Q & A: Carla Lucero on How Opera & Storytelling Meet Social Justice  

In a modern world burgeoning with new operas each year, some artists are ensuring their cultures  be spotlighted in an industry constantly being innovated. Quinteto Latino and Opera Cultura, are two artistic pioneers with similar missions: spotlighting Latino artists while uplifting  communities through diverse storytelling. Quinteto Latino, a wind quintet engaging audiences  through education and performing commissioned pieces by Latino {…}

Q & A: Christopher James Ray on the Importance of Carlisle Floyd in His Life Ahead of Carnegie Hall Centennial Concert

(Photo Credit: Curtis Brown) On June 20th, Carnegie Hall will host a Carlisle Floyd Centennial concert celebrating one of American opera’s most distinctive voices. Floyd, who authored both music and libretto for his works, built a canon rooted in rural life, the Great Depression, and the post-Civil War American South, earning him the designation of “Dean” or “Father of American {…}

Q & A: G. Phillip Shoultz, III Artistic Director, Educator, and Pastoral Musician on ‘Sing Democracy 250’

  G. Phillip Shoultz, III, Artistic Director of “Sing Democracy 250” reveals what went into the preparation and nature of the upcoming concert in Constitution Hall, a concert to echo the words of the Declaration of Independence 250th anniversary. “Sing Democracy 250” is a multiyear program bringing youth choirs and adult choirs from around the country to seek meaning in {…}

Q & A: Artistic Director Alexander Steinbeis on the 40th Anniversary of Kissinger Sommer

(Photo Credit: Hanna Becker) Alexander Steinbeis assumed the artistic directorship of the Kissinger Sommer festival, succeeding Kari Kahl-Wolfsjäger and Tilman Schlömp, in April 2021. Previously, he served for 13 years as managing director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. In this role, he was responsible for the overall artistic planning, the introduction of numerous innovative concert formats, and worked closely with {…}

Q & A: Robin Norton-Hale on Filming ‘La Boheme’ & Her Upcoming Projects

  Robin Norton-Hale is a multi-award-winning freelance writer and director for theatre, opera and film, currently based between London and Sheffield. She is the Artistic Director and CEO of English Touring Opera and an executive coach. She was the founding Artistic Director and Chief Executive of OperaUpClose, an award-winning opera company with a focus on inventive new English-language productions of {…}

Q & A: Baptiste Charroing on Leading the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées & the Weight of History

When Baptiste Charroing assumed the helm of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in September 2025, he brought with him something rare in the world of major opera houses: he already knew the place intimately. A trained viola player turned producer and arts administrator, Charroing had spent years working across some of France’s most distinguished musical institutions: from the Palazzetto Bru Zane, {…}

Q & A: Alexandre Dratwicki on Palazzetto Bru Zane, Clémence de Grandval’s ‘Mazeppa’ & Rediscovering Rare Works

Palazzetto Bru Zane has been on the forefront of the rediscovery and international promotion of the French musical heritage of the long nineteenth century. Its interests range from chamber music to the orchestral, sacred and operatic repertories, not forgetting the lighter genres characteristic of the ‘esprit français’ of the nineteenth century. Beginning in 2009, it has performed concerts and staged {…}

Q & A: Composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate on His Journey, ‘Loksi’ Shaali,’ & Future Projects

 (Photo Credit: Shevaun Williams) Few voices in contemporary opera carry the weight of history quite like Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate. A citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and one of the foremost Native American classical composers working today, Tate has spent decades building a singular artistic mission: to bring Indigenous culture, language, and storytelling to the world’s great stages. His catalog spans {…}