Young Artists: Surprise Opera at the Market

On March 24, WNO's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists surprised shoppers at a busy Whole Foods when, dressed as store clerks, they burst into song with Verdi's Brindisi from La Traviata. Why? To bring opera out of the opera house and into everyday lives, promote their upcoming performance with the Baltimore Symphony, and show people that opera's fun.

[@sunlion9676]

Wonderful! I hope this happens when I’m out shopping one day! I would tick off a bucket list item! 😊

[@krakatoa1200]

Love it Young artists entertaining the shoppers That guy is good!!

[@ejvanloon]

I was there! It was fabulous.

[@noelandsandypilling372]

Why not in my neighbourhood, I so appreciate these people who have worked so hard in their life to bring us this unbelievable talent wonderful music. I love it all.

[@jakehoot8811]

This really got to me. I love opera and those people looked so happy

[@daddy-stories-for-freddie]

Taking opera to the people (rather than expecting them to pay top prices and go to the opera house) is taking opera back to its origins, when it was always popular with ordinary folk and never elitist. I can't wait to see my first flashmob.

[@gedanst1]

The joy of those days is gone ... forever

[@doyoulovehimloretta1607]

No my friend, we will find it again someday I promise. The good will come back.

[@gedanst1]

@@doyoulovehimloretta1607 I can only hope you're right, but ... anyway, thank you for your beautiful thought. Have a wonderful day

[@lindahull4801]

Opera in a grocery store. I loved it. Wish they'd perform where I shop.

[@sueevans7835]

Bravo! What a treat when shopping!

[@flossie5432]

Oh look- no microphones ! Great "impromptu" performance.I wish I'd been there.Such a treat to have this happen.

[@jennyf09]

I think they are there, look at the centre of the man's apron.

[@dpfeifer2194]

I wish we still had the opera in baltimore.

[@NikolasKarampelas]

That was so great I applauded at my screen

[@8aelke]

And now I notice that I really like the opera: excellent!!

[@krakatoa1200]

The young guy on the fruit and veg, has a superb mature voice.. I wish i could have been there.

[@avalanche9026]

I bet they got a raise ?? Just beautiful surprise that day ? Lucky costumers.

[@DAwNzy7]

THAT WAS AMAZING. . .I hope these Random Acts of Culture just go VIRAL :)

[@sheilaclemett4353]

I love opera flash mobs. There should more more of this... in New York!

[@tonyfernandes3557]

...and elsewhere!...

[@Tizocgringo]

Absolutely delightful and joyful. Do more!

[@peterhobson3262]

She 's an excellent soprano.

[@donniegray553]

such STRONG voices! (WOW) Would LOVE to have this happen to me (from USA)

[@caroltubeyou]

What i wouldn't give to be somewhere that this kind of thing happened. I am stunned that their voices sound so bright and clear even with the high ceilings of that market.

[@caroltubeyou]

I just found out there is going to be a Thriller event on Lincoln in Willow Glen on Friday night the 24th.

[@Dad-bv6hw]

2:33 🤣 This was Great!

[@rockingv]

Nailed It!!! Bravo !!

[@cleopatra5050]

How beautiful! How come this does not happen in my supermarket?

[@ДраганаМилекић]

Разбијање монотоније у уобичајеној куповини ,пуној нервозе,,,одлична идеја,,,предивно " !!!❤

[@liveordontwakeup]

this is so beautiful I wish I was shopping there at that time :(

[@nicoletxl]

we need more of this!

[@krakatoa1200]

We do,, i love it.

[@makaescobarespina]

You make me cry guys! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏💖

[@sunlite9759]

Beautiful.

[@chatita9527]

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ I wish I could have seen this live!

[@ВладимирУрюпин-ш9п]

Прелесть!!! Брависсимо! Получил истинное наслаждение. С П А С И Б О !!

[@johnferguson4089]

Absolutely WONDERFUL!

[@syl20carle]

Brilliant. Absolutely Brilliant!

[@jewelmarkess]

@Drelnis I agree. This is a fun free performance in the middle of Whole Foods. It's meant to attract people to opera. Those who are new to opera will not notice the flaws but may enjoy the music and decide to go to try opera. These are very young singers not stars and are probably nervous singing in this environment. In fact, I'd love voice majors do it in all universities too. A lot of people don't realize how much talent there is in opera, at all levels.

[@kirsteni.russell5903]

I want to shop at that market!

[@WilfBond55]

Not at the prices "Whole Paycheck" charges.

[@n.r.2258]

An outstanding project 👍

[@linus0804]

So wonderful!

[@jacklynpascarelli8139]

Hermoso totalmente un momento para recordar siempre 😢😅🙏🙏🙏😘🤗🤗😘😘🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️

[@anarosagarciazavala7742]

¡ QUE AGRADABLE SORPRESA PARA LOS ASISTENTES A ESTE SUPER-MERCADO !

[@jobee9356]

Fabulous! I wonder what the people thought when they saw the tv camera BEFORE they started singing. This is a version of what the improv group in NYC does-the ones who staged a most interesting event at Grand Central Station. Can you imagine this happening at Morton Williams or Gristedes?

[@JasonGross]

Bravo! Please perform at NYC supermarkets too!

[@josephspera4337]

Absoluely marvelous, just great....

[@joanoldham8435]

Wow!!!! Never happens inmy supermarket. Fabulous!

[@Beethoven1216]

amazing people ! ! !! ! ! congratulations! !

[@gordonadams5891]

The soprano voice reminds me of my daughter's. Lovely!

[@MedusaNY]

Bravo! I'd love to see more of this happening to promote opera.

[@ianhaigh4878]

I agree with carol to be in the same place as this must be mind blowing brilliant

[@hudsonsoul1121]

Don't even have groceries at my local shop. Fabulous

[@frankietruro5692]

Fantastic:) one of the very best

[@mariateresadominguez]

Ya me gustaría que me pasara a mi... Los felicito ...

[@iloveyoumarcg]

AMAZING!!!!!!!! Please come to Jacksonville FL!

[@МавжудаКенжаева-л9я]

BRAVOOO🌷⚘🌷⚘🌷⚘🌷⚘🌷

[@WilfBond55]

This stuff never happens when I go to the grocery store.

[@doyoulovehimloretta1607]

Me either

[@ernestgrossman433]

Damn... and I've been buying my produce at Publix!

[@placeholderlastname3418]

Seems you need to switch markets! Have fun!

[@bettyroos3620]

When the tenor began singing, WOW! A few more years, a tish more control and voila,. The lady has a fine voice. Pitch is the problem for her. Loved it. Want to hear them in about ... tomorrow.

[@geoffreyhughes9979]

Wonderful.

[@tomfroekjaer]

Terrific !!!!!!!!!!!! Great, absolutely fantastic !!! Thanks for uploading !!!!

[@ikbenholland]

this is my italy, music, sunrise and happy people

[@gudrunhorst6289]

Bravo very great

[@faucignymarcel9380]

merci Maestro Domingo

[@nalib11]

BAHAHAH! The shot of the little kid at 2:34! Hilarious!!!!!

[@DiversEvent]

I loved this. GREAT!!!

[@graziettadigirolamo1224]

Stupenda esibizione bravissimiiiiiiiii complimenti

[@petergaiser8497]

Brilliant idea

[@TheSujitKDas]

Amazing rendition.

[@macondo0143]

The other day I thought I was lucky enough to witness the same performace of La Traviata at my local Walmart, but sadly it was just two old folks fighting for the last loaf of bread on the shelf SAD.... !!

[@henrikbgeskovnielsen5612]

BEAUTIFUL :)

[@pameladowe5330]

Would shop there anyday!

[@giovanniscognamiglio3667]

from Italy...G R A Z I E !!!

[@msjonimoto]

Wonderful and the sound is pretty decent in the video. I wish I had been there. I love the dancing and tossing the apple. Too bad those opera singers all had to get day jobs at Whole Foods! (Kidding...) I think it would have been better had they, like the Philadelphia one, had some of the stars undercover as customers.But this was lovely!!

[@Esstther]

What a nice SURPRISE. Maravilloso. Come to Panama and surprise us.

[@gudrunhorst6289]

Amazing

[@jewelmarkess]

@Drelnis True. The general public today has no clue of what opera is. I share your worry because while AGT does seem to waken some interest in other singers but a) some people don't hear the difference b) many don't appreciate how big the difference is and how many better singers there are out there (not just stars but even students or unemployed singers) b) that there is a lot more beautiful music in opera. I think we need to be more active in pointing it but in a polite and respectful way.

[@nextlifearotti]

with my luck I'd be there doing my shopping in the 10mins between leaving work and picking up the kids from school!!!

[@fagica]

as my mechanic says, if i didn't have bad luck, i wouldn't have any.

[@Boleyok1]

VERY NICE

[@yerushalaim1967]

יפה מאוד! Yafah meod! Very beautiful! Muito lindo!

[@julianyeong4805]

Bravo!!!

[@moniqueruppel6511]

Queria estar lá para ter visto a vivo e a cores BRAVO

[@krassimirastoyanovapetrova7175]

Magnifico!

[@zyn1347806]

this video told me life is OPERA !

[@therandeydenyah]

Fabulous...

[@Nobilangelo]

Verdi would be pleased.

[@sinargumentos...]

QUE BELLAS VOCES❗❗❗❗❗❗

[@olliet7739]

The tennor is fantastic!

[@bacassa]

Awesome!!! Where was this at please>???

[@bengemeister]

Wish I was there-I could check out while the punters were watching the performance.

[@giuseppesoromanistamagnell3806]

CHE MERAVIGLIA, FOSSERO TUTTI COSI I SUPERMERCATI CI ANDREI PIU' VOLENTIERI ......

[@barbaramillicentroberts1253]

Vero! Purtroppo i nostri supermercati sono noiosi.

[@marialetiziaquagliotti5581]

giuseppe so romanista magnelli anch'io

[@poseidonasd5780]

Φίλοι καλημέρα από την Ελλάδα εγώ δεν άκουγα όπερα και όταν άκουσα σήμερα μου αρέσει τόσο πολύ που ακούω συνέχεια

[@Provadenz]

Wow!

[@romainlefranc3760]

Magnifique ténor !

[@opera888able]

A fine "Alfredo" the Violetta isn't to bad either.

[@MP-zw8ff]

Woooooow 😍😍😍

[@bartilloti]

Acho isso lindo !!!!!!!

[@MrBelmont79]

I sang once in a store and the store manager called security.

[@karmilacarmelo621]

It's nice, lovely 😘

[@liright8896]

Phenomenal!!

[@nildaroxanaramirezgonzalez2745]

Me encanta 😍

[@iliorossi1357]

Bellissimo e commovente

[@oliviabjerke1]

Brilliant

[@DesertAnnie]

Watch this video from Valencia, Spain! (Under: "Opera at the market 2009" - by Misterfawlty). The onlookers are more "reactive" than our American ones...I think they are more 'hip' to the Opera than we are...don't you? I love the expressions on their faces (especially the senior citizens)! You can tell this "made their day" -- and they probably all left singing Verdi's "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" ("The Drinking Song") for the rest of that day!! ;-) Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

[@onabush4966]

Bravooooo