Q & A : Dingle Yandell on Digital Opera & Popular Music Videos With ‘What Power Art Thou’

(Credit: Zen Grisdale) The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) is actively creating new life in the digital realm of opera by evolving the genre’s traditional standards and exploring alternate creative interpretations to share with audience members at a broader level through a new series called “music video remake” films. The aesthetic concept underlying OAE’s recent film which features bass-baritone {…}

Jun 6, 2021

Reviving The San Cassiano – Paul Atkin Discusses His Plan to Rebuild The World’s First Public Opera House (Part 3)

Rebuilding Venice’s San Cassiano theatre will be a formidable task in and of itself, yet behind the scenes there is a raft of other issues and initiatives which need considerable attention. In this third and final part of OperaWire’s interview, Paul Atkin, the man behind the project, discusses some of these concerns, including what it means to be a public {…}

Jun 4, 2021

Q & A: Composer Steven Mackey on His New Opera ‘Moon Tea’

Credit: Kah Poon Not “afternoon tea,” but “aftermoon tea” is the subject of a new 25-minute opera by GRAMMY-winning composer Steven Mackey and Obie Award–winning librettist Rinde Eckert. Composed in under two months, it premieres June 10 as part of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’s “New Works, Bold Voices Lab,” which supports contemporary storytelling by American composers and librettists. Artistic {…}

May 30, 2021

Reviving San Cassiano – Paul Atkin Discusses His Plan To Rebuild The World’s First Public Opera House (Part 2)

Since 1999 Paul Atkin, CEO of the San Cassiano Project, has been working towards fulfilling his dream of rebuilding the world’s first public opera house, the San Cassiano theatre: a place that the world has not seen since its destruction in 1812 during the French occupation of Venice. In the first part of OperaWire’s interview with Atkin, he talked about {…}

May 27, 2021

Who Wants to Be an Opera Star – To Present a Show for Children, Opera Idaho Adapted the Work of Another Opera Company

Courtesy of Opera Idaho Opera Idaho gave new meaning to the phrase “from stage to screen” when sharing a children’s show with Idaho schools during the pandemic. During April and May, they offered “Who Wants To Be An Opera Star?” as a free 30-minute online video for children in K-6. It was adapted from the original 40-minute stage version created {…}

May 25, 2021

Q & A: Nicolas Repetto on Composing the Music for ‘The Sound of Identity’

(Credit: Nicolas Repetto) On June 1, “The Sound of Identity” will be released on digital platforms and demand. The documentary follows the baritone, Lucia Lucas, on her historical performances of “Don Giovanni” at the Tulsa Opera. Having premiered at the OutShine Film Festival, the movie went on to win the Programmers Award For Excellence and scored rave reviews from critics {…}

May 23, 2021

Q&A: Laura Kaminsky & Kimberly Reed on Bringing the Differing Viewpoints & Cultures Together in ‘Hometown to the World’

(Credit: Hawai’i Opera Theatre) The new opera, “Hometown to the World” by composer Laura Kaminsky and librettist Kimberly Reed had its digital world premiere on May 21, 2021, at 1 p.m. HST with Hawai’i Opera Theatre. “Hometown to the World” is commissioned by the Santa Fe Opera and co-commissioned by the Hawai’i Opera Theatre. This work centers on the ICE {…}

May 23, 2021

Reviving San Cassiano – Paul Atkin Discusses his Plan to Rebuild the World’s First Public Opera House (Part 1)

The year 1637 saw one of operatic history’s defining moments: Venice’s San Cassiano theatre, the world’s first public opera house, opened its doors to the paying public for the first time for a performance of “L’Andromeda” by Francesco Manelli to a text by Benedetto Ferrari. Anyone who could afford the price of a ticket could attend. Opera had escaped the {…}

May 15, 2021

Q & A : Classical Musical Producer David Frost on The Art of Recording Music

(Credit: Greg Helgeson) On the other side of the concert stage or recording booth from the singer, another artist is working their magic. This is the music recording artist. They consult about repertoire, prepare for the recording sessions, produce them and later supervise all post-production activities. One of the best in this field is David Frost, who has produced numerous {…}

Apr 10, 2021

Q & A: Cornelius Meister on Staatsoper Stuttgart’s ‘A Day with Ariadne auf Naxos: In Search of Lost Closeness’

(Credit: Marco Borggreve) On April 11, the Staatsoper Stuttgart will present “A day with Ariadne auf Naxos: In Search of Lost Closeness.” The interactive day will feature Cornelius Meister conducting Richard Strauss’ “Der Bürger als Edelmann” and “Ariadne auf Naxos” and a number of other interactive activities including interviews, a backstage tour, and a virtual foyer with artists and performers. {…}

Apr 5, 2021

Q & A: Haymarket General Director Chase Hopkins on Stepping Into a Leadership Role in a Trying Time

When the COVID crisis has hit literally every opera company — big or small – every manager was forced on deciding how to overcome it, based on their own experiences. Tenor and Opera Manager Chase Hopkins didn’t have much under his belt when in February 2020, just before the pandemic hit the United States, he was offered the position of {…}

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