LA Opera Podcasts: Behind the Curtain

LA Opera artist in residence Russell Thomas has curated the digital recital "After Hours: Songs of Protest", honoring and celebrating some of the unforgettable music that has galvanized social justice. In this Behind The Curtain conversation, Dr. Shana Redmond, Professor of Musicology and African American Studies at UCLA, speaks with Russell Thomas, soprano Brandie Sutton and baritone Justin Austin about their journeys into and through music, and how they are approaching this repertory of powerful musical works. "After Hours: Songs of Protest" will be available to stream on LA Opera's website, www.laopera.org, beginning on Friday, June 11 at 5pm PST.

In this podcast, Dr. Tiffany Kuo, Professor of Music at Mount San Antonio College and Colburn Conservatory of Music, analyzes the importance of patronage in opera and the arts as she examines "Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine" by composer Tyshawn Sorey, whose digital short "DEATH" is currently streaming at laopera.org/death Tiffany Kuo’s discussion of "Perle Noire", a staged-song cycle conceived by Peter Sellars and sung by soprano Julia Bullock, helps us to explore and expand how we conceive of the operatic canon. This discussion was recorded in May 2021 as part of LA Opera Connects professional development series for teachers, Opera for Educators. Learn more about Opera for Educators at laopera.org/community.

Dr. Susan McClary discusses the ways in which the perception of Mozart’s works as “safe,” or otherwise perfect, affects our understanding of the deeper meanings and sense of beauty of his works, with a focus on Don Giovanni. This discussion was recorded as part of LA Opera Connects' professional development series for teachers, Opera for Educators, in February 2021. Dr. McClary is a professor of music and head of musicology at Case Western Reserve University. This podcast addresses mature topics, and may not be suitable for all audiences.

Jeremy Frank, LA Opera's Associate Chorus Master is a man of many talents: conductor, pianist, educator and mixologist? He is certainly the delightful host of LA Opera Connects' popular Opera Happy Hour web series. Put on your dancing shoes and get your cocktail shakers ready.⁣ In this episode, Jeremy's headed to the dance floor to explore dance and opera in The Marriage of Figaro, Salome, Aida and Orpheus and Eurydice.

As part of LA Opera's On Now digital offerings, we are thrilled to be sharing an audio performance of "Billy Budd" beginning Tuesday, April 27th at 5:00 p.m. PT. on LA Opera's website, Facebook and YouTube (links below). "Billy Budd" was composed by Benjamin Britten with a libretto by English novelist E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier, based on the short novel "Billy Budd" by Herman Melville. LA Opera's production, from February and March 2014, was conducted by James Conlon with Stage Direction by Francesca Zambello. In anticipation of the audio presentation, we are delighted to share, from the vaults, Mo. Conlon's pre-performance talk on this opera and composer he adores. LA Opera website: https://www.laopera.org/discover/la-opera-on-now/la-opera-on-now-all-events/from-the-vault-billy-budd-audio-stream/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LAOpera YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/laopera

Jeremy Frank, LA Opera's Associate Chorus Master is actually a man of many talents: conductor, pianist, educator and mixologist? He is certainly the delightful host of LA Opera Connects' popular Opera Happy Hour web series. Are you a fan of reality TV? Well, believe it or not, opera has its own style of this truth-like entertainment, called "Verismo". In this episode, Jeremy walks us through one of the best-known and well-loved examples of Verismo opera - "Pagliacci" (the one with that famous sad clown).

Jeremy Frank, LA Opera's Associate Chorus Master is actually a man of many talents: conductor, pianist, educator and mixologist? He is certainly the delightful host of LA Opera Connects' popular Opera Happy Hour web series. In this episode that originally aired in January 2021, Jeremy explores opera in America through the works of three contemporary composers – André Previn, Philip Glass, and Anthony Davis.

Jeremy Frank, LA Opera's Associate Chorus Master is actually a man of many talents: conductor, pianist, educator and mixologist? He is certainly the delightful host of LA Opera Connects' popular Opera Happy Hour web series. In this episode that originally aired in November 2020, Jeremy breaks down one of the most beloved subgenres of opera: bel canto.

In this special edition of Behind the Curtain, LA Opera's Richard Seaver Music Director, James Conlon contemplates some of the rich musical works, oratorios, opera and stage festival plays, that have been associated with Easter traditions and celebrations. Works featured include: Messiah by George Frideric Handel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r68P8TBWiIQ St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 by Johann Sebastian Bach https://youtu.be/28bIf-OzKVE Anne Sofie von Otter - "Erbarme dich, mein Gott": https://youtu.be/r2C8TvF3dJk Easter Oratorio. BWV 249 by Johann Sebastian Bach https://youtu.be/xUKc_-x6v0M Stabat Mater by Antonín Dvořák https://youtu.be/MTPxgiAtTp0 https://youtu.be/BaKhp6voYdw Stabat Mater, Op. 53 by Karol Szymanowski https://youtu.be/soC2WFYgWH0 Quattro pezzi sacri: Stabat mater by Giuseppe Verdi https://youtu.be/HU9rqXpYWJk Christus by Franz Liszt https://youtu.be/PteHCN8_fHk Parsifal - Act Three - Karfreitag (Good Friday) Excerpt by Richard Wagner https://youtu.be/z-vcbbRREUgKarfreitagrauber

Dr. Beatriz Ilari is Associate Professor of Music Education and Chair of the Department of Music Teaching and Learning at the University of Southern California. Using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, she has conducted extensive research with infants and children to examine the intersections between music, child development, cognition, and culture. In this talk, recorded on March 20 as a part of LA Opera Connects' Opera for Educators series, she discusses the latest research into children's musical experiences during the pandemic and what lessons may we glean for the future. More about Dr. Ilari: https://www.LAOpera.org/community/affiliated-scholars/beatriz-ilari/ More about Opera for Educators: https://www.LAOpera.org/OperaForEducators

In conjunction with LA Opera's presentation of Breaking the Waves (a co-commission with Opera Philadelphia and Beth Morrison Projects), we are pleased to offer this conversation between LA Opera's Senior Director of Artistic Programs Joshua Winograde and the creative team behind the opera: creative producer Beth Morrison, composer Missy Mazzoli, and librettist Royce Vavrek. This conversation was recorded in February 2021. Presented digitally through the LA Opera On Now initiative, this compelling adaptation of Lars Von Trierʼs 1996 cinematic masterpiece reaches audiences through an incredibly emotional filmed performance. Winner of the 2017 award for “Best New Opera” by the Music Critics Association of North America, groundbreaking composer Missy Mazzoli's first large-scale opera is already recognized as one of the most powerful music-theater pieces of our time.  Reserve your free access to watch from now until April 12 on LA Opera website here: https://www.laopera.org/performances/upcoming-digital-performances/breaking-the-waves-3/

DEATH is a new digital short in three parts, based on a poem of the same name by the great American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906). Composer Dr. Tyshawn Sorey crafts a breathtaking reflective musical setting, and filmmaker Nadia Hallgren creates a visual story that gives a glimpse into the creative process of both composer and poet, and addresses the Black experience in America. In this Behind the Curtain conversation, Dr. Muriel McClenndon, Associate Professor for History at UCLA, speaks with D. Sorey and Ms. Hallgren, discussing how the project originated, and how its poetry, music and image resonate together. DEATH premiered on February 19, 2021, and can be accessed for free on our website at: LAOpera.org/Death

In honor of Women's History and Arts Education Month, we offer you this very special Behind the Curtain message recorded in spring 2006, in one of the private chambers of the Supreme Court. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the late Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, was a brilliant jurist and an extraordinary leader who helped make our country better in numerable ways. One of those ways was her advocacy for arts education and engagement for all Americans, especially children. She graciously recorded the following message in which she reflected on her own childhood, and how the arts shaped and brought her joy. It was a liberating kind of joy she hoped all of us would have. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born on March 15, 1933 and passed away on September 18, 2020, but her voice lives on.

Enjoy this inspiring conversation with composers Juhi Bansal, Gabriela Lena Frank, Nia Imani Franklin and Laura Karpman, moderated by mezzo-soprano Suzanna Guzmán. These women are redefining classical and film music, while smashing preconceptions and barriers for other artists. Each has become a champion of a more vibrant and inclusive future. This podcast was recorded on December 3, 2020 as part of a live, Zoom event in partnership with The Hildegards, Arts for LA, and the Women’s Opera Network of OPERA America.

Jeremy Frank, LA Opera's Associate Chorus Master is actually a man of many talents: conductor, pianist, educator and mixologist? He is certainly the delightful host of LA Opera Connects' popular Opera Happy Hour web series. In this episode, Jeremy dives into some of opera's most famous family reunions (some more heartwarming than others). Enjoy more Opera Happy Hour here: www.laopera.org/discover/la-opera…/opera-happy-hour