The Celestial Opera Company
The Celestial Opera Company
Testimonials
We have enjoyed providing the local community with arts education and great, affordable performances. We have given singers, instrumentalists, costumers, make-up artists, stage crew, lighting technicians, and many more a chance to hone and refine their skills while building their resumes for future endeavors.
What Our Performers Have Said:
It was truly a pleasure working with you all! I'd do it again in a heartbeat! All the best! Robert DeVaughn, Moralès
Dear Judith,
It is a pleasure to work with someone so passionately committed to artists and the arts. You, along with Andrea and others, create an environment that is unique and I am grateful.
The speech you gave was beautiful. My friends were commenting on it even the next day… How moved they were.
You are an inspiration and I am honored to know you. :-)
Christopher Anderson-West, Don José
It was a pleasure for me to work with everybody in this wonderful cast . And we had an extraordinary staging ! Looking forward to another production.
Claudia Maria Schmidt, Chorister
Thank you (Judith) for all your kindness and heart!! Singing with Celestial is always so fulfilling and worthwhile!
Natalie Salins, Micaela
I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU again for my very first opera experience with The Celestial Opera Company. I learned so much and was inspired in many ways.
Thank you, Judy, for providing the opportunity as well as the beautiful scarf and earrings! I am also thankful to have had that moment during your touching speech about Orlando for us to come together in solidarity and heal.
Thank you, Tim, for your genius & guidance as maestro, Maurice for your commitment to excellence in direction that brought out the best in us, and Paula for your choreography that brought more beauty to the stage. Last but not least, thank you Andrea for always making yourself available to answer our questions, making the whole experience smoother for us all!
I loved being a part of this cast and I can't forget the talented orchestra who played wonderfully!
Thank you again for the opportunity in us coming together as a community, and creatively sharing our gifts!
In gratitude, Sharon Pierre-Louis, Chorister
What a pleasure to finally work with Celestial Opera. This has been one of the best opera experiences ever! Love to work with you again!
Shawn Taylor, Dancairo
Thank you so much for trusting me with this role and inviting me to be a part of your company. It has been an absolute pleasure!
Chloe Smart, Micaëla
Dear Ones,
Please allow me this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation to everyone who was a part of this once in a lifetime experience. The joining of this group of people will never be forgotten. Thank you everyone for making Carmen at The Celestial Opera Company a special moment in time.
With deepest sincerity,
Cynthia Nitrini Stary, Mercédès
"Thanks so much for a challenging and fun experience (and the chance to hear some really fine singing)."
Joe Braun, percussionist
Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Mentors,
I just want to add my gratitude to absolutely everybody, for embracing my humble efforts while in the chorus. This was an awesome experience! It was a very nurturing atmosphere to work in. While the work was very rigorous, I felt great with everyone, because there was always a guiding and helping hand extended to me. Many thanks, to you all and especially to our leaders!
Sergio Fajardo, Chorister
I just wanted to express my gratitude for the opportunity to sing "Adele" for the Celestial Opera Gala. It's a role I've always wanted to sing so was thrilled to learn it. Working with all of you was truly a wonderful experience for me. I really appreciate the positive and encouraging atmosphere at Celestial as well as the creative vision and artistry. I am so happy to see the Company flourish again because of you.
Thank you so much for a terrific experience!
Best wishes,
Carol Winston, soprano
What Our Audience has Said:
Oh my goodness! I have never seen a better “Carmen”. Super congrats. Not only was most of the singing spot on, but the acting and emotion that was emitted was fantastic. Your Carmen (Emily Lezin)was quite the seductress, and I fell in love with Don Jose (Franz Stary). He portrayed that role so well. I really felt compassion and empathy for him. I can truly say that this is the first time I really got the in depth understanding of what this opera was about, even though I’ve been in it before. I really felt for the characters and their struggles/problems. And of course Natalie (Salins, Micaëla) was fantastic as usual. My brother-in-law was even enthralled by it, and he’s a CPA who normally doesn’t like opera.
Brava to you and yours!
Lani Bartlett, singer, audience member
We were very impressed with your productions! We enjoyed it all – your talented singers, the musicians, the costumes, the staging, the SUPERTITLES! Judy, my friends and I will definitely return to Celestial Opera. Congratulations! You have a winner!
Mary Duggan, retired elementary school teacher, opera lover
What an exquisite production. We all left so exhilarated by the beauty, the voices, the caliber of acting, the professionalism, the sets, the beautiful food – all made for an absolutely magical event. And then there is you (Judy), so kind, intelligent, beautifully mentoring talented young performers and creative people in the community. Your knowledgeable, intelligent and compassionate guidance never fails to amaze me.
Susan Singer, retired elementary school teacher and Founder of the Nutrition Network, LAUSD
Kudos for making Celestial Opera a place where pros and developing singers can find a home!
Mary Lou Basaraba, Resident Chorus Maestra: California Philharmonic , Golden State Pops Orchestra, Redlands Bowl Festival Opera (in hiatus); Founding Director: Nevada State Opera
What a wonderful gift you are giving the world through The Celestial Opera Company. The glorious voices and the melodies linger on. We appreciated the contemporary settings accenting the timelessness of the human emotions.
Ray Heer, retired minister and minister of music
BRAVO! CONGRATS ON YOUR "2ND ACT"! You have really made a comeback for Celestial and I hope it continues. The casts were good and I really enjoyed the operas. Keep going!
Beverly Passon, retired opera singer and philanthropist
Thank you for the wonderful evening of truly memorable opera I so enjoyed on April 26th! Welcome back, Act II! Congratulations, Ms. Townsend, on all you've done to bring these artists together - amazing comeback!
Marie Lange
From our Music Director:
Beautiful singing and your true caring from the heart is what makes the "Celestial" family an always enjoyable and fulfilling experience for me! I suspect it is this caring from the heart which speaks to all of us. If I may compare this company to the impressive, mythological phoenix who obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor, The Celestial Opera Company too, has experienced a burnout and a renewal, and an impressive regeneration. I'm certain many of us have experienced these seeming opposites at times throughout life, and it reminds me of a quote - it is not a quote so much about opposites as it is about CONNECTION. This is what every singer and artist really desires from the creative pursuit. After all the lessons, the coachings, and even Adele's (and even yours, perhaps) "fine arts degrees", we must CONNECT to our listener. This ability to connect is a gift I have uniquely found within the "Celestial" family.
Best regards,
Timothy León