West Edge Opera is set to present “Jacqueline” as part of its festival this August. The opera, which explores the story of famed cellist Jacqueline Du Pré, will feature cellist Matt Haimovitz and soprano Marnie Breckenridge. Both artists headlined the opera’s premiere at Tapestry Opera in Toronto in 2020 with Breckenridge winning the DORA award for “Outstanding Performances by an {…}
California’s West Edge Opera and Earplay Chamber Ensemble have announced the lineup for the SNAPSHOT 2024. First up is an excerpt from “Madame Thermin,” an opera by Kennedy Verrett and George Kopp based on the true story of a Black ballet dancer Lavinia Williams and her relationship with electronic music pioneer Leon Theremin. Also on the slate is Tony Asaro {…}
West Edge Opera has announced that it will commission “L’Autre Moi.” The work for eight singers and 13 instruments tells the story of surrealist photographers Marcel Moore and Claude Cahun, female lovers, and Jewish activists who used their art as a means of empowering resistance in Nazi Germany. The work is written by Matthew Recio and Stephanie Fleischmann and is {…}
West Edge Opera has announced its SNAPSHOT 2023 lineup scheduled for March 18 and 19 at The Hillside Club in Berkeley and the Taube Atrium Theater in San Francisco, respectively. Among the works programmed are Luna Pearl Woolf’s and Andrea Michelle Stolowitz’s “The Limit of the Sun,” a work that portrays “the complex relationship among a kidnapped journalist, the journalist’s {…}
West Edge Opera has announced its 2022 summer opera festival. The season kicks off with Händel’s “Julius Caesar” with Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen in the title role. He will be joined by Shawnette Sulker as Cleopatra. Other cast members include Cenk Karaferya, Katharine Pracht, Sarah Coit, Ashraf Sewailam, Glenn Healy, and Jasmine Johnson. Mark Streshinsky directs a production conducted by Christine {…}
West Edge Opera has announced that their 2022 summer festival will be held at The Scottish Rite Center in Oakland, California. The move will mark the company’s return to performances held at unconventional, historically-rich spaces. Designed in 1927 by Carl Werner, the building was remodeled in 1939 and is located across from Lake Chalet. The venue will allow the company {…}
West Edge Opera is set to present “Snapshots” on April 9 and 10, 2022. The showcase, which will be a co-presentation with Earplay Chamber Music Ensemble, will feature five new operas including Cesar Cancino and Scott DeTurk’s “The Dark Horse;” Michael Kaulkin’s “Lilith;” Gabrielle Rosse’s “Cristina Doesn’t Need Saving;” Jean Ahn’s “Remembrance;” and Ryan Suleiman and Cristina Friès’ “The School {…}
West Edge Opera has announced the continuation of its Aperture’s residency program. Starting on November 1, 2021, subscribing audiences can watch composer and librettists further their latest works, as well as receive progress reports on all projects supported by their contributions. Composer and librettist Nicolas Lell Benavides and Marella Martin Koch will return following a successful commission for their new {…}
West Edge Opera has announced the commission of “Dolores” by Nicolas Lell Benavides and Marella Martin Koch. The new opera, which explores the story of famed activist Dolores Huerta and the 24 hours that followed the assassination of Bobby Kennedy in Los Angeles, was the winner among eight finalists that participated in the company’s “Aperture” program over the past eight {…}
West Edge Opera has announced that it will be adding an additional live performance of “Snapshot” on May 16, 2021, at 4 p.m. There is another performance set for May 15. The showcase, which is part of the Snapshot series collaboration between West Edge Opera and Earplay, will feature several short operas by a number of unique artists. Among the {…}
West Edge Opera in Berkeley, California has announced its 2021 festival. The festival opens with Janacek’s “Katya Kabanova.” Jonathan Khuner conducts a new production directed by Indra Viskontas. The opera will star soprano Carrie Hennessey, tenor Christopher Oglesby, soprano Kristin Clayton, mezzo-soprano Sarah Coit, tenor Alex Boyer, Philip Skinner, and Chad Somors. Performance Date: July 24-August 5, 2021 The company {…}