Marshall Opera

04/21/2026

Congratulations to our principal conductor, Mark Shapiro, on the success of his recent concerts with Cantori New York and The Cecilia Chorus. He is seen here with the great composer, Adolphus Hailstork following a concert in honor of his 85th birthday.

Marshall Opera will present a concert of Hailstork works on October 13 at Merkin Hall. More details coming soon.

03/27/2026

We are pleased to announce that Marshall Opera's concert in honor of Adolphus Hailstork's 85th birthday will take place on October 13 at Merkin Hall. Please save the date!

03/12/2026

We are very much looking forward to a visit to NYC to organize some works as Marshall Opera begins limited programming next season. On tap are a concert in honor of Adolphus Hailstork’s 85th birthday, a chamber opera by Kenneth Fuchs, and the introduction of The Great American Songbook, curated by Michael Ching. I hope to see you there!

12/02/2025

Dear Friends of Marshall Opera,

Thanks to a remarkable legacy gift pledged to Marshall Opera, our long-term future looks bright. It is a significant commitment—one that promises stability for years to come. But until that future support becomes active, we rely on donors like you to bring our mission to life today. That is why this Giving Tuesday is especially important.

This coming year marks an exciting milestone: Marshall Opera turns three. With this comes new eligibility for city, state, and federal grants, as well as support from major foundations. As we look ahead to these expanded funding opportunities, we are proud to announce our 2026–2027 Season:

A workshop of award-winning composer Michael Dellaira’s new work-in-progress, U.S.A. – a radio opera, inspired by John Dos Passos’s groundbreaking American epic.

Our very first staged production: The Great Nebula in Orion by Grammy Award–winning composer Kenneth Fuchs, based on the short story by Lanford Wilson.

A celebratory concert of vocal works by Adolphus Hailstork, honoring the esteemed composer on his 85th birthday.

A new installment of our Oral History Project, sponsored by the Douglas Moore Fund for American Opera—this year we will be interviewing the families and colleagues of the 20th-century American composers whose legacies we champion.

Two chamber concerts featuring exceptional but underperformed 20th-century works.

This is an ambitious season for our young company—one that embodies our mission to elevate American opera, unearth neglected masterpieces, and provide platforms for deserving artists. But none of it can happen without you.

As we look ahead with hope and momentum, your generosity is what sustains the work happening right now. This Giving Tuesday, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Marshall Opera. Your support today ensures the future we are building together.

You may donate through our donor portal at www.marshallopera.org/support, or send checks to:

Marshall Opera, Inc.
1178 Broadway, 3rd Floor #1600
New York, NY 10001

With gratitude and kind regards,
Jim Schaeffer
Artistic and General Director
Marshall Opera

Marshall Opera Inc. is a registered 501c3 charity. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

10/09/2025

Marshall Opera mourns the passing of Eugene Rotberg, a devoted and valued member of our Board of Directors.

A self-described "opera fanatic," Gene brought his deep passion for the art form to every aspect of his service. He previously served as President of the Board of The Center for Contemporary Opera and was a Trustee of the Washington National Opera.

In recognition of Gene’s unwavering support for Marshall Opera and his lifelong dedication to opera, we established The Rotberg Prize in his honor. This prize is awarded to a promising young artist from abroad, enabling them to participate in our Oral History Project. The inaugural recipient was Laura Andreini of Italy.

Gene's legacy lives on through the artists he inspired and the institutions he helped shape.

RIP, Gene. You will certainly be missed.

https://tributearchive.com/obituaries/45833573/eugene-h-rotberg/denver/colorado/feldman-mortuary

07/31/2025

Richard Marshall, the founder of the Center for Contemporary Opera, celebrated his 96th birthday yesterday. It was a great pleasure to attend this party at his lovely home in the Green Mountains of Vermont.

06/20/2025

Richard Marshall, our company’s namesake, will be celebrating his 96th birthday on July 27th at 2:00 PM with a garden party at his home, Serenity Gardens in Whitingham, VT. Richard resides on 25 idyllic acres in the beautiful Green Mountains.

I know he would love to see both old and new friends there. If you’d like an invitation, please let us know as soon as possible. I’ll be making the trip and hope you will too. [email protected]

05/22/2025

Congratulations to Emma Ritto, our Marshall Opera intern, on receiving her master’s degree with top honors today from MSM! We’re all very proud of you.

05/20/2025

Here's a lovely article about our principal conductor, Mark Shapiro: https://www.navonarecords.com/news/inside-story-mark-shapiro-cantori-new-york-found-again/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKZv-JleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETBST2pIZ0VtQkptMUxNcFZZAR72TKkfKQ7aTG4RHELdc0HeqYVZtuFKFIhH2WhAxvHkIn9sGRXqDD4oWetqFQ_aem_tTKCC5r13rQmm_oPznJ0TQ

Read on to learn about his advice on expanding musical fluency, and the flow state he enters during a great live performance...

03/01/2025

Thank you to all who attended our concert last night! We were packed in like sardines but I hope you will agree that it was worth it. Soon, there will be photos and videos to document the concert. To the performers, composers, and librettists that participated, bravo!