(Photo © Courtesy of the artists & the US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music) Two black granite stones, each 246.75 feet long, carve a V-shape into the earth with the names of 58,000-plus dead soldiers in chronological order. Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial is more than meets the eye. In 1981, the 21-year-old Yale student who {…}
The beloved Chinese hero, Monkey, landed in San Francisco Friday night, complete with an entourage of dancers, singers, acrobats, and antics that came from an ancient story revisited, along with video-games and comics, among others. In the Lobby, before the performance, a group of young drummers from Grant High School, Sacramento and dancers from the Chinese American International School with {…}
Seattle Opera has announced that it will present the world premiere of “The Wedding Banquet” in January 2027. The new comic opera is inspired by the 1993 film directed by Ang Lee and the re-imagined version by director Andrew Ahn that debuted to widespread acclaim earlier this year. The opera, co-commissioned and co-produced with The Metropolitan Opera, is composed by {…}
“An American Soldier” by Huang Ruo is a striking timely piece. It is a tale about identity and what it means to be American—or to be perceived as such. At its core, it proffers a grimly pessimistic view of society, in which Pvt. Danny Chen, a New Yorker, was racially harassed, abused, and assaulted by fellow soldiers stationed in Afghanistan {…}
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) has announced the appointment of Huang Ruo as Composer in Residence for three years. During his tenure, the Chinese-born / New York-based composer will compose a new chamber symphony for the ensemble, which will be premiered in 2027-28. Before that premiere, he will get to know the ensemble and work in a curatorial role as {…}
(Photo credit: Boston Lyric Opera) Works & Process announces its 40th anniversary season taking place in spring 2025. For the purposes of this article only opera events are included. Fortieth Works & Process at the Guggenheim Series – Performance Highlights and Discussions Excerpts from Sarah Ruhl and Anthony Roth Costanzo’s reimagining of Vivaldi “The Seasons” are performed prior to its {…}
The American Composers Orchestra (ACO) released its 2023-24 season lineup and exciting collaborations. This article features vocal related works only. Mezzo-soprano Chrystal E. Williams performs in the featured world premiere of a new work for mezzo-soprano, accordion, and orchestra by John Glover and librettist Kelley Rourke. Performance Date: October 25, 2023 Baritone Sidney Outlaw serves as soloist in the world {…}
Beth Morrison Projects and St. Ann’s Warehouse has announced new dates for its upcoming production of Huang Ruo’s “Book of Mountains & Seas.” Originally intended for the 2022 PROTOYPE Festival, the choral work is set to make its U.S. premiere on March 15-20 with a total of six performances. The work made its world premiere back in 2021 at the {…}
The American Lyric Theater has announced a free Opera Writers Symposium scheduled between Feb. 27- April 24, 2021. The course aims to offer artists an opportunity to check out the American Lyric Theater’s Composer Librettist Development Program. The Symposium is open to all artists in all genres of music and literature. Artists with no previous experience in opera are encouraged {…}
In all the weeks we have done this feature, I would argue that few have been as exciting as the one previewed here. Not only will audiences get to watch live opera, some live recitals, and unique past performances, but they also get to engage with some very new opera experiences. We trust that you will be equally excited about {…}
Fresh Squeezed Opera is set to showcase the New York Premiere of Huang Ruo’s “Bound” in a production by Ashley Tata on April 13-18, 2019. The work will be presented at the Rose Nagelberg Theatre and is supported by a grant from the Mills-Tanenbaum Foundation. The chamber opera was inspired by the headline “Diane Tran, Honor Student at Texas High {…}