Spanish composer and conductor Pedro Halffter will take part in a panel discussion on his new chamber opera, “KLARA.”

Opera Hispánica in collaboration with National Sawdust, Divaria Productions, and the New York City Opera, presents the New York premiere of “KLARA,” in a new production directed and choreographed by choreographer Richard Stafford. “KLARA” features soprano Ashley Galvani Bell, dancer Laura Henning, and Silvia Santinelli and Halffter at the pianos.

The opera in four haikus uses enigmatic lyrics to emphasize the play between choreography and singing. This production engages the audiences in a current reflection on the development of artificial intelligence, and what it means to be human.

In preparation, for the performance at National Sawdust on Feb. 28, Opera Hispánica will lead a talk with the composer, Panoyotis Mavromatis from NYU’s Department of Music who works on the intersection of music and technology, and Rutgers professor Cameron Domenico Kirk-Giannini, who is part of the Rutgers-Newark initiative in Computer Science, Data Science, and artificial intelligence technologies. The Feb. 26, 2025 event will be held at the Instituto Cervantes in New York,  as part of its Fake News and Perception of Reality series. In addition to the talk is selections from the opera.

This production is supported in part by Opera America’s NYC Opera Grants for Small-Budget Companies, supported by the Howard Gilman Foundation.

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Brooklyn Youth Chorus has announced “Port(al),” a site-specific performance that explores the history of Brooklyn Navy Yard.

The performance installation, which starts on May 1, 2025, will feature collaborations with co-composer and co-founder and artistic director of the National Sawdust Paola Prestini, co-composer, librettist, and founder and former co-host of Radio Lab, Jad Aburmrad, and director and co-librettist Jessica Grindstaff, who is also co-founder of Phantom Limb Company.

The project explores such historical figures as historian Howard Zinn, drag king Rusty Brown, activist Clarence L. Irving, and mezzo-soprano Eugenia Farrar.

“Through the Navy Yard, choristers are learning about their own history, the history of the world, and the evolution of how marginalized groups have been treated in our society—and how they’ve shaped it. As we’ve all dug into the past, the more personal and individual stories have taken center stage, rather than the grand movements of history,” said Brooklyn Youth Chorus founder and artistic director Dianne Berkun Menaker per an official press statement.

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• Paola Prestini & Brenda Shaughnessy’s ‘Sensorium Ex’ Sets World Premiere Production

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The production will be showcased on Jan. 17 and 19, 2025 at the Stage at Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church in New Jersey. 

The company is a non-profit organization that presents professional operatic productions in and around Gladstone, NJ. The mission is to enrich the cultural offerings of Somerset County and the surrounding area by providing a platform for emerging and local opera singers. We aim to keep the bel canto tradition of opera alive through elegant productions that evoke the glory of the golden age of opera.

The work will be performed in German with English dialogue and will feature a chamber orchestra.

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First up is “Salome” this February at the Irondale in Brooklyn.

The Strauss work will be presented in an adaptation by Jacob Ashworth and Elizabeth Dinkova for seven singers and an arrangement by Dan Schlosberg for eight clarinetists and two percussionists. It will star Summer Hassan, Patrick Cook, Nathaniel Sullivan, Manna K. Jones, David Morgans, and Melina Jaharis.

Dinkova directs and Ashworth conducts.

Performance Dates: Feb. 4-16, 2025

Then comes “Faust” in a 100-minute adaptation featuring English Dialogue. The opera is co-adapted by Jacob Ashworth and Sara Holdren and features an arrangement by Dan Schlosberg. Holdren directs and Ashworth conducts.

This production will take the stage at the Baruch Performing Arts Center.

Performance Dates: May 13-15, 2025

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The S.E.M. Ensemble will present a special concert at the Paula Cooper Gallery in New York on Dec. 18, 2024.

The event will be headlined by soprano Kamala Sankaram and conducted by Petr Kotik.

Per an official press release, “the program includes music whose creation directly relates to the Czech Republic, compositions which had an impact or drew inspiration and support from the music scene there.” Audiences will experience works by John Cage, including his “Aria” for voice, Ruolf Komorous’ “Olympia,” Anna Heflin’s “The man who owned the forest,” Morton Feldman’s “Structures,” Kotik’s “Why Melody?,” and Lubos Mrkvicka’s “Quartet, Part A.”

The concert kicks off at 8 p.m.

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The work will be shown on Feb. 8 and 9, at the Sieminski Theater, Basking Ridge NJ.

The company will present a traditional production with the Light Opera of New Jersey Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Jason Tramm.

Kristin Sampson will sing the title role of Cio-Cio-San, while Peter Lake will be Pinkerton. They will be joined by Ashley Armstrong as Suzuki, Michael Nansel as Sharpless, Tai Collins as Goro, Gregory Voinier as Yamadori, and Vladimir Hristov as Bonzo. The production will be directed by Giorgio Lalov.

The opera will be presented in Italian with English supertitles.

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The opera explores the real-life experiences of a U.S. Army chaplain with the story centering on Mary Raven, who runs away from a harsh father and becomes Lieutenant Mary James. It features music by Theodore Christman, Gary Vincent Koda, Vita Koreneva, Akihiro Masuda, Stéphane Tesan, and Jeff Shankley.

“Each composer has something special to offer, and all of their music comes together to form the arc of a story with a joyous ending that will lift your eyes to hope,” said librettist Susan Conti per an official press release.

Headlining the production are Madison Marie McIntosh, Randa Rouweya, José Miguel Sacin, Steven Andrew Murray, and Janghyo Yoo.

The performance kicks off at 8 p.m. local time.

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The company will present “Ray Bradbury, Age 12, at the Carnival in Waukegan, Illinois” by Tyler Mabry. The work stars Nicholas Flott, Jake Jacosen, Hillary Schranze, Kaley Williams, and Sandra Villwock.

Then comes Benjamin Morris and Laura Fuentes’ “Las Auténticas,” starring Sandra Mercado, Annisha Mackenzie, and Julius Young.

Finally, the company presents Lisa Neher and Caitlyn Vincent’s “Beyond.” The work stars Janine Dworin and Andréa Ochoa.

All three works are presented as a single program for six shots from Feb. 21 – March 2, 2025.

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The event will feature Leah Edwards and Dimitri Pittas in performance alongside Alva Anderson, Fouché Sheppard, Dennis Shuman, Sam Stevenson, and a children’s ensemble.

“This event is about more than music; it’s about community,” Edwards said per an official press release. “Our neighbors have embraced it so fully that before we even announced this year’s date, people were asking about it to make sure they didn’t miss out.”

The showcase kicks off at 4:30 p.m. local time at BrickYard Plantation in Mount Pleasant, SC. It is free to the public and donations are encouraged. There will be food provided by da Toscana Porchetta Shop.

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Schubert Club in St. Paul, MN will host “New Songs for the New Year” on Jan. 2 and 3, 2025.

The showcase will feature mezzo-soprano Clara Osowski and pianist Casey Rafn as they premiere a new song cycle, “Death Suite for Jackie O,” by Steve Heitzeg.

“With ‘Death Suite for Jackie O,’ I feel fortunate to have two powerful sources of inspiration,” said Heitzig per an official press release. “Having worked with Clara Osowski on the world premiere of my “Lament of the Earth”, I wanted to compose a song cycle that would highlight her exquisite voice. Secondly, I have long admired Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ devotion to art, culture and beauty, as well as her resilience and quiet defiance in the face of violence and danger.”

The program also includes the world premieres of music by David Evan Thomas, Linda Kachelmeier, and Janicka Vandervelde.

“The most thrilling thing about new art song is working in tandem with the composer to create something about which they’re so passionate. I’m happy to be an instrument that can see their vision from the start to the audience,” added Osowski, who has performed with Minnesota Opera, the Bel Canto Chorus of Milwaukee, Back Bay Chorale of Boston, Bach Society of Minnesota, and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Both performances are open to the public free of charge.

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