The Music Critics Association of North America (MCANA) has announced that composer Nicole Lizée and librettist Nicolas Billon have been awarded the prestigious 2023 Best New Opera Award for their work, “R.U.R. A Torrent of Light.” The opera, introduced in North America during the previous calendar year, premiered on May 28, 2022, at the Great Hall at OCAD (Ontario College {…}
The Music Critics Association of North America has awarded “Sweet Land” as Best New Opera. The work, which was staged in Los Angeles in February 2020, was directed by Yuval Sharon and produced by The Industry. The opera was composed by Du Yun and Raven Chacon and featured a libretto by Aja Couchois Duncan and Douglas Kearney. In a statement composer Yun said, “As a {…}
In partnership with New York’s flagship classical radio station, WQXR, Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival kicked off on Monday, August 10. The annual summer festival has been a fixture of the New York art scene since 1966, and the organization forged a path to keep the tradition in a safe way as COVID-19 continues battering the United States. This Friday, August {…}
On June 17th, the Music Critics Association of North America (MCANA) announced “Blue” as the winner of its Fourth Annual Award for Best New Opera. “Blue,” composed by Jeanine Tesori with libretto by Tazewell Thompson, premiered at the Glimmerglass Festival in July 2019 and tells the story of an African American couple residing in Harlem, New York City. The couple’s {…}
This month’s Off the Beaten Track explores the newly released recording of “The Wake World: A Tale for Babes and Sucklings,” a one-act opera composed by Los Angeles-based composer/librettist David Hertzberg and inspired by Aleister Crowley’s work of the same name. The recording is the first opera released under the Tzadik label. Founder and executive producer of Tzadik, John Zorn {…}