By Mike Baker

After spending a year in the wilderness, the Highlands Opera Studio roared back to life this past weekend with the first performance in a new online concert series.

From May 2 to July 31, the studio will be releasing 13 newly recorded concerts over 13 weeks, bringing performances back to the most intimate of arenas – your very own living room. The shows will feature popular past and present professional artists from Highlands Opera Studio, as they share a wide-array of musical pieces that are close to their heart.

The mini-concerts will be between 30 and 40 minutes in length, and will cover a range of different styles and themes. Shows will be available to enjoy online at any time during the week they debuted until the following Saturday.

“During this past year of turmoil, the performing arts have come to a standstill. While we are yet unable to clearly see the end of this pause on collaborative live performance, we want to give these talented young professional artists a chance to reflect and express through their chosen medium, as well as give our loyal audience a taste of what we have all been missing – the beauty of the human voice,” said Valerie Kuinka, general and co-artistic director with Highlands Opera Studio.

The cost to purchase a link to a single concert is $10, while a season-pass for all 13 performances is available for $100. The first concert in the series, which debuted on Sunday, features mezzo soprano Catherine Daniel and pianist Roger Admiral.

For more information, visit www.highlandsoperastudio.com.