The organizers of Fort Worth Opera Festival know that there are some misconceptions out there about opera. The first is that it’s all so old and stuffy; given that so many of the great works are in fact pretty old, it’s an easy assumption to make. The second is that opera is an all-in situation: you have to sink serious cash into tickets, dress the part, and pay the valet if you want to experience the beauty of the art form. Great strides have been taken over the past decade in both areas: new blood is infusing even the most staid of opera institutions, and many opera houses have shifted to making their art more accessible by booking events in movie theaters and beaming live events in public places for free. This year, the festival’s Frontiers: A New Works Showcase aims at making opera, particularly brand new pieces, even more accessible as eight 20-minute segments of operatic previews are presented over a span of two days. At 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, at the Kimbell Art Musuem, 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd, audience members will have a chance to see unpublished and self-published pieces presented by composer/ librettist teams who have put together astonishing glimpses into what opera will look like in the very near future. The program is open to the public at the very democratic admission fee of $10 per night; tickets can be purchased at fwopera.com.
Thu., May 7, 6 p.m., 2015