NYC Opera Blog: Blog

Questions with Kenneth Overton

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:50:16 GMT

Baritone Kenneth Overton may be making his NYC Opera debut this season in Jonathan Miller's production of La traviata, but he's is no stranger to the New York opera scene. As co-founder of Opera Noire of New York, Kenneth has been instrumental ...

A Holiday Toast to Our Favorite Composers

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:52:14 GMT

Happy Thanksgiving, opera lovers! Here at New York City Opera, we wanted to raise a glass to the great composers whose work we will present in the spring. And with the help of Drinkify.org, we've found the best beverage to toast each of ...

Visiting Venues: Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:37:20 GMT

One might not guess that one of New York's most popular venues is in hiding in the basement of a college. Being steps away from Lincoln Center, however, The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College of Criminal Justice has become no stranger to ...

Questions with Andrew Garland

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:08:57 GMT

Baritone Andrew Garland is making his City Opera debut this month in our upcoming concert "Who Are You New York?: The Songs of Rufus Wainwright". Andrew is no stranger to the works of American composers, having recently recorded songs by ...

Visiting Venues: Howard Gilman Opera House

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:51:30 GMT

"Every opera house has its own personality, some are opulent and grand, some intimate and elegant, others have an extraordinary sense of history. The Howard Gilman Opera House at BAM is nothing less than magnificent, with very savvy people coming in ...

Visiting Venues: El Museo Del Barrio's El Teatro

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:44:23 GMT

As we embark on our 2011-2012 season, we here at City Opera thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the exciting new venues in which we'll perform. First up: El Teatro Theater at El Museo Del Barrio, the charming Upper East Side ...

Questions with Anne-Carolyn Bird

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:29:42 GMT

Anne-Carolyn Bird has been quite the busy soprano. Besides performing in some of the most celebrated opera houses in the world, the young singer welcomed son Henry into the world just last year with husband (and bass-baritone) ...

Stock up for Tony Season!

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:00:00 GMT

The 2011 Tony Awards are fast approaching, and what better way to celebrate the biggest night on Broadway than stocking up on your favorite cast recordings! The Online City Opera Gift Shop is currently having a sale on all CDs and DVDs (25% ...

Meet the Artists of VOX's Vinkensport

Fri, 13 May 2011 18:48:17 GMT

Composer David T. Little and librettist Royce Vavrek are back for another year at VOX. This year's selection Vinkensport concerns the little-known sport of finch-singing and the quirky characters who participate. For more information, ...

Questions with Daryl Freedman

Fri, 13 May 2011 14:21:57 GMT

Daryl Freedman may be making her New York City Opera debut in this year's VOX, but she sure has made her impression on the opera world. This vivacious mezzo-soprano has previous sang at Wolf Trap Opera, Portland ...

Meet the Artists of Vox's Faustine

Thu, 12 May 2011 19:24:41 GMT

Meet Arlene Sierra and Lucy Thurber, the composer-librettist team for Faustine, one of the works showcased in this year's VOX Contemporary American Opera Lab. For more information or to purchase tickets to this event, click ...

Meet the Artists of VOX's The Beach

Thu, 12 May 2011 14:51:56 GMT

Composer Andrew Gerle and librettist Royce Vavrek talk about their opera The Beach which will be featured on the first day of this year's VOX Contemporary American Opera Lab. For tickets and information, click ...

Meet the Artists of VOX's Mary Shelley

Wed, 11 May 2011 19:02:06 GMT

Meet Allan Jaffe and Deborah Atherton, the composer-librettist team behind Mary Shelley. Learn about the fascinating story behind the trailblazing author at the heart of this VOX selection. For tickets and information, click ...

Meet the Composer of VOX's All Three Acts of a Sad Play Performed Entirely in Bed

Tue, 10 May 2011 21:50:34 GMT

Meet Dag Gabrielsen, and learn about the origin of his opera All Three Acts of a Sad Play Performed Entirely in Bed. To learn more about this and other VOX selections, click ...

Meet the Artists of VOX's De Deo

Mon, 09 May 2011 21:49:29 GMT

Meet another of our fabulous composer/librettist teams! Paola Prestini and Donna DiNovelli talk about their opera De Deo, a selection that will be featured in the second day of this year's lab at Le Poisson Rouge. For more ...

Meet the Artists of VOX's Dr Sun Yat-Sen

Fri, 06 May 2011 13:19:19 GMT

All this week, we'll be introducing you to the teams behind each of this year's VOX selections. Hear composer Huang Ro and librettist Candice Chong discuss the subject at the heart of their opera, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. For tickets and ...

Questions with Bailey Grey

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 18:24:30 GMT

Though Bailey Grey, age 12, makes her New York City Opera debut as Adriana Clayton in Stephen Schwartz's Séance on a Wet Afternoon this month, she's no stranger to the stage. The singing actress was last seen in the national tour of ...

Questions with Melody Moore

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:27:05 GMT

Soprano Melody Moore makes a splashy New York City Opera debut in the New York premiere of Stephen Schwartz's Séance on a Wet Afternoon. Melody plays Rita Clayton, the distraught mother searching for answers in her daughter's ...

Questions with Kim Josephson

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:15:55 GMT

Baritone Kim Josephson has played some of the most iconic roles in opera. From Rigoletto to Marcello in La Boheme to Scarpia in Tosca, he's performed the dream repertoire for baritones in the world's leading opera ...

Q&A with Where the Wild Things Are conductor Julian Kuerti

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:29:24 GMT

Our Where the Wild Things Are concert is right around the corner, and what better way to learn more about this exciting event than an interview with the conductor. Click here to learn more about Julian Kuerti who makes his New York City Opera ...

Stephen Schwartz and Lauren Flanigan: Corner of the Sky

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:15:21 GMT

Pairing one of Broadway's most celebrated composers and City Opera's in-house diva may seem like an odd choice to many opera and musical-theater lovers, but Stephen Schwartz and Lauren Flanigan show they may have more in common than meets the ...

Sneak Peek! Lauren Flanigan sings "One Little Lie"

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 21:24:32 GMT

City Opera diva Lauren Flanigan takes on the role of Myra Foster, an out-for-fame clairvoyant, in this season's Séance on a Wet Afternoon. This psycological thriller is the first opera from composer Stephen Schwartz, who changed the face ...

MONO-VLOG Actor & Playwright Wallace Shawn on SCHOENBERG

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:43:32 GMT

Wallace Shawn discusses the not-so-inconceivable notion that the story of Erwartung may have been drawn from Arnold Schoenberg's own struggles with tonality. Check it ...

MONO-VLOG Director Winsome Brown on BECKETT

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:02:10 GMT

Obie Award-winning performer and director Winsome Brown gives her compelling interpretation of Samuel Beckett's libretto to the monodrama Neither in today's Mono-Vlog. Click here to learn more about Winsome's ...

MONO-VLOG Psychoanalyst Dr. Leon Hoffman on ERWARTUNG

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:21:41 GMT

Today's Mono-Vlog features Dr. Leon Hoffman, a member of The New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, discussing the origins of Marie Pappenheim's libretto to Erwartung. Was it really based on Freud's famous Anna ...

MONO-VLOG Author Allen Shawn on SCHOENBERG

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:27:52 GMT

Composer and Author Allen Shawn talks about the tragic events of Arnold Schoenberg's life that may have been the inspiration for ...

Questions with Kara Shay Thomson

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:19:00 GMT

"Run...run as fast as you can...into the spotlight!" These words of wisdom by soprano Kara Shay Thomson to aspiring singers, perfectly describe her own path. She is running into the spotlight in her New York City Opera debut as The Woman ...

MONO-VLOG Actor Larry Pine reads NEITHER

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 21:15:49 GMT

Actor (and Beckett enthusiast) Larry Pine reads the libretto for Morton Feldman and Samuel Beckett's Neither for our latest ...

MONO-VLOG Director Jim Jarmusch reads NEITHER

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:39:08 GMT

In our latest Mono-Vlog, acclaimed film director Jim Jarmusch reads the libretto for Morton Feldman's Neither, an ominous poem written by playwright Samuel Beckett. Jarmusch also discusses the influence each had on his ...

Questions with Meredith Lustig

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:32:02 GMT

Soprano Meredith Lustig makes her professional and company debut as Giannetta in The Elixir of Love, opening this week. Still a student at The Julliard School, Ms. Lustig is a native of New Hampshire and a recipiant of both The Bel Canto and New ...

Parallel Perceptions Opening!

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:23:24 GMT

New York City Opera is gearing up for the exciting Spring 2011 Season which opens this week with Donizetti's beloved classic The Elixir of Love. Also opening is the New York premiere of Monodramas in the David H. Koch Theater. ...

MONO-VLOG Historian Noga Arikha on BECKETT

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:31:54 GMT

Historian and author Noga Arikha talks about the family dinners she had with mysterious playwright Samuel Beckett (who is also the librettist for Morton Feldman's Neither) and his well-known friendship with her father, painter Avigdor Arikha. ...

Questions with Anu Komsi

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:27:34 GMT

Internationally known Finnish soprano Anu Komsi makes her New York City Opera debut in the first full stage production of John Zorn’s La Machine de l'être as part of this season's Monodramas. Ms. Komsi is excited to ...

MONO-VLOG: Music Director George Manahan on Schoenberg

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:42:20 GMT

Maestro George Manahan discusses the challenges Arnold Schoenberg faced composing during the post-Wagner era of German music in our latest ...

Meet the Singers of Monodramas

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:20:55 GMT

Anu Komsi (La Machine de l’être), soprano. Birthplace: Kokkola, Finland. This season at City Opera: debut in John Zorn’s “La Machine de l’être” in Monodramas. Career highlights: 2010 Lincoln ...

Questions with Marco Nisticò

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:39:00 GMT

Italian baritone Marco Nisticò is no stranger to New York City Opera’s stage. Joining us this season as Dulcamara in Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, Mr. Nisticò will rekindle the presence he has had here in numerous ...

MONO-VLOG: Christopher Rothko on Rothko and Feldman

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:11:41 GMT

In today's Mono-Vlog, Christopher Rothko talks about the special connection between the works of his father, painter Mark Rothko, and Neither composer Morton ...

The Works of Pipilotti Rist

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:49:25 GMT

Stills from the work of Swiss video artist Pipilotti Rist will be on view as part of Parallel Perceptions, throughout the run of Monodramas. Rist’s work explores themes of gender, femininity, and the human form. Homo ...

MONO-VLOG: Director Michael Counts on Zorn

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:53:06 GMT

To celebrate our spring production of Monodramas, New York City Opera is creating a series of short videos called the Mono-Vlogs. Each video will give a little insight to one of the composers or his collaborator/inspiration.Here, director Michael ...

First Look: Morton Feldman's NEITHER

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:28:10 GMT

Earlier this month, director Michael Counts and choreographer Ken Roht put together a workshop of Morton Feldman's stirring work "Neither". This U.S. premiere will be the third piece in our upcoming production of ...

Questions with Dominic Armstrong

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:17:56 GMT

You may know tenor Dominic Armstrong as a finalist from the 2008 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, where he was a finalist. Two years later he's made his City Opera debut as Francois in Leonard Bernstein's A Quiet Place. ...

Friend, Fan, and Follow Us!

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:05:13 GMT

To celebrate our growing online community, New York City Opera with American Airlines will give away round-trip air transportation transportation for two (2) as well as two (2) tickets to a performance during our Spring 2010 season to one lucky ...

Parallel Perceptions is coming!

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 14:56:08 GMT

Another openin', another show! It's an exciting time here at New York City Opera as we gear up for our Fall 2010 season which opens this Wednesday with the New York premiere of Leonard Bernstein's A Quiet Place. Also opening on Wednesday ...

Chatting with NYCO Volunteer John Condon

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:10:26 GMT

We here at City Opera are very lucky to have an amazing group of volunteers that work in every facet of our company. From sending out Development mailings to manning the City Opera Gift Shop during performances, our almost-250 volunteers ...

Tickets now on sale!

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:18:39 GMT

Summer may be winding down but here at City Opera, we are just getting started! Tickets for A Quiet Place, Intermezzo, The Elixir of Love, Monodramas, and Séance on a Wet Afternoon as well as our new concert series ...

Revisiting Katrina

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:19:28 GMT

In recognition of the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Le Poisson Rouge will present Ted Hearne's Katrina Ballads on Tuesday, August 24th. Katrina Ballads was a huge hit when it was presented at City Opera's 2009 VOX Contemporary ...

The Art of Kehinde Wiley

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:21:00 GMT

You may have seen American artist Kehinde Wiley's Portrait of Andries Stilte around the Lincoln Center campus or in our brochures promoting next season. His paintings are these gigantic, life-size portraits of New Yorkers ...

Play me, Im yours

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:02:37 GMT

Starting today, four pianos have been placed around Lincoln Center (and many more around the 5 boroughs) as part of British artist Luke Jerram's latest project, "Play me, I'm yours". Anyone and everyone will be able to play these pianos from ...

The Post DIVAS Wrap-Up with Dame Lori

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:51:05 GMT

Hello City Opera Shopping Divas! So glad to be back, recovered from—and reporting about—our fabulous DIVAS Shop for Opera Event last Thursday. What an intensive shopping and beauty scene. Each time I turned around, I was ...

Got a Light? Smoking Banned on Colorado Stages

Tue, 25 May 2010 14:57:45 GMT

She may be sparking the flames of love, but Bizet's anti-heroine Carmen won't be sparking flames between her and her cigarettes. At least not on a Coloardo stage. The US Supreme Court recently affirmed the opinion of the ...

Dame Lori at the DIVAS Cocktail Reception Preview

Wed, 12 May 2010 20:05:19 GMT

It's the Dame Here . . . Fresh from a truly Divine DIVAS Shop for Opera Event last night! Bracing myself against the chilly spring air, I wore my short-sleeved black lamb Marni coat purchased from last year's DIVAS event (donated by a ...