Dear Friends,

I would like to introduce you to Kansas Concert Opera (KCO), a non-profit corporation dedicated to bringing high-quality opera performances to audiences throughout the state. With our headquarters based in the centrally located city of Emporia, KCO performs full-length operas in concert version with piano, English surtitles, opera chorus, and no sets or costumes. This unique (and portable) performance style allows us to bring world-class singing to Kansas communities and introduce some of our state’s finest up-and-coming singers, who perform lead roles side-by-side with seasoned guest artists. KCO connects with every community in which it performs by engaging local choirs for the opera chorus and occasionally contracting local musicians for a small orchestra.
    You may be known in your community as someone who encourages and supports cultural and aesthetic development in your city and state. By supporting KCO you will help launch what is destined to become one of the finest concert opera companies in the nation. Our Board of Directors includes legendary Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Joyce Castle and popular Kansas Public Radio personality Dr. James Seaver, host of “Opera Is My Hobby.” Each of us is committed to the highest professional and artistic standards.
    Last autumn’s premier production of Puccini’s Tosca in Lawrence and Emporia elicited raves from audiences and established KCO as an exciting new force on the Kansas arts scene. The soprano in the title role, Andrea Garritano, an Emporia resident who graduated from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, knocked everyone’s socks off with her glorious voice and emotional intensity, as did her co-star, nationally renowned tenor Hugo Vera, who sent chills through the crowd with his dramatic high notes and unforgettable artistry. It was a night that none of us will ever forget. Our May production's Carmen cast was equally exciting and included Kansas-City based mezzo-soprano Elaine Fox who brought breathtaking beauty and sultriness to the title role. The Kansas City Star describes Fox as “a fine actress” with an “eloquently expressive” voice,” and her appearances with opera companies from Nevada to New York have set her on course for a major career.                                             I encourage you to join us at this critical time as we forge ahead into our second season. As a sponsor of KCO, you will be among the supporters who help us hit the ground running and build our programs for touring and education. In this important role, you will receive statewide exposure in all KCO programs and advertising and take pride in knowing that you are helping young Kansas artists build their careers. Our board is thinking big: plans for national and international tours are in the works; a voice competition and scholarship fund will be implemented, hopefully next season; and preparations are underway for a thrilling lineup of opera favorites in late 2008 and 2009.
    As we highlight in our Mission Statement, KCO’s purpose is “to entertain, educate and enrich the cultural and musical life of the people of Kansas by producing, in concert format, opera of the highest possible quality. In doing so KCO will engage young artists of professional potential from Kansas and provide them a needed forum and an opportunity to work with seasoned professional singers.” The need for this performance experience is great.                                                                 As a professional concert and opera singer myself for the past 25 years and music educator for the past seven (Assistant Professor of Voice at Emporia State University), I have discovered that Kansas lacks the performance venues singers need to gain the professional experience for building a singing career. While living in New York for 14 years I had the opportunity to sing in many concert operas, and found that these intimate and exciting presentations are enormously popular with audiences and vital to young performers. I founded KCO to provide a stepping-stone to a professional career for Kansas singers, and to provide vital educational experiences for every musician involved as well as every audience member. I and the rest of the KCO company have dedicated ourselves to not only entertaining our audiences, but to raising the bar of musical organizations that are home grown in our state. If you also feel strongly about the vitality of the arts in Kansas, we can achieve this objective with your support.    
    Thank you for taking the time to review the sponsorship levels listed on our Patron Support/Online Donations page. I would be very happy to discuss any questions you may have about where your support dollars will be spent, and any other questions about KCO, at your convenience. You can find KCO photos, schedules, artist biographies and much more at our website, www.kansasconcertopera.com.

Best regards,

Stanford Felix
Founder/President/Artistic Director