Vanderbilt University’s Dyer Observatory will host a special evening of music when members of the Nashville Opera perform outside under the stars at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 2. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and guests are encouraged to bring a picnic basket and beverages.
Now in its third year, Opera on the Mountain has become one of the observatory’s most anticipated musical events of the year. This year’s performance will feature tenor Stefan Barner, soprano Rachele Schmiege, baritone Joshua Zink and pianist Amy Tate Williams. The quartet will present selections from the Golden Age of American Musical Theatre including selections from Showboat, Guys and Dolls, Camelot and The Phantom of the Opera. Troupe members will also perform selections from The Magic Flute, La bohème and Rigoletto. Nashville Opera’s director of education and outreach, Stuart Holt, will serve as the master of ceremonies. At the conclusion of the program, guests will have an opportunity to view Saturn in the night sky through the Seyfert Telescope (weather permitting).
Tickets must be purchased prior to the event from Nashville Opera by calling (615) 832-5242 or online.There are several pricing levels for the event, including a new $60 carload option (uncovered seating for up to six patrons); $30 for a reserved seat; $50 for a table seat; and $85 for the Patron Level, which also includes additional vocal offerings from the roof of the observatory following the concert. Free parking on the observatory grounds is included in the price of admission.
Founded in 1981, the Nashville Opera is Tennessee’s largest professional opera company and one of the most successful regional companies in the United States. The Tennessee Performing Arts Center hosts the company’s main stage performances with attendance in excess of 17,000 annually. Through its extensive education and outreach touring programs, Nashville Opera reaches more than 30,000 students in Middle Tennessee each year.
Built in 1953, Dyer Observatory sits atop one of Nashville’s highest peaks. Since its opening, the observatory has served as a community resource for the teaching of science as well as a venue for public, private and corporate events. In 2009 Dyer Observatory was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Dyer Observatory is located at 1000 Oman Drive, off Granny White Pike between Old Hickory Blvd. and Otter Creek Road, near Radnor Lake. Directions are available on the Dyer website.