The Indie Opera Podcast

No one is more suited to create a compelling ending to Puccini’s otherwise unfinished fantasy story than Christopher Tin, a two-time Grammy-winning composer of concert and media music. Time Magazine calls his music “rousing” and “anthemic,” while The Guardian calls it “an intelligent meeting of melody and theme.” In addition to premiering in some of today’s most popular video games, Christopher’s music has been performed in many of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, the United Nations, and Carnegie Hall, where he had an entire concert devoted to his music.

Letters That You Will Not Get: Women’s Voices from the Great War at AOP and Quamino’s Map at Chicago Opera Theater are both operas that opened recently whose creators we have interviewed in previous episodes; Hamlet at the Met is also examined. We delve into diversity and inclusion efforts in the opera world, and why the word “outreach” is no longer helpful for opera companies and symphonies. Ashley Renee gives her perspective on how Lincoln Center is slowly becoming the open campus and community resource it was originally meant to be.

The show features all the composer/librettist teams to receive the 2020 OPERA America Discovery Grants which support composers who identify as women in the development of new operatic works and the advancement of their careers in the opera industry. Justine Chen, composer, and Stephanie Fleischman, librettist, talk about delving into Justine’s multifaceted Taiwanese family history for Seven Sisters, which follows the form of a formal Taiwanese funeral. Melissa Dunphy and Jacqueline Goldfinger, composer and librettist, share the macabre origin of Alice Tierney: an unsolved 1880 murder in Philadelphia on Melissa’s property, and discuss the novel way they are choosing to tell the story. Kirsten Volness, Susan Werbe, and Kate Holland, composer and librettists of Letters That You Will Not Get: Women’s Voices from the Great War, discuss the work’s fascinating journey from song cycle to opera, and how they set to music the real-life accounts of multiple women on all sides of the conflict who lived through World War I.

The Indie Opera Podcast is releasing an episode which was recorded in the Spring of 2020 that got derailed during the start of the pandemic, and features all the composer/librettist teams to receive the 2020 OPERA America Discovery Grants which support composers who identify as women in the development of new operatic works and the advancement of their careers in the opera industry. We are joined by composers Lisa Bielawa, Mary D. Watkins, Milica Paranosic, Johanny Novarro; librettists Claire Solomon, Cheri Magid, and Jose Felix Gomez; and producer Martha Richards. There are lots of music and video highlights in this long-delayed episode, and we include updates on all the projects that they have been creating since the start of the pandemic.

Joining us are Librettist and playwright Deborah Brevoort, conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson, dramaturg Cori Ellison, and director Kimille Howard discuss the origins and creative process of this unique production, which focuses on the Black Americans who fought for their liberty on the side of the British in the Revolutionary War and struggled to survive in London afterward. We also learn about the Black gentry in London at the time and how it may have intersected with the newly-arrived soldiers. Don’t miss this surprising look into the research, staging, and craft that went into bringing an important but little-known historical moment to light.

Carla Lucero is the first Latinx and female composer to be commissioned by LA Opera. We discover how they translated the opera into Spanish while retaining the same poetic meter, as Lucero will produce the opera in English as well. We also discuss the significance of the Stations of the Cross, on which the opera is based, as well as why Lucero chose three anonymous women in the 8th station to be the heroines of the story. She also makes a fascinating choice on how to personify Jesus in the opera. The massive production will be at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels and will feature 3 orchestras and 3 choirs. We can’t wait to see this love letter to LA, which fuses ideas from queer, Latinx, and borderlands cultures into an uplifting whole.

Having both worked on Pulitzer Prize-winning projects, it was fascinating to hear how they view American opera and what types of stories attract them. We discussed the return of oratorios and “opera-torios,” and the first recipient of the Campbell Opera Librettist Prize. We also talked about Sondheim’s powerful influence on American opera and the creation of their stunning "Light Shall Lift Us" project in response to Covid-19. Don’t miss this conversation with two of our greatest writers, who are using their platform to send a hopeful and humanizing message to the world.

Described as “a ritual celebration of queerness, questions, and the eternity of a moment,” the show is rooted in the jazz tradition and the operatic form, and imagines the final hours of Socrates. Prolific playwright and performer Taylor Mac joins us along with Machine Dazzle, costume and set designer; Chanon Judson, choreographer; and Matt Ray, composer. We discover the origin of Mac’s ideas about the piece and the many permutations it went through before it found its current form. We get a taste of what each collaborator brings to the show : how Dazzle challenges actors with costumes he calls ‘wearable stories,’ how Judson reflects performers’ movement ideas to create choreography for musicians as well as actors, and how Ray created his unique instrumentation for the work. It’s fascinating to hear how they worked on the piece during the pandemic and what it was like to come together in a rehearsal room after so much isolation. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the backstory behind some of our most incisive and daring theatre creators making an exuberant foray into the operatic form.

Malcolm is the youngest and first Black Music Director of the NYC-based The Dessoff Choirs, which is currently celebrating its 97th season with a concentration on African-American composer Margaret Bonds, a significant figure in the fight for civil rights. Malcolm leads the choir in its Metropolitan Museum of Art debut this month followed by the New York orchestral premiere of Bonds’ Credo in Spring 2022. Malcolm shares with us the fascinating story of how he discovered Bonds’ work and his long journey to realizing her piece “The Ballad of the Brown King” in a well-received recording. We also discuss how he balances his twin careers of singing and conducting, and his work with “Voices of Haiti,” a children’s choir in Port-Au-Prince.

We discuss the history and meaning of this oft-adapted myth, and what drew both writers to it. We delve into their creative process, and discover why Sarah chose to make some key changes to the story and characters. We also get a peek into how the two adapted Sarah’s original play into the current libretto, and how Matthew approached setting her text to music. It’s fascinating to hear about the piece’s long journey from its creation to its premiere at LA Opera with Mary Zimmerman directing, to the current remount at the Met. Both writers also have new books out, which should be on everyone’s reading list. Don’t miss this captivating conversation with two of opera’s most vital and thrilling creators.

Michael and Larry describe how they met, the wrench thrown into their international performance schedules by Covid, and what they got up to while stuck at home. We also discuss how both singers have sought to give back; Michael through the community service of his company Ozarks Lyric Opera, and Larry by being an outspoken voice for racial justice in the opera industry.

We are joined by George Cederquist, director, K.F. Jacques, composer and hip-hop artist playing Figaro, and Pinqy Ring, the hip-hop artist who plays Rosina. Soon to return to Chicago’s free “Night Out in the Parks” series, the piece features lyrics by the cast of mc/actors, dancers from BraveSoul Movement, and a live DJ and beatboxer. We discuss the origin of the piece and the unique way the text came together, as well as audience reactions and the future of the project.

We learn how this timely and moving piece was created, and the ways that the medium of film enabled the creators to use dance and imagery to delve deeper into the emotional layers of the story. Maestro Wood talks about how he plans to expand the community conversation about the piece and the various ways it could be presented to the public. Karen Slack also gives us insight into how she prepares for emotionally demanding roles and the origin of her popular Kiki Konversations on YouTube. This episode is a fascinating peek into how opera is increasingly entering the world of music video and film as it responds to the major issues of our time.

We also learn how Atlanta Opera is continuing to present operas during Covid, and reaching new audiences with Crossroads concerts. Theres plenty of Bluegrass and salty language in this episode so advise that you use your headphones around children and sensitive individuals.

With Noah’s help we reflect on the last ten years in the opera world: what has changed, where we’re headed, and some of our favorite memories of past episodes and guests. Peter Szep takes us back to 2011 and the inspiration for starting the podcast in the first place, and how he met Noah.

John describes his incredible journey from growing up in a small town near Houston to becoming a sought-after international opera singer soon to be making his Metropolitan Opera debut. He offers many uplifting life lessons along the way, including how to deal with fear and how to celebrate one’s own uniqueness and true self in the face of enormous pressure to succeed. John shares how growing up in a gospel choir aids his process as a classical and pop singer, and lets us in on some of the sage advice he got from John Legend.

Afton Battle, the new General Director of Fort Worth Opera, after having left a career as an opera singer to work in strategic consulting and development for the National Black Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, the Joffrey Ballet, and the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, Battle brings a unique and well-rounded skill-set to her new position. We talk about her exciting plans to form closer relationships with the diverse communities surrounding FWO, and discuss various ideas for making new audiences feel welcome at FWO performances. She shares her goals of bringing more diversity and inclusivity to the casting and hiring at FWO, and of making FWO’s signature Frontiers program for new works a dedicated forum for BIPOC artists and stories. Finally, we talk about how FWO could perform to larger live audiences in the COVID era, and how to empower young BIPOC people in the arts industry to think big and go for leadership positions. Don’t miss this inspiring episode!

Our panel examines how several American opera companies are innovating during Covid Times. Highlights include On Site Opera, Seattle Opera, dell’Arte Opera Ensemble, San Francisco Opera, City Lyric Opera, Opera Philadelphia, and Houston Grand Opera.

What is an opera companie's civic responsibility especially in this period of pandemic shutdown? What skill sets should they have been cultivating to be an engaged and engaging 21st Century arts organization? We learn about the programming that led them to a unique and moving collaboration with the U.S. Army Field Band & Chorus on the opera The Falling and The Rising. Opera is alive and kicking up a storm in Memphis, grab your earphones, plug in and hear all about it on your favorite app, or watch on Youtube.

The classical live performance world is three weeks into the complete shutdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. How are opera companies treating their contracted artists? How much more prepared are the new generation of artists in working the business of making art? What are those artists doing to stay present with their fans? What companies are increasing their online presence with live streams of their productions?

Arnold Geis is a Los Angeles based tenor and performer for Film, Television, video games, and opera companies around the world and Soprano Chabrelle Williams who is an an avid arts advocate, and three-time District winner of the New York Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Our guests were both performing at the Lincoln Center Theater in Lynn Nottage and Rocky Ian Gordon’s opera, Intimate Apparel, as Mr. Mark’s and alternating as the lead role of Esther, in a production directed by Bartlett Sher, which has been suspended because of the Covid-19 outbreak. this episode is also available on youtube - https://youtu.be/MN5WiKcIhTw

Our guests from Brooklyn-based creative producing company The American Opera Project assumed leadership of this thirty-year old company in July 2019. In addition to curating AOP’s season and overall output, they also provide theatrical and musical dramaturgy to AOP works in development, AOP’s Collaboration with the NYU Opera Lab and the family and schooling that shaped their lives and careers as creative artists.

We listen to selections from "Hu Tong", Kui Dong Composer, Monika Datta Librettist; and "The Veil", Daniel Reza Sabzghabaei, Composer (دانیال رضا سبزقبایی), Yashar Saghai and Mina Salehpour, Co-Librettist.We also question how white opera is, the influence of Flamenco on opera, the Prototype Festival and more.

We sit down for an invigorating discussion with composer Ricky Ian Gordon & soprano Jennifer Zetlan about the chamber opera Ellen West which is receiving it’s NYC premiere as part of Prototype Festival 2020. Jennifer talks about her solo debut album with Ricky, Your Clear Eye and Ricky about their upcoming production of his next opera premiere, Intimate Apparel with Lynn Nottage for a 10 week run at Lincoln Center Theater.

The Indie Opera Podcast sits down for a fascinating conversation with director Louisa Proske and Music Director/Arranger Daniel Schlosberg two of the co-founders of Heartbeat Opera about their contemporary version of Weber’s Der Freischutz.

Indie Opera Podcast's co-hosts welcome Joseph Martin Waters, Dr. Daniel Pate and Rodolfo Giron for a fascinating conversation about the new opera they’ve been developing, El Colibri Magico (The Magic Hummingbird) - A California Story, which is an update of the story of St. Francis set in modern day San Diego and Tijuana that follows three upper middle class So Cal teenagers as they interact with a community of Honduran refugees marooned at the border who have connections to ancient Mayan rituals and secrets.

Guest co-host and soprano Natalie Polito joins us in a conversation with Gregory Spears, who is currently working on a new evening-length opera, Castor and Patience, with former U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy K. Smith, commissioned by Cincinnati Opera.

In part one of Indie Opera Podcast’s coverage of Opera Philadelphia’s 019 Festival, Chuck Sachs talks first with Conductor Gary Thor Wedow, Mezzo-Soprano Daniela Mack and Tenor Alek Shrader about their work as part of Director James Darrah’s production of Handel’s SEMELE. We hear about what makes they keep returning to work at Opera Philadlephia, why they believe that the story of SEMELE is relevant to today’s audiences and how to reconcile duel artistic careers with their marriages. Two solo interviews follow with Tenor Jonathan Johnson and Soprano Wendy Bryn Harmer about their Opera Philadelphia and role debuts in Alessandro Talevi’s new production of THE LOVE FOR THREE ORANGES conducted by Corrado Rovaris. Jonathan shares the wildly complicated and farcical character journey for The Prince and Wendy shares recollections about the training and mentoring she received in three of American Opera’s most prestigious Young Artist programs.

Internationally renowned bel canto tenor Barry Banks and his youthful goal to be a concert trumpet player morphed into his highly successful career in opera. Other topics covered include how to co-parent a 13-month-old while on tour, and mr. Banks' exciting upcoming season including his performance of Truffaldino in The Love for Three Oranges as part of Opera Philadelphia's 019 Festival.

With infectious charm and humor, Victoria Bond shares stories about singing in the NYCO children's chorus, visits from the hoi polloi of the classical music world to her childhood apartment, studying acting at UCLA, being introduced to conducting by Leonard Slatkin, and building an expansive and impressive career despite the institutionalized misogyny and sexism of the music business.

Indie Opera Podcast's regular suspects sit down for a engaging conversation with author, Vivien Schweitzer about her delightfully informative book, A Mad Love: an Introduction to Opera, her varied career as a journalist and critic and her return to live performance as an accompanist.

We listen to samples of the work of the 2019 Opera Discovery Grants for Female Composers

We are joined by the brilliant Nico Muhly, composer of "Marnie" based on the Alfred Hitchcock film which was performed at the English National Opera and at the Metropolitan Opera in 2018. We talk about his experience writing for singers and orchestras, and filming a scene in Venice on a Vaporetto for Mozart in the Jungle with Monica Bellucci.

Jeanine and Tazewell talk about their collaboration and the genesis BLUE, a story about police violence and it’s affect on one family, the opera takes its influence from current events as well as Tazewell’s own experiences as a black man in the world today. We also hear about Jeanine's collaboration with David Henry Hwang on their “play with a musical” Soft Power that ran in Los Angeles and San Francisco last year, and Tazewell's new show Jubilee about the Fisk Jubilee Singers which will have its premiere at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Washington D.C.

Mezzo Siena Licht Miller and countertenor Tim Meade From Opera Philadelphia's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, by Benjamin Britten

Mark brings his humor, brilliance and insight to set's us straight on our website, dramaturgs, creating characters we can care about and building stories that matter. It was a real joy to have him on our show.

Chuck Sachs interviews Anna Christy who plays Titania in Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream at Opera Philadelphia

Jillian Flexner, composer, basoonist and co-founder and Director of the Fresh Squeezed Opera Company and Huang Ruo, Composer, Pianist and Vocalist join us to talk about Huang Ruo’s “Bound” and we take a long look at the representation of women in Opera.

Melanie Milton, Festival Producer for The Protoype Festival joins Chuck Sachs to talk about how the Festival has changed now that it has it's own independent leadership.

Chuck Sachs interviews Singer and Writer Joseph Keckler who's Train With No Midnight, is running at HERE Dorothy B. Williams Theatre as part of the Prototype Festival 2019.

The Prototype Festival has started and runs through January 13th in New York. Chuck interviews Leah Coloff, Composer, Cellist, Singer and Performer who's ThisTree looks at a to investigate the vantage point of being the last branch on the family tree.

Evan Mack's opera The Ghosts of Gatsby will be performed at the National Opera Center January 11, 2019.

How do performers cope with the unique pressures of the opera business? And how can we as individuals and as members of the opera community do better in caring for ourselves and each other?

This week we have chuck’s interview with Stephanie Blythe, who joined up with drag performer Dito van Reigersberg, also known as Martha Graham Cracker to create a 3 night serial gender-bending cabaret play series as part of Opera Philadelphia’s Festival.

Every opera company is looking for the golden formula for success—how does an opera company develop new audiences and plan for the future?

Douglas J. Cuomo joins us for a lively discussion about his latest production, Savage Winter. We also talk about Arjuna's Dilemma which he performed in Kathmandu.

Chuck Sachs interviews James Darrah, Director and Christopher Allen Music Director and Pianist for Ne Quittez Pas: A Reimagined La voix humaine, featuring Patricia Racette which was presented as part of Philadelphia Opera's Festival O 2018.

Chuck Sachs Interviews Christian Van Horn who sang Raimondo Bidebent in Lucia di Lammermoor at Opera Philadelphia's Festival O 2018, and who will be singing the title role in Mefistofele at the MET this season.

Chuck Sachs interviews Marietta Simpson who sang Martha in Lembit Beecher's Sky On Swings from Opera Philadelphia Festival O 2018.

Opera Philadelphia's Festival O18 begins with Sky on Swings and we recommend checking out Glass Handel. David Lang's Mile Long Opera is sold out. Nico Muhly's Marnie at the MET, and Satyagraha comes to BAM.