For the first time in the history of the performing arts in Dayton, season-ticket subscribers to the Dayton Ballet, Dayton Opera or the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Classical 9 or Family Series are being offered a wide range of free ticket options for each of the other art forms.

It’s all made possible as a result of the merger of the three organizations into the new Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, which became official July 1.

In the past, the three organizations staggered their summer start dates for single-ticket sales. As a result of the merger, a coordinated sales effort is in effect for the first time. Both season subscriptions and individual tickets to dozens of local performances are now on sale.

“The free ticket offer to subscribers is being introduced in this inaugural year to allow patrons to sample the other art forms,” said Chuck Duritsch, communications and media manager for the Alliance. “In the past, we’ve occasionally offered a single free ticket to a specific production, but now a subscriber can choose from all 79 productions, assuming there is a seat available.”

The hope is to get an opera buff, for example, to sample a dance performance.

The free passes come in the form of vouchers. Those Ballet or Opera patrons who have already renewed their subscriptions will automatically receive their two vouchers with their season tickets, one to each of the two remaining art forms. In the case of the Philharmonic Classical 9 or Family 4 Pack, subscribers who in the past received a “wildcard” for another DPO production will now be able to choose across all three art forms.

Any DPO subscriber to the Classical 6, SuperPops, Rockin’ Orchestra, Classical Connections or Symphony Sundaes or Family Series will be able to choose a complimentary ticket from a selected list of performances from all three organizations.

“A great example of the benefit is that if you subscribe to the DPO Family Series, you can redeem your “wildcard” for ‘The Nutcracker’ or ‘Cinderella’ for an additional family experience,” Duritsch says.

Dayton Ballet Artistic Director Karen Russo Burke says the merge of the three arts organizations offers benefits for both the arts groups and the arts patrons. Patrons, she says, will now experience a multitude of art “sensations” when coming to performances.

“The Dayton Ballet is very excited to be a part of this new entity because of all the new opportunities it will bring to the ballet and its patrons…live music with the ‘Nutcracker,’ dancing in operas. It adds more performances to the ballet’s season and pushes the dancers in new directions,” she says.

“The future,” Burke says, “has endless possibilities.”

With tickets now on sale for the new season, we asked the three Alliance artistic directors to talk about the shows they are most looking forward to this season and what they would recommend to someone new to their art form. We also share the upcoming season schedule and season highlights for the newly aligned arts groups.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PERFORMANCE OF THE UPCOMING SEASON AND WHY ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT IT?

Karen Russo Burke, Dayton Ballet:

“I think ‘Cinderella’ will be the ballet I am most looking forward to. We will have beautiful new sets and breath-taking new costumes and the opportunity to showcase the dancers in a full-length classical ballet. The opportunity to challenge the dancers classically as well as have them portray characters in a story tests their technique as well as their artistry.”

Neal Gittleman, Dayton Philharmonic:

“I’ve got three particular favorites, one in each art form. Ballet: ‘Nutcracker.’ It’s always been one of my favorite ballets, both to see and to conduct. I haven’t conducted it in ages, and it’ll be so much fun to do it again. Opera: ‘The Marriage of Figaro.’ Again, it’s one of my favorites, and it’s been at the top of my operas-I’ve-been-dying-to-conduct list for a very long time. Philharmonic: Our season-closing concert featuring the Brahms Requiem. It also has very special personal connotations for me, since the last time we did it was in October 2001. Those performances seemed to help everyone in the post-9/11 healing process. This season, we’ll pair Brahms’ glorious music of consolation with Benjamin Britten’s intense and dramatic SinfoniadaReqiuem, a combination that I think will be powerful and memorable.

Tom Bankston, Dayton Opera:

“It comes down to a dead-heat tie between ‘Lucia’ with its spectacular ‘mad scene’ soprano showpiece, and the complete Act I of ‘Die Walkure,’ which is part of our ‘The Glory of Wagner’ production. That single act is one of the most fantastic in all of opera!”

WHAT PERFORMANCE WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO SOMEONE WHO IS NEW TO YOUR ART FORM?

Karen Russo Burke, Dayton Ballet:

“‘The Nutcracker’ and ‘Cinderella’ are both family-friendly ballets. They are stories equally filled with magic, humor and beauty and would be perfect for a first-time younger audience attendee. For others, our ‘Past and Present’ series offers three different ballets that will show the diversity of Dayton Ballet by presenting classical ballet, contemporary dance and a full-story ballet all in one evening. In both ‘The Nutcracker’ and ‘Past and Present,’ we will have live music as well to fully enlighten your senses.”

Neal Gittleman, Dayton Philharmonic:

“For newcomers to orchestral performances, I’d recommend any one of our ‘Classical Connections’ concerts. ‘Classical Connections’ — where we talk about a piece, demonstrate it, then perform it — is a great introduction to great orchestral music, especially for those who might be a little afraid of or unfamiliar with classical music. The discussion and demonstrations help prepare the audience for the performance and help them make a personal connection to the music.”

Tom Bankston, Dayton Opera:

“I would recommend ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ for the ‘opera first-timer.’ It is Mozart after all and how can you miss with that? It is also a lighthearted comedy that has a subtitle, ‘One Crazy Day,’ which gives you a good hint about the fun time you have in store with this comic masterpiece. Also our ‘Star Gala’ will be a great first-timer experience with one of the world’s premiere opera artists, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, not singing opera, but rather some real ‘comfort food’ song favorites made famous by the American musical icon Kate Smith.

WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING PERFORMANCE THIS SEASON?

Karen Russo Burke, Dayton Ballet:

“Our most challenging set of performances is the ‘Celebration!’ series. One cannot begin to honor the brilliant past Directors of the Dayton Ballet as appropriately as they should be in one evening. The dancers will be given the challenge to master many diverse ballets and styles in one performance. With only having two hours to represent all the great choreographers and ballets that have graced our stage, choosing only a few was an agonizing task. With the multitude of ballet choices, I hope that I have given the audience some of their favorites, as well as challenged the dancers, and present a balanced program.”

Neal Gittleman, Dayton Philharmonic:

“Probably the ‘Rossini Stabat Mater,’ coming up in November. It’s a big, wonderful, dramatic piece for chorus, soloists and orchestra. I sang in the chorus way back in my college days, and I still remember what a thrilling experience that was. But I’ve never conducted it before. So learning the Rossini is probably my biggest challenge on the orchestra side. But it’ll be a blast, too!”

Tom Bankston, Dayton Opera:

“Our ‘The Glory of Wagner’ production is perhaps the most challenging in our season because of the sheer scope and demands of the works of Wagner. Everything is big — big orchestral forces, big solo voices, big choral forces! Only once in Dayton Opera’s 51-year-history has a Wagner opera been attempted, and in this production, we are tackling excerpts from seven of his monumental operas!”

2012-13 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

DAYTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA:

A wide variety of concerts ranging from classical to pop are part of this year’s Philharmonic season. The diverse programming includes four Classical Connections with Q&As after, four Symphony Sundaes with Graeter’s ice cream served after the concert at the Masonic Center, plus three Family Classical programs. Classical music lovers will hear all five of Beethoven’s piano concertos.

The DPO’s Rockin’ Orchestra Series highlights the music of Michael Jackson, The Doors, John Lennon and The Beach Boys. The Superpops Series combines the orchestra with performers from Cirque deSoleil and Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey, lead singers from Broadway’s “Wicked,” dancers from TV’s “Dancing with the Stars,” “and So You Think You Can Dance” singers from American Idol, two-time Grammy winner Rita Coolidge and jazz guitarist/singer John Pizzarelli in American Song Book.

Grammy and CMA award-winning country singer Pam Tillis and the 70th Anniversary screening of the classic Warner Brothers’ movie “Casablanca” will be backed by the full orchestra at the Schuster Center.

Other major attractions: the PhilharMonster Halloween Concert, Handel’s Messiah at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Viennafest: A New Year’s Eve Celebration and Jessica Hung’s Concertmaster’s Choice at Dayton Art Institute .

DAYTON OPERA:

Dayton Opera’s clever “Occupy Opera” theme this year urges audiences to “Take a Stand…Take a Seat.”

Included in the season will be operas by Mozart, Donizetti and Wagner and a Mother’s Day Salute to American Singer/Icon Kate Smith from mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe.

A semi-staged concert presentation, “The Glory of Wagner,” will mark the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Richard Wagner, the controversial German composer/conductor known for his musical innovations. The selection of overtures, arias, and choruses will culminate in the complete Act I of his monumental Ring Cycle opera, “Die Walküre.”

Many featured performers are making their Dayton Opera debut, others are returning to the Schuster stage. Gaetano Donizetti’s “Lucia diLammermoor” offers Dayton Opera debuts by soprano Angela Mortellaro (Lucia), tenor Joshua Kohl (Lucia’s lover, Edgardo) and baritone Lee Poulis (Lucia’s brother, Enrico). Mozart’s comedy of manners – “The Marriage of Figaro” features newcomers Michael Sumuel (Figaro), Zulimar Lopez-Herdandez (Susanna) and Rebecca Davis (Countess Almaviva) and returning favorites Andrew Garland (Count Almaviva) and Thomas Hammons (Don Bartolo).

DAYTON BALLET

The Dayton Ballet’s 75th Anniversary Celebration includes Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet “The Nutcracker” and a World Premier “Cinderella.” New this season — due to the newly formed DPAA — is the musical presence of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra in two of the company’s offerings.

The milestone season begins with October’s “Past & Present” — the first collaborative performances of the newly-formed Dayton Performing Arts Alliance – pairing Dayton Ballet dancers with Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra musicians for former Dayton Ballet director Stuart Sebastian’s “Mozart Dances.” The program includes a world-premiere ballet by Amy Seiwert, founder and artistic director of Imagery, a contemporary San Francisco ballet company, and a revival of the family-friendly “Sleepy Hollow” choreographed by Artistic Director Karen Russo Burke.

More than 100 local children participate alongside the Dayton Ballet Company and Dayton Ballet II for “The Nutcracker.”

Dayton Ballet will conclude the 75th season with “Celebration!” The program will include a performance of Joffrey Ballet’s “Confetti!” followed by a retrospective of Dayton Ballet’s history from founders Josephine and HermeneSchwarz to the present. The multi-media performance is filled with a collection of favorite ballet revivals by former Dayton Ballet directors and choreographers.