LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The Las Vegas Clark County Library District is hosting a free opera concert series this month as part of its Black History Month programming.
The event, titled Bach to Beyoncé, takes audiences through a vocal journey showcasing Beyoncé hits influenced by classical music. The first performance is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Windmill Library. A second performance will follow the next Saturday at the Summerlin Library. Both shows begin at 3 p.m. Seating is first-come, first-served.
Opera meets Beyoncé
Performer Courtney Ankerfelt, with the Las Vegas City Opera, is among the artists appearing in the show.
“If I can show people that opera is not just for fancy ball gowns and expensive tickets, everybody is welcome,” Ankerfelt said.
Ankerfelt said Beyoncé’s music draws directly from operatic tradition.
“Beyoncé brings a lot of opera into her music. She uses recitative. She uses storytelling,” Ankerfelt said.
Beyoncé has become known for breaking genre barriers, from the 2001 musical film Carmen: A Hip Hopera to her latest Cowboy Carter album.
Ankerfelt said Beyoncé has performed classical Italian repertoire. “I can assure you that Beyoncé has sung one of the 23 Italian arias,” she said. “And the way it impacted my life is exponential. I mean, it’s really, it feels like it almost opened a different part of my brain.”
Black History Month focus
African American artists have fundamentally transformed opera, breaking racial barriers, demanding color-blind casting and introducing new narratives.
The library district has hosted a Black History Month show for five or six years, according to Ankerfelt.
“We’ve been doing a Black History Month show for quite a few years now. Five or six. And each year we kind of choose an amazing Black artist. And this year we chose Beyoncé,” Ankerfelt said.
Ankerfelt also spoke to the role of Black artists in opera.
“Being a brown woman in opera is very interesting. We aren’t pigeonholed,” she said. “I love not being color-cast in that way. It’s truly who has the most fitting voice for the role. I love that.”
Library district’s mission
Kelvin Watson, executive director of the Las Vegas Clark County Library District, said the programming reflects the district’s broader purpose.
“It’s about learning and experiencing something that you may not have had the opportunity to experience without the library,” Watson said.
Ankerfelt added that she wants the experience to feel accessible to all attendees.
“I want people to be able to come to the opera, woo it up, give me some woos. It doesn’t have to be so buttoned up,” she said.
The Las Vegas Clark County Library District offers more than 30,000 programs each year.
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