a Chicago-based ensemble of interdisciplinary artists bent on the creation and production of experimental works for the stage
Opera Cabal Performing Arts Association NFP is reshaping how opera is imagined, produced and performed in the United States. Composed of a versatile collective of adroit, accomplished young artists, Opera Cabal propels the opera of today by presenting unpredictable new work and modeling new forms of audience involvement. In an era of rapidly changing audiences and shifting musical genres, Opera Cabal embraces interdisciplinary collaboration, new commissions, and intimate and unusual venues. Opera Cabal reaches into to neighboring visual, theatrical and technological communities to broaden the audience for and the definition of opera in a new century, reviving the integrity of a revered art form with an infusion of new energy and eclectic design.
Since its founding in 2006, Opera Cabal has identified and recruited artistic teams working at the highest level in fields traditionally unrelated to opera in order to bring new blood and fresh ideas to the art form. Opera Cabal’s commitment to building a diverse, engaged audience for opera in the 21st century is exemplified behind the scenes by the Hyde Park Salons, a monthly performance series established in 2006 on Chicago’s South Side. The Salons serve as a forum for local artists and scholars, offering a rigorous workshop atmosphere for uncommon contemporary performance. Opera Cabal is also the commissioning force behind the brand new project series, Opera Shop (begun in 2011). In partnership with our co-producer, High Concept Laboratories, Opera Shop introduces each autumn the work of one new team of exceptional artists with a history of working together outside of opera to explore cutting-edge approaches to recombining music and theater.
