Spotlight on: Michael Uloth

Interview

"Sooner or later, other jobs feel like work, but singing never does. My desire to become a better singer makes every chance to sing feel fun. Singing also reminds me to be playful and creative, which has always been a helpful balance to my overly cerebral and organized approach to life — something I missed while I was away."

Talking with voice docs: Dr. Paul E. Kwak

Interview

"People have so much fear about injury or the discovery of pathology on the vocal cords," Kwak explains of common diagnoses like nodules, cysts, or polyps on the cords. "I think a lot of it was borne out of this unscientific school of voice teaching."

Spotlight on: Danika Lorèn

Interview

"Be a good colleague not because you want to make a good impression on people, but because you care about the working environment that you are part of. A negative rehearsal space can be poisonous and a little bit of camaraderie can make a world of difference."

Talking with singers: Brenda Rae

Interview

"For me, the key to a great Mad Scene is freedom. It's good to have parameters, but when there's freedom, I can do something unexpected which I think keeps the scene really fresh, and lends to the 'mad' quality of it! Musically, dynamics are key, and really help to keep the audience on the edge of their seats."

It's official: Breaking the Waves wins Best New Opera

Interview

"Breaking the Waves was modern, urgent, and heartbreakingly believable in its tragedy and redemption. It was also striking in the way it transformed the Lars von Trier film, which I found misogynistic, into something completely different – a story about female agency."

Talking with singers: Cassandra Warner

Interview

"First of all, the voice is paramount. Get that technique down first before moving on to anything else. Next, opera is certainly a pleasure to take part in, but at the end of the day, it is a business. You need an income to sustain and advance your career. Be sure to learn important skills such as how to create a spreadsheet, a great bio & resume, a website, a contract, and how to improve your client relation skills."

Talking with conductors: Harry Bicket

Interview

"The notes of a Handel opera are relatively simple, compared to a Strauss or Wagner opera, but I concentrate a lot on the rhetorical gesture of every phrase and in creating a soundworld that precisely matches the emotional temperature of the drama."

Ned Canty's Die Fledermaus: "A pleasant, persistent buzz of happiness."

Interview

"We did try to find some nuance at the very end of the piece, making Rosalinda's forgiveness a little more hard won. In both operas, I believe that this "one crazy night" is the thing that the marriages needed to figure out that question of what is this marriage without children. (Yes, Mère Coupable exists, but I file it with Go Set a Watchman. In my heart and soul the Count and Countess fall back in love, and Atticus Finch is not a bigot."

Young singers in Santa Fe: Adelaide Boedecker

Interview

"Everything about the Santa Fe Opera made me want to apply for the apprentice program. I had dreamt of working here for a long time, after hearing my teacher and her husband speak so fondly of the company. It was a dream come true when I got the job!"

Young singers in Santa Fe: Jessica E. Jones

Interview

"I am lucky enough to have my husband and two dogs with me all summer. When I am not at rehearsal I am spending time walking my dogs, grilling with friends and neighbors, and generally soaking in the beauty of Santa Fe. "