Join us at the Oil City Library on Monday, July 3rd at 3:00PM for a LIVE opera performance by opera singer Jamie Bastello in the library’s upstairs historic theater! The performance is sure to be unique, as the library’s historic theater features curved walls for optimal acoustics. Admission is free & open to the public.

The performance will be accompanied by a showing of slides from the Heritage Society of Oil City’s archives depicting historical scenes of early Oil City, as well as presentations on the history of the library’s theater. The Heritage Society will also have items for sale during the performance, including old Oil City newspapers, books, Grove Hill Cemetery memorabilia and the newest Hidden Heritage compendium.

This event will serve as the kick-off to a massive project that aims to raise funds to restore the library’s upstairs theater, dubbed Raising the Curtain on Act II: Oil City Library Hall Restoration Project.

ABOUT JAMIE

Jamie Bastello (she/her) is an opera singer, live performer, recording artist, and socially engaged artist from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Originally from Austin, Texas, Jamie was in her first opera, La Boheme, at the University of Texas. She was recognized at an early age for her vocal talents and was trained by an international opera singer, Gina Decloux. In 1993, Jamie moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she studied with retired Metropolitan Opera singer Helen Vanni. In 1997, she studied applied voice at the University of New Mexico. During this period, she performed in such operatic works as I Pagliacci, Cavalleria Rusticana and at the International Opera Academy of Rome, performed Le Nozze di Figaro in Rome, Italy. In 2000, Jamie performed professionally with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, an internationally acclaimed chorale in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition to releasing two solo albums, Jamie has also worked with esteemed composer Conrad DeJong in recording his original work, “Sea Drift.” Jamie has performed as a guest performer and solo artist throughout Colorado and New Mexico.

Recently, Jamie was invited to live and work in Oil City, Pennsylvania through the Arts Oil City Artist Relocation Program. She was drawn to the program because of its focus on supporting and promoting local artists and was excited to be a part of the revitalization efforts happening in Oil City. Since moving to Pennsylvania, Jamie has been actively involved in the local arts community, collaborating with other artists and cultivating programming and projects that showcase the talent and creativity of the region such as “Artist Sunday.” Jamie has also recently performed with the Venango Regional Choir and was a choral member and soloist in Handel’s Messiah with The Franklin Civic Operetta Association.

Jamie is committed to using her talents to make a difference in the world and is constantly seeking new opportunities to connect with audiences and share her love of music. She is excited to see what the future holds and is looking forward to continuing to grow and evolve as an artist.