Photo Credit: Edyta Dufaj/Opera Vision The latest opera by one of contemporary opera’s well-beloved figures, Tobias Picker, in only two acts Picker weaves a dynamic story about the real-life figure, Lili Elbe, one of the first but possibly most famous transgender women in history. Having started life as a painter with the given name Einar Wegener, in 1930 following a {…}
This is the second major opera based on the writings of British neurologist Oliver Sacks, whose case study “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” was adapted by Michael Nyman in 1986. “Awakenings,” by American composer Tobias Picker, is inspired by Sacks’ 1973 account of treating victims of encephalitis lethargica. Nicknamed the “sleeping sickness,” this coma-like condition is {…}
Lili Elbe’s story is an important one, especially for the Transgender community. Born in 1882, Elbe became a noted painter (known as Einar Wegener) and married Gerda Gottlieb in 1904. By the 1920s, Elbe was presenting herself as a woman and took on the name of Lili and stopped painting. In 1930, she went to Germany for gender-affirmation surgery, changed {…}
Marshal Opera is set to present the “Oral History Project Concert” at the Cell Theatre in New York on Oct. 28, 2023. The showcase, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m., will feature works by Victoria Bond, Michael Dellaira, Kenneth Fuchs, Charles Fussell, Daron Hagen, Adolphus Hailstork, Louis Karchin, Douglas Knehans, Jo Kondo, Tobias Picker, Judith Shatin, Alice Shields, Faye-Ellen Silverman, {…}
Odyssey Opera and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) will present the East Coast premiere of Tobias Picker and Aryeh Lev Stollman’s “Awakenings” on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 7:30 p.m, at Boston’s Huntington Theatre. “Awakenings” is the Theatre’s first opera since it reopened. Jarrett Porter plays Dr. Oliver Sacks, with Joyce El-Khoury, and Adrienne Danrich in the ensemble. As part of {…}
Tulsa Opera has postponed its upcoming production of Tobias Picker’s “Emmeline.” The opera was set to open on February 25 and 27, 2022. It will now be featured as part of the company’s 2022-23 season. “Like many arts organizations around the country, we have been monitoring the ever-changing public health situation relating to COVID-19 and have made the difficult decision {…}
Tulsa Opera is set to present a new production of Tobias Picker’s “Emmeline” this February. The production, which kicks off on Feb. 25 and 27, 2022, will feature a star-studded cast led by soprano Maria Natale, baritone Kenneth Overton, tenor Aaron Crouch, and soprano Leona Mitchell. Other cast members include Nathan Stark, Jennifer Roderer, Andrew Potter, and Sam Briggs. Francesco {…}
This week audiences can stream works by three acclaimed contemporary composers. Here is a look at the new recordings. Opera Without Words Naxos will release a recording featuring one of Tobias Picker’s most performed symphonic works, “The Encantadas,” with narration by the composer, paired with Picker’s newest symphonic work, “Opera Without Words,” in its world-premiere recording. The recording features the Nashville {…}
History was made on May 3, 2019. The first transgender baritone, Lucia Lucas, sang the title role in Mozart/Da Ponte’s, “Don Giovanni.” Such an important milestone in both opera and transgender history didn’t take place in New York or Los Angeles or Chicago; it was in Tulsa, Oklahoma that Lucas made her debut as Don Giovanni, a crucial and extremely {…}
(Credit: Josh Huskin) Tobias Picker is known as one of the most famous American composers still working. His operas, such as “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “Dolores Claiborne,” have become popular at opera houses across the country and the world. Picker was born July 18th, 1954 in New York City and showed an early penchant for composing. His first work was {…}
(Image Provided by Shumann Associates) Tulsa Opera is set to put Tobias Picker’s “Emmeline” front and center as part of its streaming options online. Starting on Monday, April 20 the company will dedicate three separate performances to the new opera, which was set to premiere in a new production on May 1, 2020. It has since been moved to the {…}