Pittsburgh Festival Opera

Epic stories. Intimate experience.

Mission

Pittsburgh Festival Opera presents innovative opera, producing American works, reinterpretations of older works, and new works, for the widest possible audience. The company focuses on diversity in programming and casting, on crossing boundaries and bringing together talents from all the arts, on encouraging new talent, and on broadening audiences through outreach and education, to create a body of work that is original, entertaining, contemporary, and relevant.

Pittsburgh Festival Opera brings the power of world-class performances to humanize, energize and re-define opera as an experience that is up-close and personal, approachable, and relevant to today’s audiences. We break boundaries in the arts, bringing together audiences and artists of all backgrounds to engage in experiences that inspire and enthrall.

People

Board of Directors

Michael Knaub, Board Chair

Dr. Roxana Barad
John C. Barber, MD
Dr. Margaretha Casselbrant
Carole Kamin
Marina Posvar
Janice Rosenberg
Maria Spacagna

Emeritus Board

Dr. Eugene N. Myers
Mildred Miller Posvar, Founder*

*Deceased

Administrative Staff

Marianne Cornetti

Marianne Cornetti

General Manager/Artistic Director
mcornetti@pittsburghfestivalopera.org

Marianne Cornetti is internationally recognized as a leading Verdiana, who for 30 years has owned both Verdi’s prime roles for mezzo-soprano, Amneris in Aida and Azucena in Il Trovatore. She has also portrayed iconic leading Verdi roles including Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, and Princess Eboli in Don Carlos. Known as a Falcone who can soar into roles often played by sopranos, Cornetti’s versatility has also led her to perform Abigaille in Nabucco and the title role in La Gioconda. Seen and Heard International has called Cornetti’s voice “a miracle of power and flexibility from top to bottom,” and praised her for “imbuing each [role] with an emotional force all its own.” Cornetti’s recent engagements include singing Il Trovatore at The National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China and Aida with The Royal Opera Wallonie in Liege, Belgium and Hansel & Gretel with Pittsburgh Opera and The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny at Teatro Regio in Parma, Italy. Fall of 2020 sees Cornetti again on the Benedum stage singing with Pittsburgh Opera. Marianne has distinguished herself as one of the only female opera company leaders who also maintain an active singing career.