An operatic celebration for modern audiences.

Gen Z is already confusing enough to the generations that came before it. Gen Zers reject traditional careers, don’t answer phone calls, and somehow manage to be both chronically online and deeply nostalgic at the same time. 

But here’s the curveball no one saw coming: this supposedly attention-starved generation actually likes opera. And if the crowds gathering in unexpected corners of Park City are any indication, they might be embracing it in ways no one expected.

That shift didn’t come from an institution, a museum, or a grand hall. It came from young opera singers — Lisl Wangermann (director of development), Lena Goldstein (executive director), and Benjamin Beckman (artistic director) — who simply decided that if opera wasn’t part of Park City’s cultural mix, they’d create it themselves. 

“I had been interning with the Park City Arts Council,” Lena says, “and noticed that although there was a very vibrant arts and cultural scene, that a lot of classical music was missing, and opera in particular was completely absent.” The town had films, concerts, nightlife, festivals — everything except the one art form that relies entirely on human breath, human bodies, and an almost unbelievable kind of sound.

Lisl and Lena weren’t intimidated. They had already met at Yale, where opera wasn’t just something they performed, it was something they built. “All the opera is primarily student-run,” Lena says. “We had to do all the parts of the production; stage management, directing, costume design, lighting design, producing, applying for grant funding, venues, ticket sales. We had to learn all of that.” By the time they graduated, they didn’t just know how to sing. They knew how to run an opera company.

They didn’t wait for Park City to develop an appetite for opera. They brought opera to Park City in forms no one expected. What they realized immediately was that the real obstacle wasn’t the music. It was the fear of not knowing how to enter the experience. 

“That first entry point can be really, really tough,” Lena says. Operas can be long, sung in a foreign-language, formal, and intimidating. Even she wonders before trying something new: “Who’s gonna be there? And how long will the thing be? And what do I wear, will there be food and drink, and can I have my phone out?”

Instead of fighting those questions, they answered them by breaking opera out of its traditional box. Rather than asking people to show up in gowns and jackets, Park City Opera performs where people already feel at ease. A glass greenhouse at Park City Gardens became the backdrop for an operatic winter gala one month, and a breezy summer salon the next. 

“In the winter, people chose to dress for the season, and in the summer, it was a totally different vibe altogether,” Lena explains. Their production of The Barber of Seville took place in a Main Street speakeasy, where audiences descended underground into a nightclub transformed into a theater. “We had cocktails that were themed for the characters,” Lisl says.

The most telling moment came from their very first performance at the Park City Library. Lisl remembers someone coming up to her and saying, “I saw you last summer while I was walking my dog at the dog park across the street, and I heard it, and I really want to come again.” The woman wasn’t even at the event — she just happened to be within earshot.

That’s the key to Park City Opera’s approach. By performing in familiar spaces, they reduce the number of unknowns. Lena puts it simply: “Instead of five things being new, now it’s only two — the music and the language. We’re removing so many unknowns for people.” 

Once the barriers fall away, something surprising happens: the sheer physical power of opera does the rest. “We don’t use microphones,” Lena explains. “All of the power is coming from developed technique. You’re feeling it in your bones as a listener.” It’s a human experience that feels almost athletic. “There’s an almost athletic quality, like you’re in awe that a human body can create that.”

Kids notice it too. Park City Opera often visits classrooms, especially in schools where music programs are shrinking. “The jaws drop and the eyes widen,” Lisl says. Many students have never heard an unamplified operatic voice before. Some have never heard live classical singing of any kind. Their reaction is instant and visceral.

The founders reject the idea that opera is only for older audiences or elite tastes. Lisl calls out the “doom and gloom” some people spread about classical music. “I’m a young person. I love opera. And I know a lot of young people who also love opera. It’s not age dependent.” For her, the real reason opera wasn’t present in Park City wasn’t a lack of interest — it was a lack of opportunity. “You could say, there’s no opera there because no one wants it there, but we have a different view. There’s no opera there because no one has created opera for that community.”

Tenor David Silvano, who performs with the company while pursuing his doctorate at the University of Utah, echoes this sentiment. “I view Park City Opera as a community,” he says. “They are just so welcoming and collaborative. I feel very lucky to be a part of it.” The company welcomes new singers, volunteers, and creatives from Utah and beyond. Their philosophy is simple: if you want to participate, they’ll find a way to include you.

And now this young, unconventional company is presenting a holiday opera that fits their mission perfectly. On December 17, at Clubhouse SLC, Park City Opera will perform The Gift of the Magi, a 70-minute opera in English based on the classic O. Henry story. There’s no language barrier, no intimidating runtime, and no rigid rules. The evening will include a full orchestra, a hot cocoa and cookie bar, and a local artisan market — an operatic celebration shaped for modern audiences, especially the curious newcomers who never imagined themselves becoming opera people.In a rare treat, the December 17 performance will also feature the opera’s composer, David Conte, who is traveling from the Bay Area. He will join the audience for an intimate Q&A immediately following the show. 

Feature Image: A member of Park City Opera performing during a recent community event. All photos courtesy of Park City Opera.