New Delhi, May 12 (IANSlife): Ever been to the opera? With award winning world premieres and international audiences, opera company Opera Philadelphia had its 2019-20 season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now extending its season online with video streams of five recent productions, including four new works that received their world premieres from 2015- 2019, all through May.

Starring bass Kevin Burdette, soprano Kiera Duffy, baritone Theo Hoffman, countertenor John Holiday, mezzo Frederica von Stade, and many more leading singers, the productions are anchored by members of the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra and Chorus.

The festival comes at an urgent time of fundraising for the company, which must raise $4 million by May 31 in order to move forward with plans for the 2020-2021 season, it said in a statement.

Opera on the couch with this e-festival

"Digital Festival O, which premieres when we had been scheduled to gather at the Academy of Music for a live production of Madame Butterfly, celebrates the joy so many singers, musicians, composers, librettists, conductors, directors, and designers have brought into our lives through these new operas and productions, giving us an opportunity to share in the power of music and theater while reminding us that we will all gather together again in the future. It is our hope to see everyone in September at Festival O20, but until that time Festival O stands for Online," said David B. Devan, General Director and President of Opera Philadelphia.

The operas have been receiving digital premieres from May 1 through May 29 on YouTube and operaphila.org. They will remain available on-demand for varying lengths of time through August 31, following each digital premiere.