The Miracle of Hanukkah, the new one-act opera by Victoria Bond, receives its world premiere on Sunday, December 11 and Sunday, December 18, 2016 at 3 pm, performed by Chamber Opera Chicago. Bond's opera is paired on a double-bill with Gian Carlo Menotti's holiday favorite Amahl and the Night Visitors. Performances are at the Royal George Theatre (1641 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614). Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students/seniors, $10 for children age 12 and under, and are available at Ticketmaster at this link.

Amahl and the Night Visitors
This marks the 11th season that Chamber Opera Chicago has produced Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, with original direction by Francis Menotti, based on his father's original 1951 production, assisted by Kyle Dougan. One of the most inspiring operas of all time, Amahl is the story of a poor shepherd boy whose life changes forever when he sees an amazing star "as big as a window," delivering a timeless message of how faith, charity, unselfish love and good deeds can work miracles. Sung in English with orchestra conducted by Victoria Bond, the production features dancers from Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater.

The Miracle of Hanukkah
Victoria Bond composed the music for The Miracle of Hanukkah, joining forces with the New York Times best-selling children's author and illustrator Susan L. Roth for the libretto. The one-act family opera was commissioned by The Young Peoples Chorus of New York City, who developed The Miracle of Hanukkah in workshop performances.

Set in a contemporary classroom, the The Miracle of Hanukkah tells the story of a boy who experiences his own personal miracle while learning about the historic miracle of Hanukkah. The opera includes traditional Hanukkah songs as well as original music by Bond and libretto and artwork by Roth. "We are very excited to present the premiere of this new children's opera, a companion piece to Amahl with the same instrumentation but from a different cultural perspective," said Barbara Landis, Artistic Director of Chamber Opera Chicago. "Having conducted Amahl and the Night Visitors with Chamber Opera Chicago since 2005, I wanted to create a similar piece for the concurrent Jewish holiday, a short work that could eventually be paired with Menotti's classic tale, " said Bond.
Victoria Bond and the librettist Susan L. Roth have a long history of collaboration, including Bond's music for Roth's books Do Re Mi, Nothing But Miracles, and Listen to the Wind. The Miracle of Hanukkah is orchestrated for the same instrumentation as Amahl and the Night Visitors.