Social Scene

Opera Camerata of Washington Presents La Bohème

By Mary Bird • February 27, 2014 0 2060

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium H. E. Jan Matthysen and Mrs. Agnes Matthysen, Opera Camerata Executive Director Michael Reilly | Mary Bird

Ambassador Matthysen acknowledged that turning the embassy residence, “a house built for a family,” into an opera house for 120 guests had been “quite challenging for the musicians and for the house.” The transformation proved a great success on Nov. 16 as Opera Camerata of Washington presented Giacomo Puccini’s beloved La Bohème. Following a cocktail reception and seated dinner, narrator Robin Phillips elegantly set the scene as Russian born soprano Olga Orlovskaya and Mexican tenor Jesús Daniel Hernández pledged their love. Now in its 23rd year, Opera Camerata’s In-School Programs bring opera and classical music into the school systems without charge.