Here Is How Opera’s Biggest Stars Are Protesting Donald Trump’s Inauguration

By Francisco Salazar

On Jan. 20 Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States with million of Americans protesting the controversial figure.

The inauguration ceremony has stirred controversy as many musical figures have refused to perform while others have been forced to withdraw. There are also a number of concerts that will be performed at the same time as the inauguration in order to pull attention away from Trump. And of one of these will be headlined by some of opera’s biggest stars.

Isabel Leonard, Nathan Gunn, Patricia Racette, Lawrence Brownlee, Matthew Polenzani, Lester Lynch and Kyle Ketelsen will join forces alongside other Broadway stars and actors and will perform “The Hillary Speeches.” The filmed concert performance will feature two of Hillary Clinton’s watershed speeches, both of which have been set to music by the composer and conductor Glen Roven. Produced by Camille Zamora and Glen Roven, the concert film will be streamed online on Jan. 20, 2017, in conjunction with the presidential inauguration ceremony. The two speeches that have been set to music are Mrs. Clinton’s first announcement of her candidacy and her presidential concession speech on Nov. 9, 2016.

Roven conducted the concerts on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at Bill Clinton’s presidential inauguration ceremonies and was inspired to set Clinton’s speeches to music following her defeat in the 2016 presidential race.

 According to Roven “When I mentioned this project to these singers, their immediate response was, ‘I’m in.'”

The concert will be streamed on www.NationalSawdust.org, as well as other web outlets to be announced, on Friday, Jan. 20 at 12:00PM.

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