This concert will feature scenes from beloved standard and thrilling contemporary operas: La Bohéme by Giacomo Puccini, L’elisir d’amore by Gaetano Donizetti, Aida by Giuseppe Verdi, The Crucible by Robert Ward, and Fellow Travelers by Gregory Spears. Not only do these selected scenes chronicle times of persecution in history—one during the Salem Witch Trials, another during the Lavender Scare, for instance – they also examine fractured interpersonal relationships as these characters grapple with grief, abuse, and heartbreak. The title Love Quarrels is a tribute to universal human struggles.

This cohort of Hattie Mae Lesley Resident Artists has been active in the Fort Worth community since the start of their tenure back in September. They have been showcased in several mainstage concerts with FWO from “Una Fuego de Una Mujer” in the fall to “A Night of Black Excellence” this past winter. They have performed an abridged version of Hansel and Gretel and premiered new works like Stand Up, a collaboration between FWO Music Director Emeritus Joe Illick and Director of COT Production & Civic Impact Sheran Goodspeed Keyton, and Bienvenidos, a celebration of Hispanic Heritage month. When they leave Fort Worth for the summer, these artists will complete residencies at prestigious young artist programs like Opera Theater St. Louis, Glimmerglass, and Santa Fe. Come and see them in this intimate concert setting before they take the industry by storm this summer.