(Photo credit: Kerstin Hammerschmid)

Living Opera has announced the new podcast “Behind the Curtain,” hosted by soprano Soula Parassidis and tenor Norman Reinhardt.

The video podcast, filmed at the Hotel Bristol in Vienna, takes listeners beyond the stage and into the heart of opera. Through candid, thought-provoking conversations, the podcast explores universal themes such as personal growth, leadership, and perseverance.

In the first episode, which was released on Dec. 3, Parassidis and Reinhardt discuss the life of opera singers. They reflect on founding of their organization, Living Opera, as well as performance anxiety, balancing passion and pressure, and the harmful pursuit of perfectionism.

Christos Makridis, co-founder of Living Opera, professor, entrepreneur, and social scientist joins the conversation in episode two. Together they discuss the intersection of economics and opera. Makridis shares his research on artists’ labor market experiences and the fascinating challenges of interpreting artistic careers through data. They also discuss the issues of artist compensation and the broader value of the arts in our society.

“Behind the Curtain” is uploaded weekly to all major listening platforms.