When it Comes to Opera Reviews, This Site Surpasses Them All.

Spreading word about opera in northeast, OperaOnline.us may have no equal in volume.

(PRWEB) October 2, 2004 -- "This year we will review about forty operas in the northeast," says Paul Joseph Walkowski, founder and owner of what may be arguably one of the Internet's fastest growing sites for opera in the northeast. "I can't think of a publication, print or otherwise," he said, "that attends as many performances, or provides reviews for as many opera companies as we do in the northeast, and not just in the major cities."

OperaOnline.us, which is in its second year of publication has managed to insinuate itself with companies looking for a wider audience. "Look," Walkowski says, "it's all about publicity. When we started we had a simple goal: to see if we could create a forum where everyone could turn to see what everyone else was doing in this part of the country. We filled a void, and the response suggests we filled it in a credible way." As for readership, Walkowski says visits to the site have grown every month and now rarely drop below 21,000 page visits -- a figure he says is just the tip of the opera audience he hopes to attract. "More and more we find our site popping up on opera and artist sites, quoting our reviews or referencing a story we may have done about a particular company or conductor or singer. The more I see this, the more I realize we hit a responsive chord."

The site which promotes itself as geared to attracting a younger audience recently rated its review of three new CDs with the words: "This was good." "This was better." "Smmmmokin!" The allusion to a Jim Cary movie brought a few chuckles, he says, and a number of positive comments. "People like it's upbeat and down-to-earth approach to opera," Walkowski says, "And frankly, I wouldn't want it any other way. Our reviews, compared to others' are usually right on the mark. We see what other reviewers see, but I like to think we see better and say so in clearer language."

The site, which updates daily with local (regional) and national news, features news from around the country and, according to its owner, is looking for stories of interest that fall outside the northeast as well. "We promote ourselves as a site providing 'worldwide reviews for a worldwide audience", and that's exactly what we do. That's the power of the Internet." Walkowski says he has been asked and invited to attend operas outside the northeast and provide reviews, but has had to decline for the time being until he finds additional, credible reviewers who share his love of opera and are not too high-minded. "Look, the object here is to be independent and to offer an outsider's look at what each company produces and offers, and then introduce others to their fine work."

Has OperaOnline.us ever trashed an opera, or is it all sun and roses? "Well, Walkowsksi says, "I attended 'A Street Car Named Desire' at the Kennedy Center in D.C. with my reviewer and neither of us was enthused. I think I was the tougher of the two," he says, "but directed my negatives at the composer for producing such an elitist piece, which is a problem with many contemporary composers."

Walkowski says he thinks that at its present level, OperaOnline.us could probably do fifty reviews a year, "but to do this, I think we need to secure a major national advertiser. The cost of bandwidth and space at our IP isn't free. But the return on investment," he says, "is something I think would pay off for the right advertiser. Opera has a very loyal and dedicated audience that comes to our site for one reason --opera. Whether an advertiser wants to say 'buy this' or just 'we support this site' is not important" Walkowski concluded, "What is important is that our readers will see them, and make the positive connection in their own minds."

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