By Anne Levin
New York’s famed Metropolitan Opera often uses a slogan, “All the Stories on One Stage.” When Princeton University sophomore Gabrielle Liberman and fellow students decided to bolster opera opportunities on campus by forming the Princeton Opera Company (POCO), that slogan rang true.
“I thought about that a lot. Because for many people, opera can seem stuffy or old-fashioned,” said Liberman, who is president of the student-run organization. “But it is so emotionally compelling and beautiful, and it represents the entire human experience. Some of it is serious, some of it is funny. It’s one of the most exciting mediums to be a part of.”
This weekend, POCO presents its first fully staged production since the COVID-19 pandemic. Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi will be performed Friday and Saturday, March 27 and 28, at 7:30 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium. Landing those dates was an achievement for Liberman and her colleagues, who applied for the annual Richardson residency, which is given to only one performance group a year out of several hundred that apply.
“We decided to apply as a shot in the dark,” said Liberman. “Richardson is the largest auditorium on campus, and the acoustics are amazing. That’s what was most important. Opera is very tricky. You need to have the right acoustics and a certain type of resonance.”
Over fall break, the students found out they had secured the coveted week at the venue. “It was thrilling,” said Liberman. “We immediately got to work.”
POCO’s goal is “to fill the operatic voice on campus by giving students opportunities to perform, produce, compose, direct, learn, and love opera on campus and to provide a visible community for students passionate about this art form,” reads a mission statement. “We seek to keep opera on campus.”
The company was founded in 2011, but went silent during the pandemic. When Liberman, a mezzo soprano, arrived at the University as a freshman, she saw that there was a limited amount of opera-related activity on campus. She and her fellow opera devotees wanted a more formal organization.
“We worked with leaders of the interim model, which was very limited, and decided to go our own way with a student-run company,” she said. “We talked with past leaders and learned from them. We use their constitution, making changes as we go. We worked over the summer on this project. We also spoke with people in the music department here. And we got it up and running.”
A prospective history major with a possible minor in music performance, Liberman fell for opera when she was 10. My grandmother put on a CD of arias by [soprano] Gabriella Tucci. I had never heard opera before, and of course I loved that we had almost the same name,” said Liberman. “No one in my family did opera. But I loved to sing. I started looking online, and taught myself an Italian aria. In high school, I started competing and eventually won a national [“Young Arts”] award.”
It was through that competition that Liberman met baritone Lukas Palys and mezzo soprano Vanessa Niu, both of whom ended up at Princeton. Palys is POCO’s opera chair, and Niu serves as publicity manager.
“The opera world is very small,” said Liberman. “It’s kind of crazy how it all came full circle.”
POCO has additional performance opportunities on campus. Each fall, they do an opera scenes concert, and in February they collaborate with the Princeton University Sinfonia. Choosing Gianni Schicchi for its fully staged production was a careful decision.
“We wanted to be strategic about what we chose, considering the music, length, and community engagement,” said Liberman. “Gianni Schicchi is a tight, one-act opera that gives the singers a learnable chunk of music. It is very musically compelling, and it’s also a comedy with a funny plot.”
The staging is modern, with simple sets that might surprise viewers. “One of our props is an oxygen tank,” said Liberman. “We have a limited budget, so there’s been a lot of improvisation. It’s both a revival year for the company, and a crazy year of University budget cuts. So we’re learning how to make the money stretch. It’s been challenging but inspiring to see how many solutions people come up with.”
Future plans for POCO include an event in Short Hills and a performance to be announced next year.
“Our goal as a company is to serve everyone who loves opera already, and also attract new audiences,” said Liberman. “We want people who never thought they would go to something like this to come see us. You can find every kind of story imaginable in opera. It makes me cry with joy sometimes, and I’m not an emotional person.”
Visit arts.princeton.edu for tickets.