(Photo: Missy Mazzoli is an acclaimed composer of experimental chamber operas whose oeuvre ranges from electronic avant rock to short-form chamber operas. One of the first two women to receive a commission from the Metropolitan Opera, she joined forces with her longtime collaborator, Pulitzer Prize-winning librettist Royce Vavrek, to created the highly anticipated “Lincoln in the Bardo,” premiering at the {…}
(Photo Credit: ALT) In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the American Lyric Theater (ALT) has announced its gala performance, “Celebrating 20 Years of American Lyric Theater.” The concert program will feature scenes from a wide range of operas by alumni of ALTs Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP), including works developed and commissioned by ALT, as well as operas that were {…}
(Photo Credit: Maria Baranova) Armenian-American composer and documentarian Mary Kouyoumdjian’s opera, “Adoration,” is set to makes its west coast premiere in a co-presentation by LA Opera and Beth Morrison Projects. Kouyoumdjian was awarded an OPERA America commissioning grant to create an opera adaptation of Armenian filmmaker Atom Egoyan’s “Adoration.” Written in collaboration with librettist Royce Vavrek, the operatic version touches {…}
Against the Grain Theatre has announced the appointment of Royce Vavrek as its new Artistic Director. Vavrek, the librettist behind such works as the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Angel’s Bone” “JFK,” “Breaking the Waves,” “Silent Light,” “Proving Up,” and “The Old Man and the Sea,” takes over for Joel Ivany, the company’s founding Artistic Director. “As our new Artistic Director, Royce brings {…}
(Photo credit: Jill Steinberg at National Sawdust) National Sawdust’s 10th Anniversary opening season kicked off with Artistic Director/Co-Founder & composer Paola Prestini and librettist Royce Vavrek‘s foley chamber opera world premiere “Silent Light,” featuring director & scenic designer Thaddeus Strassberger and conductor Christopher Rountree. The cast includes powerhouse soprano Brittany Renee as Esther, bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch as Johan, soprano Julia {…}
Photo: Maria Baranova Prototype Festival presented “Adoration” at New York City’s The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture on January 12th, 2024. It was an innovative opera, featuring both voices, an amplified string quartet, and technical sound engineering, composed by Mary Kouyoumdjian with a libretto by Royce Vavrek. This world premiere, shockingly timely, challenged audience members to examine bias while {…}
The American Academy of Arts and Letters has announced the winners of the 2023 Charles Ives Opera Prize and the Marc Blitzstein Memorial Awards. This year the $50,000 Charles Ives Opera Prize was awarded to “Artemisia” by composer Laura Elise Schwendinger and librettist Ginger Strand. The opera is based on the life of 17th-century Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi and premiered at {…}
The Voices of Ascension and the Young People’s Chorus of NYC performed composer Paola Prestini’s ‘The Glass Box’ in a highly anticipated program at the Church of the Ascension on November 9th. Prestini composed ‘The Glass Box’ in 2018, with text written by Royce Vavrek as an oratorio about young refugees in Sweden. This new work challenges perspectives and promotes {…}
The National Sawdust and Beth Morrison Projects are set to team up to present “21c Liederabend, op. Worldwide” which will start streaming on June 27, 2021. The showcase will feature a wealth of renowned international artists including Holland Andrews, Amyra León, Lido Pimienta, David Frazier, Darian Thomas, Paris Marcel, Paola Prestini, Royce Vavrek, Eve Gigliotti, Natalie Frank, Erin Pollock, Theodosia {…}
Four characters across generations come to terms with their identities as a major coming-out story was playing out on television. That is at the core of “The Puppy Episode,” a new work set to be showcased by Chicago Opera Theater as part of its Vanguard Emerging Opera Composer Residency. The work was composed by Matthew Recio in collaboration with librettist {…}
Broadway and opera star Zachary James is set to host a new, online talk show. Titled “What Happened Was…” the program will feature leading figures in the world of Broadway, opera, dance, film, television, and more. Inspired by shows such as “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,” the series comes as part of The Dallas Opera Network, and will air {…}