Thursday, June 18, 2026
6:00 – 7:00 PM
Dilworth Park
1 S 15th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Now in its 5th year at Arts on Center Stage, East Passyunk Opera Project (ePOP), returns during the Philly Pride Arts Festival with a vibrant evening of Opera and Jazz in the heart of Philadelphia.
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Acclaimed vocalists tenor, Teddy Balfour-Austin, and soprano and jazz artist, Nia Drummond, join forces with outstanding pianist and collaborator, Aurelien Eulert, and Geoffrey Deemer from the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra for an unforgettable live performance. We’re proud to continue sharing this annual tradition with the Philadelphia community.
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Performance from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. | Free and open to the public
Bring-your-own blanket or chair encouraged. Seating in the Greenfield Lawn is limited.
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The Arts on Center Stage is generously supported with funds
from the Center City District Foundation (CCDF).
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Programs are weather permitting and subject to change.
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Program
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"Granada" – Agustin Lara
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"My Man’s Gone Now" – PORGY AND BESS – George Gershwin
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"This Heart that Flutters" – Ben Moore
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"Vogliatemi bene" – MADAMA BUTTERFLY – Giacomo Puccini
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"God Bless the Child" – Billie Holiday
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"Where is it Written?" – YENTL – Michel Legrand/Alan and Marilyn Bergman
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"Lush Life" – Billly Strayhorn
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"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" – THE WIZARD OF OZ – Harold Arlen/ E.Y. “Yip” Harburg
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“Make them hear you” – RAGTIME – Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens
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"O Patria Mia" – AIDA – Giuseppe Verdi
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“Nessun dorma” – TURANDOT – Giacomo Puccini
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"Somewhere" – WEST SIDE STORY – Bernstein / Stephen Sondheim
Artist Biographies
Teddy Balfour-Austin, tenor
Thomas "Teddy" Balfour-Austin is an accomplished Philadelphia-based operatic tenor and trumpeter. Known for a "rich, commanding tenor" voice, he has performed in major venues, including The Metropolitan Opera, the Apollo Theater, and Carnegie Hall.
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He was recently awarded a place in The Denyce Graves Foundation's Generational Voices Program, has appeared in masterclass with soprano Latonia Moore, and studies with internationally acclaimed tenor, Jesus Garcia, in Philadelphia.
Geoffrey Deemer, oboe
Geoffrey Deemer has been the Principal Oboe of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, holding the Judith and Marshall Meyer Chair, in memory of her brother, Dr. Lawrence Pinsof, and the Academy of Vocal Arts orchestra since 2001 and Principal Oboe of Opera Philadelphia orchestra since 2009. He began performing with The Knights, a New York-based chamber orchestra, in 2014.
A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where he was a student of Richard Woodhams, Geoff is a consummate professional who is equally at home in a variety of settings. In addition to his regular performances with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the Academy of Vocal Arts, and Opera Philadelphia, he is a member of two chamber music ensembles, the Amerita Chamber Players and the Dolce Suono Ensemble. He has performed four concerti with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, including Vaughan Williams’ Oboe Concerto. Geoff has performed with the world's best conductors including James Levine, Christoph Eschenbach, Kurt Mazur, Simon Rattle, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Mstislav Rostropovich, André Previn, Sir Neville Marriner, David Zinman, Robert Spano, Hans Vonk, Otto Werner-Muller, Ignat Solzhenitsyn, Marin Alsop, Yuri Temirkanov, Jahja Ling, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
Nia Drummond, soprano and jazz-artist
From the Apollo Theater to the Kennedy Center, Nia Drummond has wowed audiences with her artistry globally, singing opera, R&B and everything in between. Her musical journey started in Brooklyn, where she drew inspiration from Ella Fitzgerald and Barbra Streisand; since then she has worked with renowned ensembles, performed with legends such as Sir Elton John & John Legend, appeared in symphonic works and operas lead by James Levine and Lorin Maazel, and performed for three presidents and various government officials. Nia has been featured on Tamron Hall, Access Hollywood, and Great Performances on PBS, and has collaborated with artists such as Samora Pinderhughes and Josh Groban. Recently, Nia’s viral video, serenading Busta Rhymes, has further elevated her career reaching 15 million viewers and counting making her a must-watch force in the industry.
Aurelien Eulert, pianist
Hailing from Alsace, France, Aurelien Eulert made his U.S. house debut in 2014 with Palm Beach Opera as diction coach for their production of Les Contes d’Hoffmann and head coach for the Young Artist Program. Since then, he has been on the music staff of Charlottesville Opera, Opera Memphis, Opera Roanoke, Palm Beach Opera, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, USC Thornton Opera, UCLA Alpert School of Music, Pacific Opera Project and the Los Angeles Opera Education department. Aurelien has played for acclaimed singers such as Marilyn Horne, Phyllis Curtin, Dawn Upshaw, Frederica von Stade and Rod Gilfry. He has assisted and performed under conductors such as James Conlon, Robert Spano and John Williams. In 2019, Aurelien was named Head of Music Staff at OperaDelaware, and was instrumental in launching the company’s Young Artist Program. He had previously held the position of Chorus Master and Principal Pianist since 2017. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, he was instrumental in OperaDelaware’s switch to digital and outdoor performances and continues to manage the acclaimed Pop-Up Opera program with outdoor presentations on the company’s mobile stage. Aurelien’s 2021/22 season included a return to the theatre stage with OperaDelaware’s productions of Don Pasquale, The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro, and a debut with Opera Southwest for Pelléas et Mélisande. His 2022/23 season includes debuts with Opera Philadelphia, Opera Baltimore and Intermountain Opera Bozeman. Aurelien holds degrees from the Conservatoire National de Strasbourg, Syracuse University and the University of Southern California, and attended the Tanglewood Music Center in the summer of 2010.