Experiments in Opera, Mabou Mines, and Restless NYC present the world premiere of the new opera “Rainbird.” The work is based on a novel by the celebrated New Zealand author Janet Frame. Experiments in Opera co-founder/executive director/composer Aaron Siegel and the Obie Award-winning creator/director/librettist Mallory Catlett have been developing this work for seven years through residencies at The Collapsable Hole, {…}
Works & Process and Experiments in Opera are set to present “Custom of the Coast” by Kamala Sankaram and Paul Muldoon. The event will take place on Feb. 9, 2025, at the National Sawdust. The evening will showcase a first look at a new opera intercutting the life stories of an eighteenth-century Irish pirate who was sentenced to death and {…}
Experiments in Opera announces its 2025 Winter/Spring season. Soprano Anchal Dhir and mezzo-soprano Rocky Duval give the workshop performance of Kamala Sankaram and Paul Muldoon’s “Custom of the Coast.” They are accompanied by the Flux Quartet. “Custom of the Coast” is co-presented by Works & Process and National Sawdust, and is slated for premiere at the Kilkenny Arts Festival in August 2025. {…}
Experiments in Opera is set to present a world premiere production of its new opera, “Five Ways to Die,” at HERE from June 27-30, 2024. The work will feature a chamber ensemble of five instrumentalists and a cast of six singers in four short, interconnected stories featuring secrets, serial killers, magical portals and of course, death. “Five Ways to Die” {…}
Composer and new music mezzo Dr. Lisa Neher stars in “She Became Fire.” Themes of social justice, feminism, loss, and love, are interwoven throughout the program. The concert features the world premieres of ”Riots” by Drew Swatosh and Carolyn Quick, and “Volume” also by Quick. Also on the program are works by Danielle Olana Jagelski, Neher and Bea Goodwin, Gabriela {…}
Experiments in Opera and Alter Ego Chamber Opera will present a unique double bill featuring “Crystal’s “Channel” and “Soul’s Unscreened” on May 30 and June 2, 2024. “Crystal’s Channel” is an opera that tells the story of a songwriter who uploads a new song every day to YouTube eventually revealing how her mother took her to an exorcist when she {…}
Experiments in Opera is set to give four programs during its spring 2024 season. Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo takes on the title role in the workshop performance of “Nikola Tesla as summoned by the Honorable Spirits of the Grand Gotham Hotel.” Jennifer Zetlan sings the role of Katharine Johnson, with Amanda Lynn Bottoms as Sissieretta Jones/Djuka Tesla, Timothy Stoddard as {…}
New Music USA has announced its 2023 Organization Fund Awardees to 85 creators across the nation. The fund, totaling $620,750, goes to outstanding organizations the work and support the development of music creators and artists that offer a crucial resource to their community. Over 500 entities expressed interest during this year’s grant application process. Those awarded are notable for their {…}
To celebrate the composer’s 78th birthday Experiments in Opera will present “Anthony Braxton Theater Improvisations.” The program will feature the first live performance of Braxton’s compositions No. 279-283 which were written for “improvisational actors and improvising musicians.” These works were recorded by Braxton and Alex Horwitz as “Four Compositions (Duets) 2000.” Director and performer Rob Reese, soprano Kamala Sankaram, and {…}
Alexa Dexa (they/them), composer, performer, and disabled activist, offers one-on-one virtual performances for the disabled community. “Bewitch Yourself” is a tailored performance created by Dexa and the participant together. After an initial meeting, Dexa will use their vast resources and put together a unique “songspell,” – which the composer defines “as intentions holding space for dream possibilities that manifest transformation as {…}
“Aqua Net & Funyuns” was a 2020 project by New York City-based opera company Experiments in Opera taking the form of a podcast where in each 25-minute episode, three one-act “operas” are performed, each with their own plot and cast of characters. However, all three are connected by “easter eggs” (hidden elements) that tie each of the operas together, and {…}