Los Angeles-based Guild Opera Company has an impressive, if understated, history. Presenting productions for children since 1949, the company can call itself the second oldest in the state of California, after San Francisco Opera. Marilyn Horne made her operatic debut with the company in 1954, and singers from Mary Costa to Heinz Blankenburg to Marni Nixon also got their starts, in part, with Guild Opera.
That’s a serious pedigree to be celebrating. Guild Opera is hosting a gala performance this Saturday, Oct. 26, commemorating its 70-year history. The afternoon, at L.A.’s Barnsdall Gallery Theater, will feature a mix of scenes from the company’s touring children productions, as well as selections from the standard operatic repertoire. Composer and pianist Robert Chauls, also a Guild Opera officer, will accompany the company’s singers.
Tickets for the event, beginning 2:30 p.m., are available here. Students qualify for a discounted rate, and children 12 and under are free.
