Q & A: Dawn Carroll on Mary Cardwell Dawson, Mystery Manor, & ‘If the Walls Could Talk’

Dawn Carroll is dedicated to helping revitalize the legacy of opera pioneer Mary Cardwell Dawson and helping preserve the historic National Negro Opera House (Mystery Manor) in Pittsburgh. Her mission ties into broader themes of historic preservation, mentorship, and education, inspiring future generations through music and educational initiatives – continuing Dawson’s legacy. Carroll, a stone designer and co-founder of the {…}

May 11, 2026

Gabriela Lena Frank: Pipelines to Cultures, Stories, and Becoming the First Latina Opera Composer at the Met

(Credit: © Erik Castro) As music can travel through time, space, and lands, Gabriela Lena Frank has traveled through a multitude of worlds that now brings her to the Metropolitan Opera debuting her Spanish-language opera “El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego,” May 14th. Recent winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Music, the 25th anniversary Heinz Award, and the {…}

May 8, 2026

Q & A: Jordan Best & Lori Schulman on the Santa Cruz Opera Project

(Photos: courtesy of the artists) Chamber opera is growing in appeal. Not only with composers, such as Missy Mizzoli and Nico Muhly, but also with producers such as Pocket Opera and West Edge Opera looking for small and untraditional venues in which to present their work. Minimalist opera in small halls invariably attracts new, young, inquiring audiences and companies such {…}

May 7, 2026

Q & A: OperAffinity Founder Breana Stillman on Working with Organization & Festival’s Future, Working with Refugees & How Music Creates Connection & Understanding

It was during her years working as an opera singer in Germany that Breana Stillman first encountered the transformative power of the art form beyond the stage, specifically through children’s choirs involved in opera productions. What she witnessed there, the musical growth, the exposure to languages and cultures, the discipline and sense of community it fostered in young people, planted {…}

May 7, 2026

O2 Trainer: How Bas Rutten Links Opera & the Art of Professional Fighting

(Photo: Bas Rutten) It’s hard to imagine what could possibly link the divine art of classical singing with the somewhat brutal (if noble) art of professional fighting. Bas Rutten, the legendary former MMA master and pioneer, UFC world heavyweight champion and ‘Hall of Famer,’ three-time ‘King of Pancrase’ world champion, kickboxer extraordinaire, self-defense expert, stuntman and Hollywood movie star will {…}

May 1, 2026

Q & A: Svetlana Aksenova on Contemporary Opera and the Psychological Depth of Her Characters

Svetlana Aksenova is a name that, in today’s operatic world, has become synonymous with a rare synthesis of flawless vocal command and confessional dramatic truth. A soprano from St. Petersburg, she trained at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory, where she first drew critical attention as a student with her performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Iolanta.” Aksenova belongs to that select category of artists often {…}

Apr 30, 2026

Q&A: Will Liverman on ‘Factotum: The Groom & Glow Lounge’ at Governor’s School for the Arts

(Photo credit: GSA) Will Liverman is one of the great baritones of his time performing at the Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, Atlanta Opera, Minnesota Opera, Tulsa Opera, and Santa Fe Opera. In the midst of his run as Figaro in Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” at Houston Grand Opera, Will Liverman took time to talk with OperaWire about “Factotum: The {…}

Apr 30, 2026

Q & A: Alessandra di Giorgio on the Importance of Drawing From Personal Experiences That Give Depth to Her Work

Alessandra di Giorgio is a critically acclaimed soprano spinto whose rich vocal timbre and dramatic intensity have already earned her a place on some of the world’s most prestigious stages. Her repertoire spans some of the most demanding soprano roles in the operatic canon, including Amelia (“Un Ballo in Maschera”), Giulietta (“Les Contes d’Hoffmann”), Manon (“Manon Lescaut”), Brünnhilde (“Siegfried”), Lady {…}

Apr 25, 2026

Q & A: Shepherd School of Music on Staging Verdi’s ‘Falstaff’ and Supporting the Future of Opera

On April 17, 2026, the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University raised the curtain on their mainstage production of Verdi’s comedic opus, “Falstaff.” Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the school has grown from its inception as Rice’s music department through the support of community partnerships and donors, and has developed into a vibrant and effective center of musical education and {…}

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