Photos by Matt Madison-Clark This review is of the July 23, 2022, Berkshire Opera Fest Performance “At the heart of what we do is produce the greatest opera at the highest level. The Berkshires is a magical place. There was a void of opera, and so here we are,” Jonathon Loy, Berkshire Opera Fest’s (BOF) Co-founder and Director of Production, {…}
The Berkshire Opera Festival is set to open its 2022 summer season with a new production of Jake Heggie’s “Three Decembers.” The production will be performed on July 21 and 23 at PS21 in Chatham, NY and will be conducted by Christopher James Ray. Beth Greenberg, who will direct the production, says, “Buried secrets…dark whispers…love, and devastating loss…all collide and {…}
(Credits: Virginia Opera) The Virginia Opera has announced its upcoming performances of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s “Three Decembers.” The work, which opens on Jan. 28, and is set to run through Feb. 13, 2022, is based on the unpublished play, “Some Christmas Letters,” by Terrence McNally. The cast includes Karen Ziemba, Efraín Solís, and Cecilia Violetta López. Adam Turner {…}
Opera San José will extend access to its “Three Decembers” stream. The company announced that due to the support of generous donors it would be able to extend the stream and would be available on a pay-what-you-can basis. In a statement, Opera San José General Director Khori Dastoor, “We are grateful for the generosity of our long-time donors who have {…}
Fort Worth Opera (FWO) has announced an expansion of its 2021 spring lineup that comprises a film festival in partnership with the Metropolitan Opera, a virtual celebration of Black History Month, a collaboration with Opera San José, drive-in events, and more. For the first time in FWO’s 74-year history, the company will collaborate with the Metropolitan Opera to create an {…}
(Credit: David Allen) Opera San José has announced an extension of its virtual Christmas presentation of Jake Heggie’s chamber opera “Three Decembers” until Jan. 31, 2021. World-renowned mezzo-soprano Susan Graham will lead a cast that is also headlined by soprano Maya Kherani and the baritone Efraín Solis. Pianist and conductor Veronica Agranov-Dafoe and pianist Sunny Yoon join the cast with {…}
Opera San José has released a documentary that details the making of “Three Decembers.” The opera will be released via streaming on Dec. 3, 2020 and stars Susan Graham, Maya Kherani, and Efraín Solís. “To be back doing what I do, it’s a miracle,” Susan Graham states in the film. “I’m so proud of this company and its resourcefulness and {…}
(Credit: David Allen) Opera San José has announced that it will offer its virtual production of Jake Heggie’s chamber opera, “Three Decembers,” with Spanish and Vietnamese subtitles. The company noted that the Latin and Vietnamese communities are among the largest in San Jose. In a statement, Opera San José said, “the company is dedicated to producing accessible, affordable, world-class performance, {…}
Jake Heggie is one of the significant opera composers of the 21st century. Born on March 31, 1961, Heggie grew up in Columbus, Ohio and started studying the piano at age seven. After his father’s suicide in 1972, Heggie began writing music and his family relocated to the San Francisco Bay area. He studied at the UCLA for both his {…}
The San Diego Opera has announced its 2018-19 season, which will feature a number of repertory staples as well as major debuts from international artists. The season opens with Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro,” starting on Oct. 20, 2018. The cast will include John Moore, Nicholas Brownlee, Caitlin Lynch, Sarah Shafer, all in their company debuts. Other cast members will {…}