Q & A: Baritone Kenneth Overton on Returning to Live Performance & Spotlighting the Lives of the Black Opera Greats

Baritone Kenneth Overton recently performed for the first time in front of a live audience at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. The performance, entitled “To America,” celebrated the poetry of the civil rights activist, James Weldon Johnson, an early leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and who is buried at Green-Wood. “To America” {…}

Oct 20, 2020

Death of Classical to Explore Music and Poetry in ‘To America’

Death of Classical is set to present “To America,” an immersive event which comes in partnership with The Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. This event is inspired by the poetry of James Weldon Johnson, writer of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” who is also buried in the cemetery; it will be curated by DoC founder Andrew Ousley, Harry Weil, the cemetery’s {…}

Jun 11, 2019

New York Opera Fest 2019 Review: Dido & Aeneas

When Dido, the Queen protagonist in Henry Purcell’s baroque opera sings her final aria “When I am laid in Earth,” not only do we hear some of the most beautiful music that was ever composed, Purcell also invites us on a journey of deep introspection, forcing us come to terms with the frailty of human existence. But in recent performances {…}

Feb 19, 2019

New York Opera Festival Announces 2019 Slate

Arguably the biggest New York City opera event of the summer is the New York Opera Festival, which will be entering its fourth iteration this summer. The beauty of the festival is that it features a plethora of major companies coming together to express themselves through opera. This has not changed in 2019, which features performances throughout May and June. {…}