Inspired by his mother's self-produced gospel cassettes which were a fixture of his childhood, baritone Will Liverman's new album "Show Me The Way' celebrates women, with 18 tracks by women composers. These include world premiere recordings of a new song cycle by Jasmine Barnes, A Sable Jubilee , and a new song by Kamala Sankaram, Spell to Turn the World Around . The album also features vocal collaborations with J'Nai Bridges, Nicole Cabell, and Renée Fleming as well as Liverman's mother Terry. Listen to the interview here Stream the album on Spotify Stream the album on Apple Music Composers Jasmine Barnes and Kamala Sankaram

OperaWire recently reviewed The Atlanta Opera's innovative new production of Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream , featuring four extraordinary UIA artists. Read the full review here. Mezzo-soprano Rehanna Thelwell exuded rich, warm voice both singing and speaking, radiating like the queen of the universe in that blue gown. She nailed all of Hippolyta’s zingers—“I am weary of this moon”—speaking to the fatigue audience might experience as “Pyramus and Thisby” elapses. But as the metadrama closes, when Hippolyta beseeches “no epilogue, I pray you,” she satirizes Britten himself, inasmuch as “Pyramus and Thisby” functions as epilogue to the “Midsummer” story. Meg Marino embodied the spoken role of Puck with appropriate impishness and body language à la Peter Pan... Bottom and Flute enjoyed the aid of a straight man, basso profundo Andrew Potter , who provided a steady floor for the group in ensemble. (far right below) Rounding out the sextet of goofuses... Jason Zacher ’s Snug added comedic moments... (second from right above)

The 2023 Theater St. Gallen premiere of Tobias Picker and Aryeh Lev Stollman’s Lili Elbe has won Best World Premiere at the 2024 Oper! Awards, presented on January 29, 2024 at the Dutch National Opera! Composer Tobias Picker with Theater St. Gallen Opera Director Jan Henric Gino and the Lili Elbe Team | Photo: Milan Gino "One might call it an old hat: transgender individuals on stage have been around nearly as long as opera itself. But never before has this topical sociopolitical subject been set to music in such a large-scale, skillfully touching way as in Lili Elbe by Tobias Picker – the production with which Theater St. Gallen courageously reopened its renovated house. In her portrayal of one of the first people to undergo gender reassignment, the female baritone Lucia Lucas in particular created a musical monument to this historical figure that also reflects the experiences of her own life." - Oper! Award, Best World Premiere winner statement Watch the award presentation below (54:06): Praise for Lili Elbe "There won't be a dry eye in there. This is of course due to the excellent performers on stage, especially baritone Lucia Lucas, who also worked on the dramaturgy of the opera... she retained her pleasant, sonorous baritone voice... Lucia Lucas is particularly touching in the extended solo scenes and the duets with Gerda, where their mutual feelings are explored." - Oper Aktuell "The audience reacted enthusiastically, some with a standing ovation. It seems that this piece has hit the nerve of the times..." - Kronen Zeitung Baritone Lucia Lucas starred in the title role and served as dramaturg. | Photo: Edyta Dufaj

Created by: Audrey Babcock An homage to Bizet's Carmen mezzo-soprano Audrey Babcock weaves legends of the Old World into a 21st-century musical tapestry that spans generations and genres—from classical to tango, medieval to modern. With musical partner, guitarist, arranger, Andrés Vadin. Audrey Babcock - Voice, Flute, Percussion, Co-arranger Andres Vadin - Flamenco Guitar, Percussion, Arranger Original Production California Institute of the Arts 2017 Additional Production dates November 2019 - Delaware Opera Santa Cecilia Orchestra 2022 August 2022 and August 2023 - Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater April 2024 - Opera Southwest Duration: Flexible program. One to two hours, with or without intermission Director's Note Carmen. There is no more iconic woman in Operatic history. She is so singled out that her image has become mainstream and is synonymous with the Femme Fatale. There is no image, no legend, no creature, more riddled with weaponized femininity then my beloved, Carmencita. Carmen’s origin story is rich—it has been written that the author of the original novella, Prosper Mérimée, derived his inspiration for this illusory gypsy from a real-life Sephardic Jew. Though Jews were exotic at the time, Gypsies had a more solid reputation for nefariousness and made a more daring choice for his Parisian newspaper-reading audience. With will explore her Sephardic roots, singing in Ladino or “Judeo Spanish”, similar to ancient Castilian Spanish. We will play with the rhythms, textures, and accents of the marginalized people of the diaspora, and most of all we will sing and cry out for the misunderstood experience of being fiercely female in a time that saw a woman’s strength as something dangerous, dark, and destined for annihilation. MEDIA

Kathryn Lewek's reign as opera's foremost Queen of the Night continues with avengence. Playbill recently featured Katie after her 54th Met performance as everyone's favorite Mozart villian. Having appeared as the Queen of the Night—the high-flying anti-heroine of Mozart’s The Magic Flute—more than 300 times around the globe, including a record 53 times at the Met, Lewek has staked her claim as the world’s leading interpreter of the role. This month, she returns to dazzle audiences in Julie Taymor’s abridged, English-language production of Mozart’s enchanting musical fable (now running through December 30). It is her 54th time in the role. Read the rest of Playbill 's feature here. Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night ( Richard Termine / Metropolitan Opera ) OperaWire was also recently in attendance for the Metropolitan Opera's holiday presentation of Mozart's The Magic Flute and they could not help but rave about Lewek's peerless Queen of the Night. ...the opportunity to experience her performing live at the Met as Queen of the Night was honestly a moment in history that will forever resonate as one of the greatest Met highlights of all time.  Lewek’s voice was perfectly aligned with every note’s nuanced emotion and her presence was captivating. Her opening aria in Act one Scene one, “O zittre nicht…Zum leiden,” was dramatic but never arrogant, and this was a notable trait she carried throughout the night – she was the people’s diva!  ... What translated most through Lewek was the Queen’s raw emotions, especially when singing her Act two Scene three aria, “Der Hölle Rache.” Lewek made this rage aria feel deeply personal, instead of like she was just putting on another show. Her facial expressions could have casted out demons! Her eyes glared with fire and her voice was otherworldly. She received a show-stopping applause that imprinted this moment as history being made. Lewek is the Queen of the Night! Check out the full review here.

Rising star and mezzo-soprano Melissa Zgouridi sat down with Austria's largest regional newspaper for a feature on her starring role as Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus at Stadttheater Klagenfurt, as well as her introduction to opera, what took her to Europe, and her journey as a performer. Check out the article here! “The concept is based on a contemporary drag queen in a Berlin club. You can come as you are, no matter how rich, what gender, whether in a wheelchair. We’re all here for a good time."

A Covid-era conversation with soprano and advocate Karen Slack planted the seed that has grown into the composer collective known as the Blacknificent 7, bursting onto the scene in collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Read more about the Blacknificent 7 on San Francisco Classical Voice . Composers Jasmine Barnes and Damien Geter. The composer collective, made up of Jessie Montgomery (Chicago Symphony’s Mead composer-in-residence), Shawn E. Okpebholo, Damien Geter, Dave Ragland, Joel Thompson, Jasmine Barnes, and Carlos Simon, will present their inaugural concert on December 3rd as part of CSO's MusicNOW Series. Read more about the Blacknificent 7 in the Chicago Sun Times .

Directed by: Fenlon Lamb Music by: George Bizet Libretto by: L. Halévy & H. Meilhac Original Production September 2023 - Opera Santa Barbara Additional Production dates October 2024 - Amarillo Opera DESIGNERS Dahl Delu - Set Designer Daniel Chapman - Project Designer Helena Kuuka - Lighting Designer Stacie Louge - Costume Manager ORIGINAL CAST Kostis Protopapas - Conductor Sarah Saturnino - Carmen Nathan Granner - Don José Anya Matanovic - Micaëla Colin Ramsey - Escamillo Director's Note The source material for opera often presents a fascinating contrast to the dynamic and fluid interpretation of the finished musical composition. This holds especially true for Carmen as the characters are significantly simplified and softened through the musical and dramatic treatment. The novella by Prosper Merimée begins with a quote from Palladas: Every woman turns sour/Twice she has her hour/One is in bed/The other dead. It paints a violent and monstrous picture of sex and death in Seville. Carmen is a ferocious and wanton seductress while Don José and supporting characters are cast in a similar, ghastly light. Bizet and his librettists took this harsh world of cigarette girls, smugglers and thieves and created a sonorous study of the culture and customs in traditional opera comique form of the late 1800s. Carmen retains much of her instinctual character and sexual appeal while Don José manifests as a dutiful soldier with violent underpinnings. Ultimately, the opera offers a more relatable troupe of players. Carmen’s powerful sexuality ebbs and flows throughout the opera. It is her only tool at a time when women were not allowed freedom or autonomy and she uses it boldly, without shame. From the first words of the Habañera, she declaims her untamed, passionate ideals. “Love is like a wild bird that no one can tame…if you love me, I don’t love you but if I love you, watch out!” Carmen’s open mindset and unfettered sexuality is an affront to conventional society; both the allure, and the problem posed by a passionate woman, possessed of limited resources. The musical underpinnings highlight Carmen’s playful, teasing nature as a creature of instinct and pragmatism conquering her current circumstances. This mellower version allows for an understanding and connection to the character. Even from our more contemporary viewpoint, we can route for this strong woman to overcome her circumstances and achieve the happily-ever-after ending. In contrast, Don José is driven by a strict moral code as he grapples with the battle between the prohibitions of the super-ego and succumbing to his base desires. The manifestation of rule-governed behavior primarily as a compliant and dutiful soldier is an osmotic barrier that he continually penetrates and recoils from as he struggles to reconcile his feelings. Don José wrestles with his love for Micaëla and his lust for Carmen; mother and whore archetypes bounce within his brain. He pushes his base instincts and obsessive thoughts deeper and deeper inward. His loving remembrance of his homeland in the Act 1 duet with Micaëla turns to desperation and begging to be understood by Carmen in Act 2. As the character spirals downward, his utterances of Carmen’s name again and again show the obsession that will turn to unbridled rage against the woman who challenges everything he’s known before. It is more and more difficult to connect with his unhinged actions. Tragically, the combination of these characters is much like “putting out fire with gasoline” to quote the late, great David Bowie. Their dynamic is purely combustible, resulting in a deadly outcome for Carmen. While the operatic treatment pulls back some from the novella’s nasty and lurid violence, there is no softening Carmen’s death at the hands of her maniacal lover. The fairy tale ending is not in the cards and she faces the ultimate test of her self-professed mantra: it is better to die than live imprisoned in the societal norm. She realizes, too late, that Don José will have the last word both literally and figuratively. Reviews "On the whole, the production heeds solid and conventional approaches to the material from stage director Fenlon Lamb and resourceful set designer Dahl Delu, who is abetted by Daniel Chapman’s atmospheric projection schemes (useful especially in the rugged smuggler’s mountain outpost scenes) and lighting designer Helena Kuukka. Although following a traditional path, production-wise, OSB’s Carmen succeeded in that time-honored feat to be found at the opera, transporting us to another realm...Santa Barbara is fortunate to have a very fine opera operation, trustily providing that transportive service on a regular basis." -Josef Woodward, Santa Barbara Independent MEDIA

"Bass-baritone Kyle Albertson , in his Pittsburgh Opera debut, made a colossal first impression. Commanding in presence and gifted with a voice that fits the role of the Dutchman like a glove, his wide range allows for effortless high tones, as well as powerful, resonant, clear and cavernous lows that ring out with apparent ease to the eye and a thrill to the ear. It took no effort whatsoever to imagine why Senta would be willing to sacrifice everything for this Dutchman, and it was easy to imagine a line behind her in the last moments of the music drama. Bass Peter Volpe , in the role of Daland, sang out with a powerfully robust voice as well, and in action allowed for the few moments of levity to be found in the otherwise gloomy text." Read the full onStage Pittsburgh review "Mind you, Pittsburgh Opera’s talent is outstanding. Leading the cast as well as the story line is Captain Daland, performed by Peter Volpe , projecting the demanding role with an astounding vocal range, both baritone and bass, at one point hitting a note seemingly subterranean. He can act, too. Volpe is not shy in expressing his character’s dark moods or lofty ambition, in fact, in one scene he elicits a laugh or two for his appropriate antics." "...the dramatic entrance of the famous Dutchman, both handsome and imposing. Performed by Kyle Albertson , looking every bit the part, the title character asserts his interest in meeting Daland’s daughter, Senta. Debuting in Pittsburgh with this production, Albertson is a Wagnerian artist through and through, having performed the composer’s many works in five seasons at the Met." Read the full Entertainment Central Pittsburgh review "Bass-baritone Kyle Albertson is garnering a reputation as a Wagnerian on both sides of the Atlantic, and his performance as the Dutchman left little doubt as to why. He cut a dashing figure with his long, flowing hair and sinewy physique, as suited to the Pirates of the Caribbean as to Wagner’s tragedy. A good deal of the role sits in the upper part of the bass-baritone range, and Albertson’s voice has the requisite brilliance and ease to negotiate those vocal hurdles. Darkness and depth were also his to command in the lower range." "Wagner interjected comic relief into the opera with the character of Daland, the sea captain dazzled by the Dutchman’s riches and eager to wed his daughter Senta to the mysterious visitor. The glint in Peter Volpe’s eyes and a wicked grin, as Daland, drew laughs from the audience, while his fine bass impressed all on its own." Read the full Classical Voice America review Kyle Albertson (left) and Peter Volpe (center) star as the Dutchman and Daland in Pittsburgh Opera's The Flying Dutchman. (Photos by David Bachman Photography for Pittsburgh Opera)

Directed by: Fenlon Lamb Music by: George bizet Libretto by: L. Halévy & H. Meilhac Original Production March 2019 - Annapolis Opera Additional Production dates July 2019 - Bar Har Music Festival January 2021 - Pensacola Opera DESIGNERS Jefferson Ridenour - Set Designer Kristopher Kirkwood - Projection Designer Michael Klima - Lighting Designer Lorraine Vom Saal - Costumer Designer Maureen Thomas - BH Costumes Brian B Moore - BH Lighting Glenn Breed - PO Costumes Barry Steele - PO Lighting ORIGINAL CAST Robert Wood - Conductor Cassandra Zoe Velasco - Carmen Frederick Ballentine - Don José Richard Ollarsaba - Escamillo Shannon Jennings - Micäela Reviews "Director Fenlon Lamb built a beautiful world for this story and guided the audience through this journey without beating them down with sadness." -Elle Marie Sullivan, MD Theatre Guide "There was a moment in the first act of Annapolis Opera’s Carmen in which Director Fenlon Lamb assembled her cast in a colorful tableau that enthralled me and impressed itself on my mind. This Carmen brought to mind one of its songs’ lyrics: “Love…when you are not looking for it, there it is.” "Lamb’s memorable tableau was enhanced by superior lighting work, which brightened the colors, especially the cheery colors in the Plaza de Toros scene. The set, in proscenium, gave the illusion of depth and featured scenery wagons, which gave life to various scenes depicting 1820s Seville, Spain, including a cigarette factory and a jail." -William Powell, DC Metro Theatre Arts "Her [Fenlon Lamb] direction here was filled with dramatic action — goodness the fight scenes! And her Papermoon creative staff transformed the rather shallow Criterion stage into a proper opera venue. Jeffery Ridenour’s ingenious, hand-painted Tarot-themed set design created the illusion of depth with great sheets of patterned paper. Maureen Thomas pulled off an unbelievable transformation of paper into intricately embroidered and ruffled costumes. I say unbelievable because nobody in my party believed they were largely paper-made." -Nan Lincoln, Mount Desert Islander MEDIA

Though still mid-run, Seattle Opera's production of Handel's Alcina is getting rave reviews, including for countertenor Randall Scotting as Ruggiero. Broadway World writes: "...as Alcina’s paramour Ruggiero, Randall Scotting made an excellent impression. He negotiated the difficult fioratura in Act One with assurance and remained consistent throughout the evening. His dramatic conflicts were relatable and convincing." Read the full review here. Alcina runs through October 28.

Jose Maria Condemi's production of Tosca was a smash hit last week at The Dallas Opera. The Dallas Morning News called the production "grand opera at its grandest" and said, "The opening night audience at the Winspear Opera House got a vivid staging and chills-down-the-back singing." The review also raves, "Andrew Potter was aptly scruffy as the political fugitive Angelotti, with just enough burr on the voice." Read the full review here.