Tri-Cities Opera announced its performance schedule for next season as it prepares for its 70th anniversary next year.

TCO held a news conference at its center on Clinton Street this morning.

Members of the media were treated to resident artists Stacey Geyer and Tascha Anderson singing the “Flower Duet” from Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.”

Butterfly will begin the season with one performance at the Forum Theater on October 14.

Then, TCO will stage Puccini’s “Suor Angelica” inside Trinity Memorial Church in

Next February, a production of the one act opera “Three Decembers” staged in the Opera Center’s Savoca-Hibbitt Hall.

Then back to the Forum in April 2019 for Gilbert and Sullivan’s “HMS Pinafore.”

General Artistic Director Susan Ashbaker says 70 years is an impressive run.

“There are not many towns of our size or counties of our size that have an opera company.  Tri-Cities Opera grew out of the community.  We didn’t bring in and glue a bunch of singers on, we grew it from the community.  So, when people come to work here, they live here,” said Ashbaker.

Special events Opera and Beer, Cabaret on Court and Bravo Broadway will also be back next season.

Tickets for this season’s last production, “The Tragedy of Carmen” are on sale.

For information on that and next season, go to TriCitiesOpera.com.