, Maine ’Äì The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded PORTopera a $10,000 Access to Artistic Excellence grant to support its production of Engelbert Humperdinck’Äôs Hansel and Gretel July 29 and 31 at Merrill Auditorium.

Israel Gursky will conduct PORTopera’Äôs mainstage production of Hansel and Gretel directed by long-time Artistic Director and Stage Director Dona D. Vaughn. The production will include a 16-member multinational children’Äôs chorus drawn from Portland’Äôs immigrant community who will rehearse and perform with the professional singers and orchestra.

The NEA awards Access to Artistic Excellence grants to support artistic excellence, preserve cultural heritage, and provide access to the arts for all Americans.  It is particularly interested in projects that extend the arts to underserved populations -- those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. NEA made 13 of these grants to organizations in Maine for the 2010 year totaling $260,000.

Performance dates for PORTopera’Äôs performance of Hansel and Gretel are Thursday, July 29 at 7:30 P.M. and Saturday, July 31 at 2:00 P.M. (matinee). A limited number of seats will be offered to young people 12 and under at 25% off regular prices. To order call PortTix at 207-842-0800 or visit www.porttix.com.

About PORTopera:
PORTopera is Maine’Äôs only opera company performing fully staged operas with nationally and internationally acclaimed artists. For more information visit www.portopera.org or call (207) 879-7678.