Baltimore Concert Opera Online Silent Auction Live Through November 24 With Performances of Norma

BALTIMORE - Nov. 14, 2013 - PRLog -- BALTIMORE, Maryland (November 12, 2012) – Baltimore Concert Opera (BCO) will host its festive annual Silent Auction in conjunction with performances of Bellini’s Norma on November 22nd and November 24th. This great opportunity for holiday shopping and self-gifting includes online bidding for two weeks prior to the live event, giving patrons and friends maximum opportunity to bid and win. With this early start, BCO hopes to meet this year's goal of $10,000, supporting its mission to keep opera alive.

“We are very excited about our silent auction this year,” states Julia Cooke, Executive Director. “There are numerous opportunities to give to organizations during the holidays and toward the end of the year. Creating ways to make giving this support easier is paramount. Having the online component of the auction experience ensures that people have a chance to join the bidding, regardless of whether or not they are able to go to the live auctions at the performances.”

This year’s silent auction is online via 32auctions (www.32auctions.com/baltimoreconcertopera2013) and has many categories from gift certificates to specialty items. All listings are displayed with a picture and details and payments are accepted by credit card. Bidders have proxy bidding and Buy It Now options available. Online bidding will end at 9:00 PM on Sunday, November 24th, but final live event bidding will occur at the two performances of Bellini’s “Norma” on November 22ndand November 24th.

For more than 180 years now, Norma has been inspiring some of the world’s best sopranos and thrilling audiences and has become one of the most important operas in the bel canto style which literally means “beautiful singing.” Fresh from her widely praised performances as Lady Macbeth at BCO, soprano Francesca Mondanaro returns to BCO for the quintessential diva role. Bellini’s tale of the Druid high priestess betrayed by love is sure to sparkle in the theater of the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion.

Baltimore Concert Opera holds an important place in the Baltimore opera community serving two communities - those who are being introduced to opera for the first time, and seasoned opera-goers who are interested in seeing opera performed in a different fashion. BCO showcases talented musicians singing great operas in an intimate, non-threatening environment and is vested in instilling and sustaining an overall interest in opera and the arts in the community.

BCO performances are held at The Engineers Club where they are artists in residence. For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit www.baltimoreconcertopera.com. BCO is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.