A "fiercely queer opera" for Halloween

Interview

"Lycanthropy is such a great metaphor for sexual fluidity," says co-librettist Teri Kowiak. "Our werewolf is not human when in human form, nor is he a wolf when he is in wolf form. He is always a werewolf, no matter how he appears at a specific time."

Talking with conductors: Oliver Zeffman

Interview

"I set up the Melos Sinfonia at 16 - no-one is going to invite a wannabe conductor with zero experience in front of their orchestra, so you've got to start something yourself. Ask your friends from school, from youth orchestra, their friends and relatives. You'll probably be terrible to start out with (I was at least!) but over time you get better, they get better, you build a wider network of players and at some point you'll be making good music!"

R.B. Schlather, Susan B. Anthony, & connecting opera with community

Interview

Not only is Schlather's latest project site-specific, but one which is in response to a performance space's unique history. "That's exciting for me, and it's the continuation of explorations that I've been doing for the past couple years," he says. These explorations, he explains, haven't always been clear in direction, but they have always ben led by the question, "what does it mean to do this opera in this location?"

Living up to its name: Experiments in Opera

Interview

"Our most successful projects are ones where we invite composers to make work in a community where everyone is being asked to respond to similar restraints of story, instrumentation, performers, etc. This way, we can create an artistic dialogue about the process, invite audiences to note the differences between each composers' styles and approaches, and engage a wider and more diverse range of singers and instrumentalists who are flexible in terms of style, genre and technique."

Leonard Bernstein & NYFOS: "I think he'd be pretty proud of it."

Interview

"I think he'd be pretty proud of it," Barrett imagines of Bernstein's reaction to NYFOS' entering its 30th season of thematic vocal programming in large and small venues around New York. Barrett adds in another surprising anecdote: "In fact, he was our founding president."

Verdi at 204, Toscanini at 150: the 2017 Festival Verdi

Interview

"The Festival Verdi was inaugurated in 2001, one hundred years after Verdi's death. Since then, extraordinarily talented artists have performed here, including Bruno Bartoletti, Riccardo Chailly, Daniele Gatti, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Daniel Oren, Antonio Pappano and Yuri Temirkanov."

James Robinson's Elixir of Love: "I think it's one of the best comedies."

Interview

"I'm always the first person to say, 'Ok, I had a bad idea, let's try something else'," he says, smiling. "When singers feel that they are part of the discovery process, making choices on their own, they memorize it faster, they're more reliable, they're more comfortable, and they sing better."

"A truly otherworldly space": Heartbeat Opera's Drag Extravaganza

Interview

"Opera has been a home for drag for centuries! Think: pants roles like Cherubino. Moreover, opera is about big emotion expressed in grand, often over-the-top ways. The Queen of the Night's famous aria from The Magic Flute embodies rage and power with delightful virtuosity. Drag performers channel big emotions in grand ways too. Plus, opera and drag both demand fabulous costumes and wigs!"

Tim Albery: flawed operas & falling empires

Interview

"It depends where you are, and what the culture of the place you're working in is," says Albery. He points to obvious hurdles, like companies with large overhead costs ("The people with buildings are the people with commitments to paying salaries") and a tradition - even a perceived dependecy - on patrons buying season-long subscriptions, a trend he says is "dying".

Talking with singers: Jennifer Rowley

Interview

"There is always something to learn every time you do a role – from the very first time and all the times after. I find something new in the character and music every time I sing Tosca, and it astonishes me that I can add a layer to her character each and every time."