To learn from Maestro Paolo Arrivabeni about his journey before he steps on the podium to conduct an opera or a symphony is more than a treat. It is a brief excursion into some of the layers he explores before he picks up his baton. More than rehearsals with singers and orchestra, more than simply studying a score, more than even choosing what he intends with the music before him, we glimpse something of the intricate  thoughts, feelings, and aspirations, he aims to conjure up. As he so aptly says his goal is to create a bridge between the external realities of life and the beauty and emotions of the music. His artistic intention is to provide us with an immersive experience of the composer’s own vision.

Who is Paolo Arrivabeni?

One of the most in-demand Italian opera conductors of his generation, Paolo Arrivabeni’s repertory ranges from the great Italian composers of the 19th century to Wagner, Strauss and Mussorgsky. The 2024-25 season features “Simon Boccanegra” at the Opernhaus Zürich, “Madama Butterfly” at both the Opéra de Marseille and the Semperoper Dresden, “Maria Stuarda” at the Royal Danish Opera, “Il Trovatore” at the Staatsoper Hamburg, and “Aida” and “Nabucco” at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

OperaWire: What do you want to “communicate” through a performance?

Paolo Arrivabeni: Through my work as a conductor, I strive to communicate to the audience the genius and profound artistry of the composer we are interpreting. By doing so, my goal is to create a space where the audience can momentarily detach from the external realities of life and immerse themselves in the beauty and emotions of the music. I see our role as artists and interpreters as a bridge, bringing to life the genius of the composer and offering the audience a unique, transformative experience that allows them to lose themselves in the music, even if just for a few hours.

OW: How do you communicate with the orchestra most comfortably? Most successfully?

PA: I communicate with the orchestra using my entire body to convey what I want to achieve musically. This includes not only my arms but also the expressions on my face. The amount of verbal communication I use depends on the time we have; sometimes there’s more room to explain, and other times less. However, the most important aspect is to express my intentions through gestures and physical presence. Often, there simply isn’t enough time to say everything I might wish to articulate, but skilled orchestras are accustomed to reading conductors who can effectively express themselves through body language. This physical dialogue becomes the cornerstone of a successful collaboration.

OW: How do you approach singers and orchestras when you prepare to do a work?

PA: I approach both singers and orchestras with great respect, acknowledging their artistry and individuality. At the same time, I come with a clear and precise vision of what I aim to achieve musically. This vision is always shaped by the resources available to me—whether it’s the unique qualities of the performers or the specific circumstances of the production. Balancing respect for their talents with a firm sense of direction allows for a collaborative process where everyone feels valued yet guided toward a shared artistic goal.

OW: What if any significant differences are there in working in an Italian house versus working in a German or French one?

PA: When comparing Italian opera houses to German or French ones, significant differences emerge, particularly in preparation times and processes. In German-speaking theaters, the preparation periods tend to be much shorter than in French or Italian theaters. However, the speed of learning and execution in German theaters is notably higher, which allows them to adapt efficiently to the shorter timelines. In Italy, there’s often an inherent advantage when conducting works by Italian composers like Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, or Puccini. These masterpieces are deeply rooted in our cultural DNA, providing a natural connection and understanding that informs the artistic process. This familiarity offers a head start in interpreting and performing such works.

In Germany, the focus and expertise often lie in a different repertoire, where they have their own intrinsic advantages and traditions, just as we do with our Italian operatic heritage. Ultimately, while the pathways to the final product may vary—whether shaped by cultural, logistical, or repertorial differences—the resulting quality remains consistent, whether it’s Italian, French, or German. It’s the approach and methods that differ, not the pursuit of excellence.

OW: How do you approach conducting a new opera? What are your first steps? What follows?

PA: The first steps involve researching the period in which the opera was composed, studying the composer’s life, and understanding the historical and cultural context in which the work was conceived. This foundation is essential to grasp the broader environment that influenced the opera’s creation.

Next, I turn to the libretto, as it plays a crucial role in understanding the narrative, characters, and dramatic structure. Once familiar with the text, I immerse myself in the score, exploring its musical and dramatic nuances. In the early and even advanced stages of study, I consciously avoid external influences, such as historic or modern recordings, to ensure that my interpretation remains original and uninfluenced. I believe this allows me to develop a fresh and personal perspective on the work.

Only after forming my own vision do I compare my interpretation with that of other conductors who have directed or recorded the opera. This exchange of ideas can be enlightening and sometimes even inspiring, but it must never override or compromise the choices I have independently made. The goal is always to stay true to my artistic understanding while respecting the integrity of the opera and its creator.

OW: How does this process differ from conducting an opera you are more familiar with?

PA: The difference lies primarily in the fact that, with an opera I am already familiar with, I already have a deep understanding of the score, the libretto, the historical context, and the composer’s life and times. This prior knowledge forms a strong foundation that allows me to engage with the work at a more instinctive level.

However, even when revisiting an opera I have conducted many times, I always make a point of rethinking certain elements in light of new experiences and perspectives I’ve gained since my last encounter with the piece. This reflection often leads me to reconsider choices I made in the past that may no longer align with how I currently understand or feel about the opera.

In this sense, conducting a familiar work is never static; it is always an opportunity for rediscovery and growth. Each time I approach it, I find something new—new insights, new interpretations, or simply new ways to connect with the music and the drama. It’s an ongoing process of evolution and refinement, ensuring that my interpretation remains vibrant and relevant, both to me and to the performers and audiences I am working with.

OW: How would you describe an Arrivabeni performance? What are some of its characteristics?

PA: It’s difficult to define an Arrivabeni performance in specific terms because no two performances are ever the same. Each evening brings its own unique energy and nuances, shaped by a variety of factors—the mood of the performers, the chemistry with the orchestra, the singers’ interpretations, and even the audience’s engagement. For me, it’s this dynamic and ever-changing nature of live performance that makes it so special.

Every night, something may shift—sometimes subtly, sometimes profoundly—and that’s what keeps the art alive and authentic. My focus is on being fully present and responsive, allowing the music to breathe and evolve naturally. This adaptability ensures that every performance has its own identity, creating a singular experience for the audience and everyone involved.

OW: I understand you like to conduct Wagner. Can you say something about your connection to his music?

PA: I’ve had the privilege of conducting some of Wagner’s works, beginning with “Der fliegende Holländer” (“The Flying Dutchman”) and later “Lohengrin.” I feel a deep connection to his music, particularly because these two operas resonate with a certain “Italianate” quality—if I may say so—that aligns with the lyrical and expressive style of 19th-century Italian operatic writing. This makes them particularly appealing to me as a conductor steeped in that tradition. Wagner’s music captivates me with its depth and complexity, and I hope to have the opportunity to explore more of his repertoire in the future. His ability to weave profound emotional and musical narratives is something I find immensely rewarding, both as an interpreter and as someone who seeks to share that richness with audiences.

OW: Also, can you speak about the relationship between your views and feelings about Italian opera and Wagner’s?

PA: There is a fascinating and profound relationship between Italian opera and Wagner’s music, as the two traditions influenced each other in meaningful ways. For instance, in Giuseppe Verdi’s villa in Sant’Agata, you can find Wagner’s scores, which Verdi read and knew well. Verdi was certainly aware of Wagner’s innovations and musical ideas. On the other hand, Wagner himself deeply admired Italian opera, particularly Bellini’s “Norma,” which he held in the highest regard.

This interplay demonstrates that these musical worlds are not isolated compartments. Both Verdi and Wagner traveled extensively, exposing themselves to different musical traditions and enriching their own artistry through these experiences. Wagner’s works, while grounded in Germanic traditions, reflect a certain operatic grandeur and lyricism that resonate with elements of the Italian style. Similarly, Italian composers absorbed elements of Wagner’s musical language, such as his use of leitmotifs and orchestral richness, integrating them into their own operatic vocabulary.

Ultimately, the connection between Italian opera and Wagner lies in their shared pursuit of emotional depth and dramatic intensity, each influencing the other in subtle but significant ways. This cultural and musical exchange underscores the universality of great art, transcending borders and traditions.

OW: What was your musical dream when you were a young person?

PA: When I was young, my dream was to become a pianist. I enrolled in the Conservatory with that goal in mind, but there wasn’t an available spot in the piano class at the time. To allow me to enter, they placed me in the composition class instead. Initially, this wasn’t what I had envisioned, but I quickly fell in love with composition, discovering a passion I hadn’t anticipated. Over time, I was able to pursue piano studies alongside composition, and these two disciplines became the foundation of my musical journey. It was during these formative years that the idea of conducting began to take shape. My experiences with piano and composition gave me a comprehensive understanding of music that naturally led to a desire to direct and collaborate with orchestras. This evolution from aspiring pianist to composer and ultimately to conductor has shaped who I am as a musician, blending technical mastery with a deep appreciation for the creative process.

OW: What was your musical training? Where? Who was your most influential teacher?

PA: I began my musical training at the Conservatory of Mantua and completed it at the Conservatory of Parma, a city deeply connected to Giuseppe Verdi’s legacy. While many teachers influenced me, two were particularly significant: Camillo Togni for composition and Daniele Gatti for conducting. I transferred from Mantua to Parma because the former didn’t offer conducting studies, and this move allowed me to fully pursue my passion for orchestral direction in an inspiring and supportive environment.

OW: Who were your primary mentors?

PA: Daniele Gatti was a pivotal mentor who guided me during the early stages of my career. I firmly believe that conducting cannot truly be taught—it is something you learn through experience and observation. For a few years, I had the privilege of working alongside him, both at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna and other theaters. During this time, I absorbed a tremendous amount simply by being in his presence, observing his approach, and working closely with him. This hands-on experience was invaluable, shaping my understanding of the art and craft of conducting in ways that formal lessons never could.

OW: Do you mentor other musicians?

PA: I wouldn’t presume to call myself a mentor to anyone. If some of my assistants or students consider me their mentor, that’s for them to say, not for me. Over the years, I’ve had several young conductors by my side, working as my assistants, and I hope I’ve managed to pass on some of what I’ve learned. During my brief time as a teacher, I’ve had students who went on to establish independent careers, which is always gratifying to see. I’ve always tried to share my knowledge generously because I believe it’s essential to pass on what we’ve learned to the next generation. While I may not see myself as a mentor in the traditional sense, I do hope my guidance has left a positive and lasting impact on the musicians I’ve worked with.

OW: How has this differed from what you originally wanted? Aspired to? Actually done?

PA: I originally aspired to work more extensively in my own country, imagining a career deeply rooted in Italy. However, life and circumstances led me in a different direction, with most of my work taking place abroad. This shift happened naturally and without regret, as it gave me the opportunity to engage with diverse cultures, audiences, and artistic traditions. Working internationally has enriched my perspective and allowed me to grow in ways I hadn’t anticipated, and I’ve found fulfillment and comfort in these foreign environments. While my initial vision may have been different, the path I’ve followed has been deeply rewarding.

OW: How does your conducting mesh with your personal life?

PA: Conducting doesn’t “mesh” with my personal life because, for an artist, the two are inseparable. Being a musician isn’t a job you can separate from your identity—it’s who you are. I don’t stop being a conductor or a musician when I leave the theater; it’s a constant part of my life and my way of being. The idea of integrating work and life doesn’t quite apply to this profession because artistry permeates everything. It’s not like I leave rehearsal and suddenly become someone entirely different. Of course, there are moments when I take time to disconnect, relax and spend time with my loved ones, but my identity as a musician and conductor is always present, shaping my perspective and how I live. This is the essence of an artist’s life—it’s all interconnected.

OW: When and how did you decide to concentrate on conducting?

PA: I can’t pinpoint the exact age or moment I decided to focus on conducting—it came to me later in life. While studying composition, I found myself increasingly drawn to the great symphonic repertoire. Experiencing this music, both in study and live performances, had a profound impact on me. Symphonic music became my first love and ultimately led me to shift my focus away from the piano. Conducting felt like a more expansive and fulfilling means of expression, offering a broader palette to communicate musical ideas. It allowed me to engage with the richness of the orchestral repertoire in ways that were deeply rewarding. My journey into opera came later, after I had established a strong connection to symphonic music, but both forms have since become integral to my life as a conductor.

OW: What is your opinion about opera in our current culture? How does it differ in different cultures?

PA: Opera is an art form that naturally integrates into the social fabric of a society, just as painting, theater, or other artistic expressions do. It reflects the cultural identity and traditions of a nation, serving as both a mirror and a cornerstone of its artistic heritage.

However, the role and reception of opera differ across cultures. In some countries, there is a stronger connection between the public and classical music, particularly opera. This is often due to a combination of cultural factors, such as education systems that prioritize the arts, historical traditions that keep opera alive, and societal values that place importance on artistic engagement. In other nations, including my own, opera’s reach can be more limited due to gaps in cultural education or shifts in public interest. Despite these differences, opera remains a universal language—one that has the power to transcend cultural boundaries and connect people through its beauty, drama, and emotional depth. Its role may vary, but its importance as a timeless art form is undeniable.

OW: What are your upcoming engagements as a conductor?

PA: After “Maria Stuarda” in Copenhagen in January-February 2025, I’ll be conducting “Madama Butterfly” in Dresden. I’m thrilled to return to this theater, where I’ve conducted many times and always feel at home. I believe this will be my third “Butterfly” production, following others I’ve done in different venues. It’s a Puccini title I’m deeply connected to, along with “Tosca” and “La Bohème,” which I’ve also conducted in Dresden.

After that, I’ll be in Hamburg for “Il Trovatore.” Hamburg is another city and theater I love returning to—it’s a place where I feel very comfortable and enjoy working. “Il Trovatore” is a work I debuted in Macerata years ago. It’s always exciting to revisit this repertoire in a city that holds such fond memories for me.

Following that, I’ll be conducting “Aida” and “Nabucco” at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. “Nabucco,” in a production I’ve conducted several times before, and I’m very eager to return to a theater I deeply admire. As for “Aida,” it will be my first time conducting this opera in Berlin, which makes it a particularly special project. Beyond that, there are more engagements on the horizon, but for now, I’ll focus on these exciting projects.

OW: What has been your experience conducting “Maria Stuarda” and performing in theaters like Copenhagen’s Opera House?

PA: I first performed in Copenhagen in 2013 with “Macbeth,” and I’m delighted to be back now. The opera house is truly spectacular—not only architecturally but also in terms of its advanced technology. It’s an absolute marvel and a joy to work in. As for “Maria Stuarda,” this is the fourth production I’ve conducted, making it perhaps the Donizetti opera I’ve conducted the most. Of course, I’ve conducted others, like “L’elisir d’amore,” but when it comes to Donizetti’s opera seria, “Maria Stuarda” stands out for me. I first conducted it in Berlin, followed by productions in Vienna and Rome, and now here. It’s an opera I know deeply and one I hold in great regard. Its drama and emotional intensity resonate strongly with me, making it a particularly rewarding work to bring to life on stage.

OW: What are the main challenges of conducting a bel canto opera like “Maria Stuarda?”

PA: The challenges of conducting a bel canto opera always begin with a fundamental premise: the conductor must love the art of singing and possess a deep understanding of the technical aspects of vocal performance. Conductors who come from a background as répétiteurs often have an advantage in this repertoire, as they work daily with singers and develop an instinct for their needs—knowing when they need to breathe, how to support them, and how to make their work easier.

Bel canto operas are extraordinarily demanding vocally, requiring a unique sensitivity to the singer’s needs. Each role is essentially tailored to the specific singer performing it, much like a custom-made suit. Just as no two singers are identical, the approach must adapt to their vocal qualities and capabilities. It’s crucial to work with the material at hand, maintaining a flexible and collaborative approach without compromising the overall dramatic structure and vision of the opera.

OW: Did you take a specific approach to highlight the conflict between Maria Stuarda and Elisabetta in the score?

PA: Not particularly, as Donizetti himself crafted the confrontation between the two queens with incredible dramatic effectiveness. The way he composed that scene is so powerful that it doesn’t require additional interpretive tools to bring out the tension—it works brilliantly on its own.

There are other moments in the opera where the dramatic action may need more support or emphasis from the conductor, but the conflict between Maria and Elisabetta is so vividly realized in the score that it naturally takes center stage without the need for significant intervention. My role in those moments is simply to ensure that the inherent drama and emotional intensity are conveyed clearly and authentically.

OW: What kind of reaction do you expect from the Danish audience, considering that bel canto is not traditionally tied to their musical culture?

PA: I expect curiosity. When an audience isn’t frequently exposed to a particular repertoire, it naturally piques their interest. My hope is to satisfy that curiosity with a performance that lives up to the expectations of this city and this remarkable theater. Interestingly, I was told this morning that the last bel canto opera performed here was “Lucia di Lammermoor,” and that was twenty years ago. If true, it highlights the rarity of this repertoire in Denmark, making this production of “Maria Stuarda” even more special. It’s a wonderful opportunity to introduce or reintroduce the audience to the beauty, drama, and intricacy of bel canto, and I look forward to seeing how they respond to this masterpiece.

OW: How does “Maria Stuarda” fit into your artistic journey, and which aspects of this experience will you fondly remember?

PA: From an artistic perspective, “Maria Stuarda” takes me back to my roots. I began my career conducting bel canto repertoire, focusing extensively on Donizetti, Bellini, and Rossini. For a significant period, these composers were at the heart of my work. Over time, I shifted towards other repertoires, especially Verdi, Puccini, and even more contemporary composers. However, returning to bel canto feels like a homecoming—a way to reconnect with my beginnings. Now, nearly thirty years into my career, I approach these works with a different perspective, one shaped by experience and maturity. That said, my respect for the score remains unchanged. Every interpretation is driven by a deep commitment to honoring the composer’s intentions, and this production has been no exception. What I’ll cherish most about this experience is the opportunity to revisit a genre that is so integral to my artistic identity, while bringing the wisdom and insights I’ve gained over the years to this masterpiece.

The post Q & A: Conductor Paolo Arrivabeni on Why His Work Is Never Static & How It Is an Opportunity for Rediscovery and Growth appeared first on OperaWire.

It was a beginning that bode well for her future as an operatic performer. It was an extraordinarily significant début.

The remarkable number of awards Jane has gathered becomes a very impressive collection, indeed a litany, in addition to her television appearances in both the United States and Europe.

Her absolute and profound understanding of the human voice, her vast repertoire, her knowledge of several languages, her comprehension of stage presence, her understanding of the role and perception of the score, all make Jane Marsh a precious resource for learning for those who are capable of doing so.
Certainly, a career such as her’s is clearly impossible to condense into these few pages herewith but at least a foretaste of what she has achieved and is continuing to accomplish can be of interest not only to so many up-and-coming singers but also to music-loving audiences.

Her impressive experience certainly cannot be elaborated on in detail here but it is well worth consulting her website if only to have some insight or a glimpse into what being a great diva is all about and what it takes to achieve this. Being American certainly did not stop Marsh from competing and winning the Gold Medal, the first singer to do so, in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, a country that was, at that time, perceived as the foremost adversary of the United States. It must have taken a great deal of courage, determination, and skill at such a young age to engage in this adventure.

She has performed with huge success under the baton of numerous outstanding conductors such as: Leinsdorf, Ormandy, Maazel in addition to von Karajan, Böhm, Ozawa, Bernstein, Schippers, and von Matacic. She has appeared on so many Television and radio programs both in the States and in Europe that it would be of some difficulty to enumerate all of them here.

Marsh has also held multilingual Master Classes in the United States and Europe including showcase classes on Mozart & Salieri, Verdi & Bel Canto and Mahler & Vernacular Composers in Performance presented during the European Mozart Weeks in Italy and Germany in 2008, and in 2014, 2016 and 2019 during a recital tour of Croatia and Italy, and most recently for the CUNY Graduate Center, New York. She has been Artistic Advisor & Program Consultant for the successful Met Opera Guild, as well as an Adjunct Professor at Hunter College and the San Francisco State University.

Jane continues her brilliant musical journey now by addressing the problems of young singers and helping them to overcome certain performance situations for which she unquestionably has the background to advise them on.

OperaWire visits with Jane Marsh to learn more.

OperaWire: Were you born into a musical family or did you just perceive your attraction to music on your own?

Jane Marsh: My attraction to music was the result of a latent talent that bubbled to the surface, leading music and singing to ascend majorly into me and my total existence. Others have experienced this, but it is rare and surely not the norm.

OW: How did your journey in music begin? Did you study another instrument as a child?

JM: My initial participation in music goes back to the last semester of high school, when college-track students were given a choice between two of the school’s electives: the school’s Chorus or the school’s Art Class. I decided to try the school’s Chorus, as I simply thought it would be a fun interaction with school friends.

OW: Who or what have been the most important influences in your musical life and career?

JM: Tantamount has been my understanding that knowing roles prior to receiving offers is important, but golden is understanding that knowing roles before offers appear magnetizes the roles to you. Conductors Leinsdorf, Szell, Ormandy, Schippers, Bernstein, von Karajan and Schick have been valuable influences, not to mention my Gold Medal as First Singer to win the International Tchaikovsky Vocal Competition.

OW: What inspired you to become an opera singer?

JM: Inspiration was transmitted to me by an overall interest of teachers who saw something out-of-the-ordinary in me, and, as a result, the passion for singing opera took me by storm. Though, I must say that singing per se has been the real Alpha Inspiration here. I’ve gone along for the ride.

OW: You were very young, so were you still in college when you were catapulted onto the international stage to perform the role of Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello?

JM: I was still in college when George Schick, of the Metrpolitan Opera, requested that I sing for conductor Thomas Schippers and I was then chosen by Schippers to sing Desdemona in the production of Verdi’s “Otello” at Italy’s Festival of Two Worlds, but I was out of school when the performances took place.

OW: It is surely quite a demanding role in which one needs to command the stage. What are your memories of this debut performance?

JM: Conductor Thomas Schippers’s first hand at directing Verdi’s “Otello” was not the most memorable, but his conducting of the production was an utter joy. Singing Desdemona with Schippers allowed me the connection to international audiences and opera administrations and the interaction with opera stars. It opened doors for me into the major Italian opera houses.

OW: You were cast for your American opera debut with the San Francisco Opera in the principal role of Pamina, a role for which you were very highly praised, in their production of “Die Zauberflöte.” A highlight of your rendition was your aria “Ach ich fühl’s” that revealed the vocal control requisite of a successful singer of Mozart’s operas. How did you deal with so much success at such a young age?

JM: Success for me has been a fabulously exhilarating challenge. My eye has been on distinctively personal performing and as a conduit to positively affecting others. I was initially cast as Pamina with the mindset of Viennese taste. General Opera Directors Kurt Herbert Adler’s and Rudolf Bing’s taste was the result of a former Viennese era of Pamina casting, with drama in the voice plus the needed “spin of dynamics and vocal colors” intended by Mozart. I loved singing the role in major German and Austrian opera houses and festivals. The public responded favorably to the subtle thrust of drama I offered in Pamina, while continuing to showcase lyrical vocal colors. Our opera directors of today might consider bringing this idea into contemporary Pamina casting—Tamino casting as well— still keeping the character innocence in mind.

OW: You were invited by the White House to represent the U.S. in the International Tchaikovsky Competition. How did this come about?

JM: I had been requested by my college voice teacher, Ellen Repp, to compete in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions. As a result of the auditions, I was offered a contract at the Met, but declined as I was still in college. The Met, however, took me in hand directly after the auditions, and introduced me to several major conductors looking for a soprano for their individual projects. They all engaged me. Thomas Schippers was among them! Thereafter, all of these conductors had been assembled as search committee, to suggest singers to compete in the first ever International Tchaikovsky Vocal Competition, in Russia. They all suggested me to compete in Russia. I was then officially informed by a formal letter.

OW: Was it, in a certain way, after all there was still the Iron curtain, a chilling experience?

JM: The Russians had boundaries and I observed them, while keeping laser focus on my function in the competition. Competing in the International Tchaikovsky Vocal Competition was an elating experience. I worked exceedingly hard, despite having contracted tonsillitis while competing. My goal orientation, in the whole experience, never wavered and this kept a positive and buoyant resilience afloat in me. I feel my attitude contributed largely to my winning the Gold Medal.

OW: You have also made numerous appearances on American Television shows with Johnny Carson, Mike Douglas, and Merv Griffin to name only a few. Were these appearances connected to your Tchaikovsky Competition win?

JM: My appearances on the Variety Shows, where I sang the likes of Hollywood Palace, The Red Skelton Show, among some others, were in direct correlation to my Gold Medal win in Russia. The Talk Shows, among them Art Buchwald, Mike Douglas, Johnny Carson, and Merv Griffin, were a combination of performances in and out of New York, of world premieres, concerts and television here and abroad. The pleasure to have performed with the likes of Bing Crosby, George Burns, The Mamas & the Papas, Sid Caesar, Paul Anka, Joan Fontaine, et al was huge.

OW: Reading about your impressive successes in many different areas is just about overwhelming. Looking back, do you have any preferences about these appearances? In other words, were there some that you consider now more to your liking than others? Your favorite?

JM: I loved doing all television shows and I still love television, and naturally the honor of the Gold Medal in Russia and performances in the world’s great opera houses wins too. But my first major Recital in Vienna’s Musikverein, of all German Lieder with the theme of Advent & Christmas, was incredibly successful and memorable.

OW: There is, as mentioned, a wealth of information about you on your website but what is the one quality above all you would choose to impart to young singers or is this difficult if not impossible?

JM: Besides the voice, energy and self-esteem are the two major factors required in focused success. Resting on spontaneity alone can threaten a constant “stand out” standard. Early, organized practice need be the mantra in building a reliable self-esteem. But remember, particularly with new repertoire, the process tends to get worse before better. Knowing this, don’t allow this to threaten self-esteem and singer “mojo.” Reliable and constant goal orientation in practice, allowing time for the process to turn around and move forward, is paramount and will lead to artistic prowess. The singer needs the voice, but the voice needs the singer!

OW: Your favorite opera roles?

JM: This is usually answered with the role one is working on at the time one is asked, but, despite performing numerous roles and styles, I find Verdi’s Leonoras, in “Il Trovatore” and “La Forza del Destino,” and Mozart’s Donna Elvira, in “Don Giovanni,” plus Bellini’s Norma, to have brought me particular pleasure and success.

OW: Your repertoire is exceedingly extensive with nearly every composer conceivable represented but perhaps one of the most out of the ordinary performances was Mendelssohn’s “Elijah,” which marked your orchestral debut with the New York Philharmonic, where you were required, unusually, to memorize the entire oratorio. Can you recount something of this intriguing episode?

JM: When I sang for conductor Thomas Schippers, I didn’t have management at the time. Thomas Schippers not only offered me Desdemona in the opening of the Festival of Two Worlds in Verdi’s “Otello,” but offered me my debut with the NY Philharmonic in Mendelssohn’s “Elijah.” Thomas Schippers was big with the Philharmonic and the performances attracted much attention and success. Having to memorize the score was an original take, but it led to a successful endeavor. Memorable were the seven attending managers who handed me their cards for management. I had the challenge of choosing the most influential management of the group, which was, at the time, the then all-powerful Columbia Artists Management, Inc.

OW: You have performed such a vast number of operas. Do you have a preferred opera composer?

JM: I would have to say that Giuseppe Verdi wins here. I seem to answer technical and stylistic prerequisites for singing Verdi, so I have met the vocal and interpretive challenges with an understanding and overall insight into Verdi.

OW: Not only have you translated for selected publications but you have also tried your hand in cookery with some superb recipes which can be found on your website. How did you become interested in this subject?

JM: Cooking is creative and I have long felt that combining colorful sketches of opera characters in opera scenes with recipes and wines from each character’s country location could well prove to be an inventively profitable coffee table cookbook. This could produce a rather original path to the general public as well as opera shops, but also to sales in universal bookstores.

OW: You’re also known to be a keen horsewoman. How did you acquire the unusual title “Diva Who Busts Broncos” bestowed on you by Life Magazine?

JM: I was a member of the 4-H Club and I had my own horse. Girls from 4-H were allowed to participate in bareback riding of bucking broncos in rodeos. This is not an easy task, but I was able to stay on the bucking horse for the required eight seconds. Life Magazine informed itself about this and, in its story about me, the title “Diva Who Busts Broncos” was part of the result.

OW: If you could go back what, if anything, would you change in your long and fruitful career?

JM: I would change having signed a contract with the then preeminent Columbia Artists Management Inc., after my debut with the NY Philharmonic, to a contractual agreement with S. Hurok Presents. After Mendelssohn’s “Elijah,” prior to the invitation to compete in the International Tchaikovsky Competition’s Vocal Category, I was unaware that in five months my life would majorly change with my winning the Gold Medal. Immediately after my win in Russia, the first people to approach me were the renowned judges, teacher-composer Nadia Boulanger and Bass-Baritone George London, plus the desired office of S. Hurok Presents. I was unable to accept the Hurok management’s agreement offer having five months earlier signed an agreement with CAMI, the CAMI arrangement led to my awareness of overwhelming universal intercarrier-managerial-politics that forced me to find a personal strength to take career reigns in hand.

OW: What are your plans for your future work?

JM: I have begun several Master Class Series in Manhattan locations, and I am programming projects yearly for interesting and thematic Vocal Showcases. Additionally, I find my career consultations, with new artists and experienced artists, a help to new artists entering the profession, as well as experienced artists who have, for one reason or another, fallen off the band wagon. Important to keep in mind is that two formats are significant here. One doesn’t restart an experienced career from square one.

The post Q & A: American Soprano Jane Marsh on Her Career & How to Magnetize What You Want in Your Own Career appeared first on OperaWire.

Russian baritone Mikhail Timoshenko began his musical and theatrical training in Mednogorsk, then at the Franz Liszt University in Weimar and the Hans Eisler in Berlin. From 2015 to 2017, he was a member of the Académie de l’Opéra national de Paris.
He sang in the world premiere of Joanna Lee’s “Vol Retour” and performed the role of Pluton (Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo”). He has sung Spencer Coyle (“Owen Wingrave”), Hymas and Tirtée (“Les Fêtes d’Hébé”) in Paris and in London, Erster Handwerksbursch (“Wozzeck”), Silvano (“Un Ballo in Maschera”), Mitioukha (“Boris Godunov”) on the main stage of Bastille Opera.

His 2024-25 roles will include Papageno at Paris-Bastille Bastille, Marcello (“La Bohème”) at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, “Kindertotenlieder” by Mahler in Toulon, Belcore (“L’elisir d’amore”) at the Opéra national de Lorraine, Taddeo (“L’Italienne à Alger”) at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées-Paris, and the title role of Don Giovanni and Tadeush (“La Passagère”) in Toulouse.

Philanthropy is a topic close to Mikhail’s heart. Since 2009, he gives charity concerts for children with mental disorders in Russia and takes part in several fundraising events organized by the “Yehudi Menuhin Live Musik” in Germany. In a cooperation with the autonomous non-profit organization ”Touch” in Orenburg he supports several boarding-schools for mentally handicapped children.

OperaWire visits with Mikhail Timoshenko to learn more.

OperaWire: Hello, Mikhail and thank you for speaking to OperaWire. You recently performed in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” in Paris. How did the production go, and what do you make of Papageno?

Mikhail Timoshenko: Hello! It is my pleasure to speak to you.
Absolutely marvelous! It was my first time performing Papageno with the German text (previously, I performed this role in Montpellier but without the dialogues), and everyone around could feel my excitement. Surrounded by colleagues of the highest quality, I was able to create an interesting and entertaining character who brought a lot of light, laughter, and compassion to the grand stage of the Opéra Bastille.

OW: You are about to perform at the Royal Opera House as Marcello in “La Bohème.” The last time you performed this role there, you received critical acclaim. What is it like to be back in London, and how are rehearsals going?

MT:
I’m filled with pure and simple happiness. It might sound a bit exaggerated, but these are the words that best describe my return to the Royal Opera House. Being part of this big family, seeing friendly faces in the rehearsal rooms and offices, sharing ideas at the magnificent terrace where you can see the “thousand chimneys of London,” and creating together with the best of the best—it’s a life-changing experience every time.

OW:
You have sung this role several times now. Are you fully comfortable with your characterization of Marcello, or is it still a work in progress? Who did you take inspiration from in the role?

MT:
There is a saying: it’s not possible to step into the same river twice. Opera is a dynamic art form where everything and every moment is unique. Marcello began, for me, as an exploration, and now, together with the stage team and my colleagues, I draw inspiration from the persona of Modigliani. The beauty of opera is that everything remains flexible, and even between performances, there can be significant differences. All I can say with certainty is that I’m finally comfortable enough to feel free.

OW:
Tell me about growing up in Russia, and who your musical influences were. Do you come from a musical family?

MT:
I was born in a tiny village called Kameikino in an ordinary household. During my childhood, our family moved a lot, but my mother took great care of me and my younger brother, so I made a lot of friends who still remember me from those times.
Everything changed when my brother was diagnosed with a severe form of autism. At the time, it seemed like a curse or a burden, but now I understand it was, and always will be, our blessing—my blessing.
Perhaps because of this, my mother was so preoccupied with finding a “magic cure” for him that she didn’t encourage me to pursue music initially. Later, however, she supported me in attending the conservatory in Germany. I must also mention the heroism of my family: without knowing anything about classical music, they decided to believe in my dream.
There’s a funny story about how I started singing, but that’s for another time.

OW:
You established yourself as a singer of Mozart earlier in your career. How do you approach Mozart roles compared to, say, those by Puccini or Verdi?

MT:
My goal is to grow alongside my vocal, physical, and emotional development. How do you decide if you’re ready for a certain role? Only through careful observation and constant work can you be granted what I might call a revelation.
I’m not someone who holds rigid opinions about styles. While I possess knowledge about the differences in vocal and musical languages of each epoch, I don’t prioritize theory over reality. Mozart, Puccini, Donizetti, Bach, or Schönberg—there is only one way to approach every piece of music: careful observation and constant work. Observation helps you understand the composer’s ideas and emotions, while work brings them to life. For example, only after years of mastering the art song did I realize that I was ready to perform Schubert’s “Winterreise.” I am now preparing to present it at Wigmore Hall this summer.

OW: You have upcoming roles in Wagner’s “Les Grandes Pages: L’opéra Allemand,” Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore,” and Rossini’s “L’italiana in Algeri,” all, I believe, are role debuts. Is this a deliberate intention to explore and establish yourself in new roles?

MT:
All of this. Agreeing to a role is the result of a complex mechanism inherent in being an opera singer today, especially in the freelance world. I can assure you that every role was chosen carefully, with the goal of delivering the highest level of performance for the audience. Behind each decision is an entire team, including my agent, my singing teacher, and my duo partner and wife, Elitsa Desseva. These choices come after many discussions, considering all aspects of selecting one path over another.

OW: You are clearly a committed philanthropist. I understand you have been giving charity concerts and campaigning for children with mental health issues. Can you tell me more about this and the charities and organizations you are involved with?

MT:
I owe much of this to my little brother. He has given me the chance to be a better person. And I’m not just talking about helping him directly. This issue goes much deeper and touches on the very core of human existence.
Until 2021, I held annual charity concerts in Russia, though it has become more complicated since then. My mother is the true hero in this story: for the past three years, she has run the first dom soprovozhdayushchego prozhivaniya (assisted living home) in the Orenburg region. She helps young people with mental disorders learn to live independently.
I’m also part of a French organization called CALMS. Together with my colleagues in France, we raise awareness of social issues through charity concerts. Finding time for philanthropy in my schedule is challenging, but I give it my best and will never stop.

The post Q & A: Mikhail Timoshenko On His Opera Career & Philanthropic Path appeared first on OperaWire.

SeokJong Baek’s rise to prominence in the opera world can only be described as meteoric, if not almost difficult to believe. Almost 15 years singing as a baritone, a chance encounter with fellow South Korean tenor Yonghoon Lee suggested to him that he might make a better tenor than a baritone.

Despite joining the San Francisco Young artists program as a baritone in 2019, the Covid 19 pandemic became the impetus for SeokJong to make the change. He trained himself, religiously, singing daily in a South Korean church in San Fransisco, almost giving up his quest at one point after making little progress in his vocal transition. After the
pandemic as over, he had progressed sufficiently to enter competitions and it is testament to his abilities that three of his first roles as a tenor were at the Royal Opera House in London, a level of prestige that many singers work years, if not decades, to achieve.

Operawire caught up with SaekJong at the Royal Opera House, the night after his opening night as Cavaradossi in Puccini’s “Tosca.”

OperaWire:
Hello SeokJong, thank you for speaking with OperaWire. How does it feel to be back here at Royal Opera after your big debut success as Samson in 2022?

SeokJong Baek:
I mean, it’s always delightful for me, since I made my surprise debut here and they like to have me. I’m so fortunate. I feel so blessed. Every time I come here, luckily the roles that I’m singing are very much fit for my voice, so I’m always feeling that I come ready and ready to sing. you know what? So, it’s my second home! (Laughs)

OW:
You once described yourself as “a bit of an introverted guy from South Korea.” So how does such a guy make what many are describing as a meteoric rise in the opera world, having only transitioned from baritone to tenor during the Covid pandemic, and how DID you make such a transition?

SJB:
I’m just an ordinary person who loves singing. I was so into singing and I always look for how to sing better, and what is pure knowledge of bel canto singing.

And yes, I’ve been singing as a baritone for many, many years, nearly 15 years. When I was around 27 years old, my voice started to stretch out a bit. During my academic years at Manhattan school of music. I was unstable with my economy. I couldn’t’t support my tuitions. And it was so hard to continue the study. Because of that, all I could do was focus on singing.

Mom said “Don’t try to work and make money. You need to focus on singing”

Then I fully focused on how to speak naturally, then discovered that speaking is the most important thing, the key to singing. And then I practiced singing as I’m speaking.

After many months, all of a sudden, my high notes extended above A5 to C6. It felt like falsetto, but I would never imagine I could sing a tenor aria.

Also, I fully agreed with my teacher that I was a baritone. At the time I was singing Germont. My teacher said: “you are a young Verdian baritone.” My whole life I sung as a baritone, and I was trained as a whole technical baritone, but I could also hit high notes, so I was curious about my voice.

Then many years passed, one day in December 2018, I met Yonghoon Lee who told me that I could be a tenor. And in 2019, I entered the San Francisco Young artists program as a baritone. I finished all the small roles as a baritone. But I had already decided to change my voice. And then at the very end of the final show, I sang with Eun-sun Kim who was a guest conductor at the time, and they gave me an opportunity to sing tenor arias. It was “Recondita Armonia” in Tosca. It was the first time that I ever sang tenor arias in public.

So, I made the change and became a tenor in 2020. It was such a change and challenging. As soon as I committed to change, the pandemic happened. Nobody could really keep in touch because of social distancing. So, the only way I could train was by myself.

It was lucky for me that I had enough time to settle down my voice. I thought that I might need at least two years to settle down my voice. I went to a Korean church in San Fransisco. Without skipping a day, I went there to practice. Every day I just kept practicing and kept practicing. The first six months, maybe a year, was really terrible. I tried to sing tenor arias, but I couldn’t’t make it. Maybe I could sing in the early part of the aria. but as the aria goes to the end, all the tension and the high notes that I knew before from the time, it was totally different. So I began regretting and thinking that I’d made a huge mistake trying to become a tenor. And I was already doing OK as a baritone.

But I just kept training and practicing in the church. Also,I prayed a lot. I did not even make a sound until I finished praying.

The key was speaking. I tried to make my voice resonate through the mask area. And then I opened up my body, connecting the resonance to it. So, I trained my voice, first by speaking. Then I put my singing into this method. After a year or so, it started to feel a little bit easier, and I could begin to sing full arias. Over the next few months, it felt as though I was getting better and better. Then as soon as the pandemic settled down, they started to have in-person competitions. Then I went to competitions, and I won them. That was a huge change.

When I made my tenor debut at Royal Opera House with Elīna Garanča, she was my first partner as a tenor. She was like: “Can you imagine you’ve been singing as a baritone for many years? No, you’re born to be a tenor.” 
That’s what she said.

OW:
I saw you in “Cavalleria Rusticana” at the Royal Opera House, replacing an indisposed Jonas Kaufmann. I read recently you were offered the role with less than two weeks to go before opening and that you didn’t know the role! How did you learn it so quickly?

SJB:
That was another of my biggest… well…. a career threatening time! You know I made such an impression with “Samson and Delilah.”

And then one day at the end of the rehearsal, Maestro Pappano was looking at his phone, and he seemed freaking out. I didn’t know why but after a few days, I heard that Jonas was ill and was not coming to the rehearsal, and then he may be coming a few days before the opening night. Maestro came to me and said:
“SeokJong, do you want to cover this role? 
I accepted it of course, and then people started saying:
“Hey SeokJong, you’re going to be singing it. I bet he might not come. and you will end up having to sing it!”

So all of a sudden, I got so stressed because you know I had no idea about this opera. I only knew the key aria. So, then I was freaked out and I was trying to find somebody to help me to learn the music. At that time when I started learning the music I had three shows left in the week for Samson. Three shows left and then I started to learn the music for “Cavalleria” for four hours every day with the coach here. That week was the most challenging time because I had to finish the three “Samson” shows and then I sang every day for four hours. I finally got into the rehearsal and then there was Maestro Tony Pappano and several coaches there.

He asked:
“Can you play it?”

I told him I couldn’t do it. I had learned it, but it wasn’t yet in my head. I was so freaked out, sweating a lot. I felt so naked.

I said: “I’m so sorry. Maestro”

He replied: “It’s okay. Just do it. Just do it”

So, I started to learn the choreography. After three to four days, I started to learn all the choreography, and then, I started memorizing as well. Another three to four days, I took to the first stage with the full orchestra. And then that was the first time I sang the whole way through it without music. So, it was like one week and four days of rehearsal. I learned the opera. Luckily because “Cavalleria” is not a huge, long opera. Somehow it seemed to work.

OW:
What was it like working with Maestro Pappano. He has a great reputation for being a singer’s conductor also, doesn’t he?

SJB:
I mean, it’s absolutely delightful to work with Maestro Pappano because he’s a very passionate Italian soul. He’s very active in the rehearsal and demanding musically what the singer needs to be. I’m a bit of a shy person but he was like pushing me to a certain level and he inspires me so much. Working with Maestro Pappano is very challenging as a singer. Sometimes he literally asks to sing piano. But it can be dangerous for the singer who is… somebody who has not a secure technique. I was able to do what he requested. I was very pleased that I could do it.

OW:
Tell me about growing up in South Korea. You had a lot of exposure to opera as a young man?

SJB:
My parents and other family love music. I have an uncle who conducts in church. My father joined an amateur voice group singing. My mother sings gospel every day at home. My sister was the only real musician in my family. She was training as a pianist, but in her teenage years, she started to sing. She became a soprano. And then at the time, I was a teenager also, 16, 17 years old, looking for what to do in the future.

When I was younger, I was a person who was very active and I also wanted to be an athlete; like be a basketball player or judo, I love judo. My Grandpa suggested that I focus on my studies, so I put that idea aside. But a few years later my parents suggested that I follow my sister and sing.

I had an audition with her teacher in town and then, I started to clearly, fully decide to be a singer.
I remember one day when I came home, I was Googling “the best classical singers” and I discovered Luciano Pavarotti. It is such a shame I never knew him before. When I first heard him sing, his signature aria, “Nessun Dorma” and I was like “Wow! Is this classical singing?” I was mesmerized by his singing

OW:
So Pavarotti was your big influence? Who else did you take inspiration from?

SJB:
Really, only Pavarotti, but baritone-wise it was Cappuccilli, Renato Bruson, Ettore Bastianini… but once I heard that “Nessun Dorma,” the tenor aria after that, I was miserable for weeks because I couldn’t sing it, as a baritone. I was sad.

OW:
But you DID go on to sing it, to great acclaim at the Met?

SJB: It was the season for the house debut. “Nabucco” and “Turandot.” It was so fantastic to sing this role at the Met. Like a young boy who dreamt of singing the role and it finally came true.
I almost had an encore! “Nessun Dorma” but the regulation was, if the audience applauds for one full minute, then we do the encore! I think they clapped for 45 seconds, (laughing), so I didn’t make it! But I made an encore another day at the Met.

And this season I am singing “Turandot” here at the Royal Opera House in next spring. But I’m also debuting a new role in Arizona with MORE Puccini in January. I am singing “La Bohème.” I’m working on it. It’s a bit high! I knew that it’s high, but I never realized how high, compared to the other roles I perform. It could be a little like too dramatic with my voice. But why not? It’s a Puccini opera so I can be a little bit fuller than regular tenors.

OW:
You have achieved so much in a comparatively short space of time. What would you like to work on next?

SJB:
Well, “Turandot” was always my dream role. Now, finally, I can claim it as my signature role. Since my debut two or three years ago, I have had more than eight roles debut. “Samson,” “Cavalleria” “Turandot,” “Tosca,” “Aida,” “Butterfly”…

My next, new future roles are “I Vespri Siciliani” in French at the Royal Opera House. And I’m preparing for “La Fanciulla del West” and later “Don Carlo” at the Met.
Also, I want to sing “Il Trovatore” and “Carmen.” They haven’t been planned yet.

OW:
What do you like to do when you’re not singing?

SJB:
Taking care of my condition and health due to heavy schedules, but the most important thing for me is sleeping. Sleeping well gets you better immune systems. I need at least eight hours. If I’m still tired, I take more sleep for one or two hours.

And I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, and I barely take sugary drinks. I try to avoid bad things for your health.
But I’m blessed. I’m so overwhelmingly happy when I’m doing rehearsal and singing with a fresh voice. I’m so blessed. All that working and practicing in that church during the lockdown was worth it. It was long and deep, the dark tunnel, but I just kept going forward with faith until I finally came into the light.

The post Q & A: SeokJong Baek On His Favorite Roles & How His Faith & Voice Transitioned His Opera Career appeared first on OperaWire.

The team behind the work is composer Blake Allen and director / writer Will Nunziata. Allen, an award-winning composer, violist, and producer, enjoys “merging merging the worlds of opera and musical theatre with traditional classical forms,” while exploring queer themes “juxtaposed against the hypocritical meritocracy of Disney ideals.”

Meanwhile, Nunziata is NYC-based award-winning director, writer, and creator of theatre, concerts, television, and film, whose short film “The Old Guitarist” earned him awards at the London Movie Awards, New York Movie Awards, and Paris Film Awards. Meanwhile, his screenplay for “Lillith” has earned recognition from the 2023 Hollywoood Blood Horror Festival and the New York Screenplay Competition. He also directed such plays as “Figaro: An Original Musical,” “White Rose: The Musical,” “Van Gogh: An Original Musical,” “Faygele: A New Play, and “Miss Peggy Lee,” among others.

The duo spoke briefly to OperaWire about their new collaboration, will get a preview in early 2025.

OperaWire: What was the inspiration for taking on this opera adaptation?

Will Nunziata: I have always loved Virginia Woolf and her work. As a former singer and now writer-director, I have always felt that “The Waves” had a rhapsodic, musical quality to it – the “ebb and flow” of the novel cries out “orchestra” and “singing.” At the beginning of the year, I re-read it, and “saw” it on the stage and “felt” it should be adapted into a full-fledged opera. I couldn’t believe no one else had ever done it, so after I wrote a draft of the libretto, I contacted my friend Blake who was already thinking of writing music to an opera-version of “The Waves.” Truly! He had a 50 song playlist for it on Spotify already! It was fate, and I am so excited to be working with Blake on this.

Blake Allen: Virigina Woolf has been an important literary figure of my life for many years. The way she is able to explain motivations and emotions through her cerebral, stream of consciousness feels more akin to how I feel music can express these same feelings. I have been wanting to adapt “The Waves” into an opera for years, so when Will approached me to collaborate on adapting the piece, I had to jump at the opportunity to say yes.

OW: What inspired you about the novel?

WN: What inspired me most is “The Waves” profound exploration of human consciousness and the nature of time. The novel, with its poetic language and stream-of-consciousness style, delves into the inner lives of six characters, tracing their interconnected journeys from childhood to old age. The novel’s structure, with its recurring motif of the waves crashing on the shore, creates a sense of rhythm and movement that I found deeply musical. The characters’ thoughts and emotions, often fragmented and fleeting, seemed to lend themselves naturally to operatic expression. I cannot wait for people to hear what Blake has created – a gorgeous, original, moving, thrilling, devastating, and poetic 21st century masterpiece of a score!

BA: I am enamored with how there are multiple ticking clocks occurring simultaneously: from the tides of the ocean, to the rising and setting of the sun, to our seemingly predetermined lives, to how friendships ebb and flow. We all collectively have our own thoughts that we never share with one another, and here is a story of six friends who share the same time space as one another, but we never experience what would be expressed aloud. Friendships morph and change, and we may never know what our loved ones actually think of us when they are alone with their own thoughts. And it is a wonderful challenge to depict this through music.

OW: What excites you about this challenge?

WN: I get excited by a challenge, and to be working with Blake on an opera based upon one of literature’s most gorgeously written novels has been a thrill. We are both having so much fun in the “sandbox” working on this. The novel’s themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning have resonated with both Blake and me on a personal level – which excites us to know that it will most likely resonate with others. In adapting The Waves for the opera stage, I seek to capture the essence of Woolf’s prose while also creating a work that is also dramatically compelling. I believe that The Waves is a timeless work of art that speaks to the deepest truths of human experience – a novel that I have returned to again and again over the years, and each time I discover new layers of meaning. I am honored to have the opportunity to bring this extraordinary work to life on the operatic stage with my dear friend, Blake. I also hope the opera honors Virginia Woolf for not only her work on “The Waves,” but for her breadth of artistic contribution to humanity worldwide.

BAA: Speaking of an inner monologue, Will has done something wonderful with the libretto – he has morphed the exquisitely languid prose of Virginia Woolf into fluttery encapsulations. How does a composer then take snippets of ideas and develop them into leitmotifs and create forward motion when we experience the same scenario through six different vantage points? It has been a thrill to create simultaneity. Much like the choral-like moments in the operas of Mozart or the multilayered polyphony of of the music Ligeti, I am striving to create a piece of music that allows an audience member to return and hear something new every time they experience the work – so they can follow along with a different character each time. Maybe the first time you hear the piece, you might resonate with the torrid pain of counter tenor, Neville. But then upon further investigation, one might hear the sullen languish of the mezzo soprano Rhoda. I am striving to investigate, through Will’s brilliant words, how each character not only stands alone, but affects another, and morphs into a collective, singular current.

The post Q & A: Composer Blake Allen & Librettist Will Nunziata on Their Upcoming ‘The Waves’ Opera appeared first on OperaWire.

This past week, Francesco Meli made his role debut as “Otello” in Verdi’s masterpiece.

It marked his 18th Verdi role and a return to the Venice house where has sung many of those Verdi works. But in the run-up to the premiere of the opera, Meli’s comments in an interview with Il Giornale became the center of the story. In the interview, Meli spoke about his disagreement with director Fabio Ceresa in not emphasizing Otello’s race and did not agree with being a white Otello.

Following his comments in the interview, Meli spoke with OperaWire about his interpretation of Otello, his comments in Il Giornale, adapting to the audiences, and his concept of how to interpret Otello.

OperaWire: You recently made your debut as “Otello” in a new production at the Teatro LA Fenice. Why was it the right time to take on this role?

Francesco Meli: I chose to make my debut with “Otello” at La Fenice because it was the right moment: I am 44-years-old and after so many Verdi roles and so much experience in this repertoire, it seemed to me that it was the perfect time to do it, moreover, to sing in a theatre where I have many friends, where I can feel at ease, it was the ideal situation… Then there is an anecdote: when I debuted “Il Trovatore” 13 years ago, which was at the time a change of repertoire, I did it at La Fenice and so it seemed a good omen to choose La Fenice again for a new debut, so particular and crucial in my career.

OW: “Otello” is one of the most difficult parts of the repertoire. What are the most difficult aspects of this work and how does it compare to other Verdi works that you sing or sang in the past? Dramatically what do you find challenging?

FM: Otello is a demanding role and among the most difficult of Verdi’s production and perhaps of the entire production for a tenor singing this type of repertoire. From a dramatic and dramaturgical point of view, the commitment is to dig into the character, who is usually mainly characterized by jealousy, in fact, he is said to be jealous like Otello, and by that somewhat brutal and violent side that is attributed to him. In reality, Othello is a man of great balance, I know it may seem out of place now to say this, but he is a man of firm principles, he is an upright, loyal man, a man who has a very deep psyche and soul. It is precisely for this reason that Othello is so struck, and at a certain moment actually blinded, by what is happening to him, that is, by Desdemona and Cassio’s betrayal: It is as if his world collapses, it is not just a physical, bodily betrayal, but a betrayal of loyalty, for him a supreme good.  This is where the difficulty of interpreting Othello is mainly concentrated.

OW: You recently spoke with Il Giornale and said that for this production it would be a white Otello because that was what the director had chosen. However, you said you did not agree with that choice. What did you mean by that?

FM: The Othello I did in Venice was not a colored Othello but was white. Therefore I was not wearing make-up and my face was not dark. Yes, I made a statement in Il Giornale in which I said that I did not agree. I disagreed because I think that having drawn a black Othello is an absolutely modern way that Verdi and long before him Shakespeare used to give an anti-racist message. In fact, Otello, despite himself, as written in the libretto, experiences the prejudices of the world around him. This is profoundly important, and so to deny this possibility to the character of Otello seemed to me to deny the possibility to myself, Francesco Meli, to be in turn the bearer of an anti-racist message, in this precise historical moment for Europe.

OW: In the interview, you also spoke about opera losing the connotations of its identity and also alluding to “Swan Lake” and the suspension of disbelief. Do you think that when portraying a character, you need to look a specific way or can the audience just suspend their disbelief and believe what is going on on stage?

FM: I believe that when you go to the theatre you go to experience a situation that in the real world might not exist or a situation that in the real world is difficult to talk about. In fact, opera for centuries has experienced the harassment of the censors who did not consider it appropriate for the topics that were being dealt with. Today, perhaps the opera world has the possibility of not being afraid to show or hear uncomfortable situations on stage, without taboos and without fear of offending anyone, because the intention is absolutely not to offend, but rather, as in the case of Othello, to overcome prejudices.

OW: Over the past years there has been a lot of talk about “blackface” and most companies have now done away with it. “Otello” and “Aida” are at the center of this conversation and it is a practice that is offensive. In 2022 Arena di Verona had a public scandal that was criticized worldwide. Obviously, the race of these characters is vital to the plot of the story as you noted. What are ways you think that we can present these works in a modern context without offending and still doing justice to the story? Isn’t the music the most important thing in the end?

FM: Yes, there was a whole scandal at the Arena di Verona and I was in Verona when it happened. I understand and respect the reasons of those who resent it, but I also understand the reasons of those who have managed a theatre for a long time and know the sensitivity and needs of their audience. At the bottom of it all, I believe that a civil and peaceful confrontation on ethical issues is always useful. How to stage a work without offending anyone, and at the same time without betraying what is written in it, without betraying the message that the author wanted to bring is a very difficult job, especially in these times when there are different sensitivities from of the audience, even geographically diversified. Today the situation is much more diverse than it used to be, fortunately, so one person may feel more offended or called into question than another. I believe that respecting the relationships between the characters, not altering the story, and respecting the music is certainly an antidote to staging a performance that conveys what the author wanted to convey, and this even without having to color in black a white singer’s face, because if this is perceived as an insult, in certain geographical locations, then it is right that it should not be so.

OW: How does the new production by Fabio Ceresa speak to Otello’s outsider perspective and to Otello being an outsider?

FM: Fabio Ceresa’s direction is one that wanted to dwell on the human side of all the characters and therefore made Othello the man he is, beyond the color of his skin and his ethnicity. A steadfast man, a loyal man, a man with principles that go above all else, and for this reason when they are violated there are serious repercussions, so it is not by chance that Otello sticks to his supreme laws and wants to punish both Cassio and Desdemona in the same way. Then Cassio does not die just because Rodrigo does not kill him, but Desdemona will instead be punished in the way Otello considers the fairest. This is not to say that he is right, indeed violence is always a terrifying act and one to be condemned, but within this play, one should focus on what Otello believes has been violated and betrayed, not just on the effect Otello’s actions have had.

I think it is important to emphasize that for Otello loyalty is the highest good, and loyalty has been wounded and killed by two very important people in his life, and the world collapses upon him. This is a bit of the meaning of what this production wants to highlight: in the end, Otello is a man defeated by himself, because in the name of a loyalty that he believed to be wounded, he behaves disloyally and therefore there is a boomerang effect and his life, his world, no longer makes sense.

OW: What have you learned from working on this production and what will you take away from this experience?

FM: From this production, I learned, and this had never happened to me before, that there are dynamics, social and personal, that you have to pay attention to when staging a play and also when declaring the way you stage a play. It is a lesson I will keep very seriously within me, a valuable lesson, and I think it is the right one. An opera like “Otello,” even from this point of view, succeeds in teaching those in the audience but also those on stage how much delicacy and how much respect it takes when dealing with people’s feelings and sensibilities.

OW: Is Otello a role you will continue in the next years?

FM: Otello is a role I will continue to play because it is a role I deeply love and have been preparing for a long time, a role that has always been alive in my head, like a goal to be reached. So I hope to have the opportunity in the coming years to play it again, and I hope it will continue to teach me something, as it did this time.

The post Q & A: Francesco Meli Addresses Il Giornale Comments & How to Perform Verdi’s ‘Otello’ in a Modern Context appeared first on OperaWire.

On August 6, the head of the Slovak National Theatre, Matej Drlička, was informed of his dismissal by an officer from the Ministry of Culture. He was one of the many directors who were dismissed by the new Minister alleging Drlička had criticized her ministry and had an alleged preference for foreign over Slovak opera singers, among other reasons.

The dismissal set off a wave of protests with thousands of people taking to the streets of the Slovakian capital to protest against the country’s culture ministry. The crowds claimed that the dismissals were a political purge by Robert Fico’s populist left-wing Smer-SSD party, which won parliamentary elections in Slovakia and formed a coalition government with the center-left Hlas and nationalist SNS parties. The dismissal also saw many musical figures resign from their posts in Slovakia including Robert Jindra and Martin Leginus. Opera Europa also condemned the move and Karolina Sofulak withdrew from her engagement with the National Theatre.

OperaWire recently spoke to Drlička about his dismissal and the rise of authoritarian governments in Europe and around the world.

OperaWire: When you were fired from the Slovak National Theatre, was this something you were expecting or did it come as a surprise?

Matej Drlička: This government was installed after the parliamentary election a year ago. So as soon as the culture segment learned that the Minister of Culture would be nominated by the Slovak Nationalist Party, we knew we would be in trouble. The Slovak Nationalist Party is well known, in a negative way throughout the years. This party always brings the worst politics into the lives of people. Usually, the leaders are basically ashamed of our country either because of their race or homophobic or anti-Hungarian or anti-Romani views. They’re always beyond the red line and very far right.

It is also the oldest Slovak political party which was founded at the end of the 19th century, so they should have learned, but they didn’t learn anything. Every new chief president of the party always brings a new level of atrocity. The Minister of Culture is a pretty well-known figure in Slovakia because she was a TV presenter. TV presenters are very popular in our country. So this lady was fired by her original employer, which is a private television station. She was fired because of her racist expressions on social networks and then she founded her own disinformation channel on the Internet, where she was spreading the news that Covid was made up and the craziest disinformation you can imagine. So when we learned that this lady would be the Minister of Culture, we all knew that we would be in trouble and that this was not good news.

Of course, she has no idea about arts whatsoever but she has some knowledge about media because she was a TV presenter.

The elections were democratic and we could be unhappy, but we couldn’t question the results of the elections. So we all said, let’s wait. The first thing that she did was she sent a letter to the Czech Minister of Culture, which, for some reason, she put it on Facebook. And the letter was just ridiculously stupid and everybody laughed because there were grammatical mistakes. She was speaking about some sort of new era of cooperation between Czech and it was just a ridiculous letter saying nothing to our neighbor, which is pretty much a well-developed country. So we said this lady is going to just be funny. But later we learned that she would be dangerous and very soon, she started to be very offensive towards the minorities, especially the LGBTIA+ minority. Then she started to speak about her vision of the future of arts and culture. Her vision was that “Slovak culture will be Slovak and no other.” So this quote became very famous.

And so there was a discussion of if we are in Slovakia, what other cultures should it be? Even if you do a Verdi opera, you speak about Slovak culture because it’s interpreted in Slovakia. Every country that performs international repertoire still makes it a national opera, it’s still a national theater, and you somehow appropriate it even though it is an international repertoire.

But we realized that she’s extremely uneducated, extremely incompetent and that she doesn’t care. And then she started to fire people. First, she fired the director of a gallery of arts for children, which is a fairly small but important museum, and replaced her with her neighbor who lives in Austria and is a yoga teacher. But you can imagine the surprise because the minister said that “the Slovak culture should be Slovak and no other” but hired someone who lives in Austria.

There were a lot of petitions against this decision and some protests in front of the gallery. There were some letters of support from abroad and asked her to reconsider the decision.

Then they started to attack the culture funds, which is one way of financing independent arts and they changed the law so they could gain political control over the funds, which for the last 15 years were put aside from the ministry so that there was no political influence possible. All the money was distributed through independent expert juries.

Now they want to put it back so that the minister can control it then. They also changed the law of the Slovak National Television, so that they get it under control, especially the news.  So there was a lot of destruction.

Because Slovakia is a very young country, the mechanisms in culture that were functioning, and were very fresh. The funds for art, the funds for audiovisual, and the way the directors of the national institutions were being chosen were working well. Results started to be seen. But she basically ruined everything that was installed by her predecessors.

OW: So did you start hearing that there was a possibility of losing your job?

MD: I was receiving messages concerning myself. So the Slovak National Theatre has drama, opera, and ballet. When I was leading the theater, the order of popularity in our theater was the drama and the sales of the tickets were hitting 95 percent of occupancy. And one of the reasons is that all the actors also act in Slovak either in TV, in series, or in movies.

Then there is ballet, which is also almost sold out and we get 96 percent but these numbers were achieved during my management. And opera when I arrived in 2021, the occupancy was around 54 percent and we grew to 86 percent. So we did a lot of reforms in terms of opera.

The Slovak National Theatre has played a very important historical role in Slovak history and has always seen the actors of the Slovak National Theatre speak out and it was always the wish of all ministers to control the Slovak National Theatre and to have a hand over it especially in the drama department. Politicians were always afraid of the Drama Department, especially those who were openly autocratic.

Under my management, I gave total freedom to the director of the Drama Department. So the repertoire we were doing was pretty much critical, not towards a specific politician, but it was very critical towards our own country, how we behave, and towards Russia, among other things. But of course, this is what theater should do. And of course, this made them very upset.

So first, I received messages from friends who told me I should probably go easy on the programming and should ask my actors to do more comedies and less critical works. So we were gently being warned that we were going the wrong way for the politicians, especially for the minister. And we said, “fuck off.”

So we continued with our brave programming and the reaction of the public was extremely positive. So all the premieres and the reprises were always packed.

In April-May, I started to feel the real resistance from the ministry. They started to cut the financing because the main control of the ministry over European institutions is the budget. We are like all the other national theaters or all the other big theaters in Europe, we are 80 percent financed by the state or by the region and 20 percent by the income from the tickets and sponsors. This is pretty much the standard in all European countries.

So they started to cut all the money for investments which meant we couldn’t buy a new technology for the theater and we couldn’t afford a new website, which was still quite okay. But we just felt that they were trying to make us upset.

But then they announced that there would be major cuts in the main budget, which is basically the salaries of the employees. So that was like the first wave and a clear signal that they were not happy. And since we didn’t really change our strategy of programming, I started to speak up openly in public on social networks or when I was a guest and criticized the fact that I felt that Slovakia was going to the far right, the same way as Hungary.

I also said that freedom of speech was being censored. Auto-censure was something that I started to notice in other theaters from my colleagues. To get the money and to live a quiet life, they started to auto-censure themselves.

So I took the risk and I spoke out quite openly. There was one moment during a TV Oscars-type gala that was streamed and I was giving a prize there. So I had a speech where I was very open about how I felt about the politics of the country. And basically, I got the message that I was dead after this and I had gone too far.

And then I was just basically waiting for my dismissal which came in the middle of summer on the sixth of August. I was on my sick leave that day. I was sick for two or three weeks and the last few days, I was still recovering. And during this sick leave, one morning, they came to my door and I was wearing a bathrobe. So I was dismissed in my bathrobe from the officers of the ministry. And it became a funny story in Slovakia and there were a lot of cartoons and memes about this.

So when there was the first protest with around 18,000, there were a few hundred that were wearing bathrobes in the protest as a symbol of how they dismiss General Directors in Slovakia.

OW: Many people stepped down from positions as soon as they heard you were dismissed from your position. Robert Jindra stepped down from his position at the Košice State Philharmonic and then the director of the “Un Ballo in Maschera” withdrew.  How do you feel about the support you have received?

MD: There are three areas that I have to talk about. As far as the management of the Slovak National Theatre goes, when I was dismissed, the Economic director stepped down and then the director of opera stepped down, among others. My management is no longer there.

There is a new interim general director. It’s also a blonde lady from the media. She was a TV presenter and there was major resistance inside of the theater, especially from the drama department. So she’s realizing that she’s driving a car that is trying to reject her. So she feels very lonely in the theater.

Then people like Robert Jindra stepped down from working as chief conductor in another orchestra, but he was very expressive about the minister. He’s a Czech conductor and he left Slovakia, saying that this country is going in the wrong direction. Then Karolina Sofulak, the stage director of “Ballo in Maschera,” said that she could not imagine working under these conditions for the theater. So it was an important gesture and was an extremely warm message that they sent to us. I received a lot of messages and support after I was dismissed from the opera in European communities and a lot of theaters.

The minister and prime minister were sent letters where they were asked to reconsider their decision. That was signed by the most important theaters in Europe. But of course, the prime minister doesn’t read these kinds of letters and the minister has no idea what the Vienna State Opera is. So they don’t care and we didn’t change their mind.

The Slovak National Theater will continue somehow. But the biggest problem of the Slovak National Theatre is that the new interim director has no clue how to run a theater and things are falling apart. The second problem is that ticket sales stopped and they have a major problem. When we did this “The Cunning Little Vixen” it was sold out like 100 because the community knew that it was our production. It was a successful production and that’s the end of an era.

Everybody knows that something ended with this production and now, when I look at the sales of “Butterfly” or whatever, it’s 30-40 percent of sales, which is terrible. So, I think they’re going to have big, big problems.

OW: So the community is also supporting you in a way?

MD: We proved over those three and a half years to the operagoers that the reforms we did were correct. The quality of the orchestra, of the choir, of the guests, of the productions all went up. I started to change the theater from a repertoire to a production house because of the quality. We started to work with International stage directors as well as Slovak stage directors. We wanted to try to open up to the world. The opera community is not as immense as you can imagine in a small country. It’s a very small group of people and they see the difference and they know when the difference is happening. And now they’re expressing their opinion by not attending anymore.

So that’s the Slovak Theatre.

OW: What actions are you taking to continue spreading the word about this new minister?

MD: There is a strike action which is going on and I joined this platform which is of people working all around the country from all different fields of arts and culture and the creative industry. So we called this cultural strike. It’s strike awareness, telling you that we are ready to go into a hard strike if you don’t recall the Minister of Culture. So it’s thousands of people, hundreds of institutions, and we do press conferences where we try to show the general public what the minister is doing.

Of course, the Prime Minister and the Minister are pretending not to listen. I do know that the coalition is starting to crack and I know we will achieve some kind of results. I don’t know if it will lead to the dismissal of the minister, but we are definitely gaining the attention of the general public and media. So these activities are going quite well.

OW: How have other institutions been affected?

MD: There is the reality of the other state institutions, which is the biggest danger of what’s happening in the fields of culture. My colleagues, who are general directors of the 30 state institutions, most of them just look down and they want to survive and they comply with the Minister’s ideas. And this, for me, is the saddest story.

Inside their institutions, there are people who are on strike awareness but the representatives of the institutions, the CEOs shut up and they get in line and follow what the minister says. They think it’s a good strategy.

I spoke to many of them and they said, “Matej, for you, it’s over. But we want to survive. We have to protect the institutions from inside and we have to protect our employees.”

I told them they were wrong. If they think that by doing this, they will protect their employees, they are wrong. The Minister will end up cutting all of their budgets and in the end, they will fire them. And at the end, they will destroy many of these institutions.

Funnily, one of the guys that I was trying to convince the most was the general director of the Slovak National Museum, which is a fairly large institution that has 14 castles all over the country.

And I told him, “your institution is so big that if you speak up and if the others would speak up they can’t fire all of you at the same time. I told them to join the fight.”

I initiated this conference call where I was trying to give them some warrior spirit. And I said they fired me because I was the only one who was speaking up. And I told them if they entered the arena, we could reach results.

So this friend of mine from the Slovak National Museum, said, “Matej, maybe you’re right, but I want to stay.” But in the end, he was fired.

OW: After your dismissal was there a plan for the National Theatre?

MD: When they dismissed me, for four weeks, they didn’t find anybody to replace me. That’s one of the absurdities of the whole thing. They fired the director of the National Theatre and they have no backup, and for four weeks, there is no backup. And then they come up with this blonde lady who is crying every time she goes to work.

Because the replacement, it’s not an authority from the Theater World. It’s a nobody.

OW: The Minister of Culture said that one of the reasons for dismissing you was that they wanted to have more Slovak artists and fewer International Artists which they claim you put first. I know that there are not many international soloists at the company. Can you explain what the Minister of Culture meant and what was the disconnect?

MD: Disconnection is a nice way to put it. But they lied and one of the reasons why they dismissed me was according to them I was bringing political activism to the theatre, which is not true. Being critical of society is not political activism.

And one of the reasons was also that I was giving too much space for international soloists. I wish we had money for that, but luckily several Slovakian singers have made international careers like Pavol Breslik, and Štefan Kocán, among others. So bringing those singers back home brought the public. But they are still Slovak singers.

So politicians openly lied when they said that I turned the opera away from Slovak Soloist and gave it to international singers.

OW: Right now the world is going through a transition period and we’re seeing a lot of autocratic governments come to power. Do you think these protests will help bring back some clear stability?

MD: I don’t think that the protests from the cultural communities will be enough. What we are trying to do is to be the first wave and trigger bigger protests. This is what has always happened in the history of Slovakia. The artists were the first ones who stepped up and who started. But of course, it’s a small community and with every protest, we see that the politicians get more and more resistant. You need hundreds of thousands of people on the street to make them fear. So 20,000 people protesting is nothing to our politicians.

I’m positive about the fact that we all see it and people are not completely blind. I think we will achieve something but the negative part is that what is happening in Slovakia is now starting to happen in smaller sizes in Austria, Holland, Germany, and France.

I’m not a political historian or a political strategist but I’m a positive person and I think that by continuing and not shutting up, we will achieve something. But I’m afraid that the results are uncertain.

OW: What do you attribute to the rise in these extremist politics especially in Slovakia?

MD: The rise of Autocratic politicians and populism is something important to analyze. There are a lot of similarities between the way that Donald Trump speaks to his voters and the way that Orbán is speaking. So it’s not only strictly related to Slovakia. We see it all over the place, especially Europe, and North America.

Now, populism is the topic, and it’s different in every country. In Western Europe, it’s about the immigrants as it is in the United States.

In Slovakia, we don’t have any immigrants. So Slovakia, definitely cannot say that we have this kind of challenge. But what we have is the Russians and they are creating a Crypto War.

The cyber war with Russia is a reality and I think their main effort is now Slovakia, and people get fooled by this. So our current government is presenting Russia as the country that wants peace. And that’s it.

OW: So the spread of disinformation is not helping the cause. How do you think the arts world in general can help combat the misinformation and autocratic rise?

MD:  This is a question that I don’t know how to answer and it’s too difficult to answer. I think it’s very different from country to country.

I definitely have no idea about the measures and the size of the problem in the United States because I only have information from the media. So I think that the role of arts and culture is to continue and I think very soon in our country, we will have problems for culture. I think most of the people around me understand that we have to get ready for very tricky times, not only in independent culture, but also in the state culture.

Next year, there are plans to cut the budgets from 20 to 25 percent for state institutions, which will be for many of them the end, because they will not be able to survive. I think we are entering hard times, and I think there will be one moment when these people will realize it’s going to suck and they will have to fight.

Right now the problem is that people are afraid and think that they will somehow survive and that they will manage. But they will eventually understand that they will not manage. That might get us to the bigger wave of resistance and where I am confident that even though there is little optimism, we are democratic countries, and we are still united in our countries.

I think that if we have to stick to the idea of the European Union and we trust each other, we can survive. But we should only be the first wave. There need to be louder voices.

OW: What is next for you?

MD: Before taking the position at the National Theatre, I had several projects. I’m running a classical music festival in the capital city of Slovakia, “Viva Musica,” which was celebrating 20 years. I also run an artistic agency.

So, I come from business. I was an entrepreneur, so when I was dismissed, I just went back to my agency, which was functioning, well. So I just came back.

That’s the difference between me and most of my colleagues who spent their entire life in those institutions and they have no parallel life or parallel way to escape. So, I’m continuing with the festival and with the business.

I also became an activist and I’m going to organize a tour of discussions all over the country. I’m just building up a panel of interesting people from famous actors to musicians, and we are going to go to the smaller cities all over the country, to the far east of the country, and speak about what the ministry is doing and why it’s dangerous. So, this is one of my projects.

Since being dismissed, I’ve been spending a lot of my time with this open culture platform and this strike awareness. There are a lot of activities and we organize press conferences and prepare texts and files for journalists, and we start to we try to organize the community to continue the fight.

The post Q & A: Matej Drlička on His Dismissal From Slovak National Theatre & Rise of Authoritarian Regimes appeared first on OperaWire.

Born in Montreal, Étienne Dupuis has established himself as one of the most distinguished baritones of his generation. Amongst his wide-ranging repertoire, he is especially in demand for Verdi roles. In the 2023-24 season, Étienne made a series of role debuts: as Don Carlo di Vargas in “La forza del destino” at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, in the title role of “Rigoletto” in a new production at the Teatro Real Madrid, as Count Karl Gustav in the world premiere of Bilodeau’s “La Reine-garçon” at the Opéra de Montréal, as Paolo Albiani in “Simon Boccanegra” and Sancho Pança in a new production of Massenet’s “Don Quichotte” at the Opéra national de Paris.
He was also made a Chevalier de l’ordre des arts et des lettres de la république de France in 2021.

OperaWire caught up with Étienne via video conference in Washington where he was preparing for another debut, as Macbeth at the Kennedy Centre.

OperaWire: Hello Etienne. Thank you for speaking to OperaWire. I know you’re about to open as Macbeth. How are rehearsals going?

Étienne Dupuis: Big night yesterday: dress rehearsal. Big night tomorrow: opening night. I mean the house here is wonderful, it’s typical, you know, I want to say of North America… I come from Montreal… and this is where I grew up. Washington is very similar in terms of the commitment that people give to what they do with the amount of resources they have. So everyone is pitching in from their own personal passion. So I love these shows because you always feel everyone on stage is enjoying themselves and in the pit as well, backstage as well. You know, it’s not just a job, you know what I mean?

OW: Indeed. And this is your debut in this role. Tell me about how you see the character, Macbeth, how you decided to approach the role.

ED: It’s funny, so, I accepted the role and then I didn’t give it much thought for about a year because I was doing all of these new operas. I did my first “Forza,” my first “Rigoletto,” my first “Boccanegra” ( I was singing Paolo), and “Don Quichotte”… I had so many new operas coming up. But you know, I always played the part in the back of my head. I’m French Canadian, so I grew up in French. Shakespeare is not something that we went towards naturally. There were all these different things that made me feel like an imposter from the get-go, you know? And so, the way I decided to tackle it was to just be…to come at it as a newcomer from someone who wasn’t raised with it.

A lot of people think that the best way to play a role is to partly be that role. Like if you were to cast an opera with a bunch of French Canadians, hire a bunch of French Canadians, then that would be a perfect cast. But then, at the same time, in opera we spend a lot of time playing gods and kings and I’ve played murderers and rapists, I’ve played all sorts of things, and of course I am none of those. So, you know, this is what my brain was telling me, you can do this. And then I remember I got emailed for an interview. It was just like two or three questions. And the questions were all in the vein of: he’s the ultimate villain, he’s the worst scum on the earth human you could think of, how do you get around to play a role like that? And I remember thinking… I don’t think so. Why is he? There’s a context here. He’s in context in the years that he is. The next leader was always going to be the best fighter, right? It was always about survival. So who’s the best fighter, the one that can lead our armies to make sure that we survive? He was the best one. And then once he got there…and this is to me the most interesting thing about him…he really got into those witches and the witches’ predictions. And that is his downfall, because until then he’s doing just fine in this context, in the context of the years he lives in and the people that surround him. But then he starts paying too much attention to what they have to say. And as we know, as an exterior audience, is that everything they say is just one layer of truth, there’s always, another side to everything they say. 

And so…I just thought I would play him like any human today that starts to believe predictions and starts to believe in it, the way they start to believe fate before it happens. So, in this case, for a long time, he’s doomed to be invincible. It’s not a doom but it plays above his head like the Damocles sword and everything he does is informed by this. He wouldn’t take that many risks if the witches hadn’t told him that he can’t be killed you know? So, I decided to play him just as human as I could. Flawed. He loves his wife and he’s manipulated by her. He loves power. He is hurt by not being able to have a descendant, especially a male one, to father a long line of kings. These are all, except for the king’s part, these are all human traits, they’re all common, you see them around us, some of them I’ve experienced either personally or through friends. That’s how I decided to play him, and that’s how I decided to play pretty much all of my characters, I just tried to put them back in context.

OW: Who did you take inspiration from when preparing for the role, and who did you aspire to sound like?

ED: (Laughing) These are two very different thoughts! I listen to Piero Cappuccilli. He’s always my go to guy because I’m not him. That’s why I listen to him. He has this incredible easiness in creating long legato lines. And in the recording I listen to, he actually does something that I didn’t expect. He actually does a lot of sounds that will be like “ugly” sounds. Not ugly, but he’ll make a vowel very bright all of a sudden because he’s playing a character that gets scared from seeing a ghost. I really truly enjoyed that because he can be so wooden and so strong in his immobility. Everything, all the acting, all the intentions are in the singing. And so that’s not me. I’m like, I’m the guy with thoughts and movements and blah blah and then the singing suffers from it. So, I try to listen to people that are not me, like they are the opposite. I listen to Cappuccilli in a lot of roles, but in this particular one, in the “Macbeth” one, he really sold me on it.

There are many things to say about this “Macbeth,” but although Verdi wrote it, it’s different. It’s not Verdi the way we think it is. I asked my friend William Berger, who works at the Met, I asked him: what is “Macbeth?” And he said to me…and he says this to everybody…he says: “early Verdi…. midlife Verdi….. late Verdi…. and ‘Macbeth!’” It doesn’t fit a specific writing era per se, you know, he created it earlier, but then he reworked it just before “Don Carlo.” And it’s in real time. I almost never repeat any sentence. In Verdi operas, if I sing “Traviata,” or “Rigoletto,” or “Trovatore,” or any of the midlife and early works of Verdi, a lot of the lines, you get to repeat. You repeat them over, because he’s creating a musical moment. But “Macbeth” doesn’t do that much. “Macbeth” just talks. His mind races. He’s got these contradicting, conflicting thoughts and Verdi wrote it that way.

So, when I listen to Cappuccilli sing it, he manages to play with those things but just with his sound and just with his voice and that amazes me and I try to emulate some of that whilst, of course, still being myself. Of course, I really, really love Ludovic Tézier as well!

OW: 
I saw your debut last year at the Royal Opera House as Don Carlo di Vargas in “La Forza,” which you sang to great acclaim. You were a replacement stand in, I believe, and this performance seemed to elevate your career somewhat. What do you remember about the performance?

ED: Yes, that was with Brian Jagde. Brian and I love each other, we want to do as much together as we can in the future and I think we will, I have big hopes. It’s still very interesting to me that they called me because their original guy didn’t get his visa. And so, they called me and said, “Can you come and do this?” I think I had maybe a month to learn it. I knew some of it (I was supposed to do it during the pandemic months). But I remember saying, I want to do it because first of all, I love challenges. But I wanted to do it because I wanted to show a big opera house…I wanted to show people where I thought I was going and what I could do. So, “Forza” was the first one…. and that was with Sondra Radvanovsky as well!! She is probably in the top three humans of the singing world! So, I did this, and I think a lot of people in the opera house just kind of went: “Oh, you CAN do this”. And then it just kept going. Then “Rigoletto” came by and “Boccanegra” came by. And now in the future, I have “Boccanegra” and “Macbeth.” and I have “Rigoletto” coming. And that was from the first one, that “Forza.” That was what opened the door to this…. Although, also, before that in Paris I’ve got to say I’d done a “Trovatore” that got people talking as well. I think that’s where probably the “Forza” came from, the “Trovatore” I did in Paris.

OW: You mentioned that you like challenges and looking through your performance credits, I would say you have sung quite a wide-ranging number of roles, some you have only sung once or twice, but I would say you have quite a diverse repertoire.

ED: I do! I’m not going to complain. I love it. I love it. I love being able to touch all these different things. I love that my career is taking me to new places. If I had been one of those singers who only sang the same two or three roles, especially the first 10 years of my career, I don’t think I would be doing that anymore. Now it’s different. Now I’m craving a bit more time, you know, for my family and to spend less time learning new stuff.

OW: So have you sung pretty much all that you aspired to sing or is there still some dream roles that you would love to perform?

ED: Right now, I’m dreaming about sitting down with a team and creating TV shows and movies. These are my dreams at the moment. I call it my midlife crisis (laughing). That’s what I call it. It’s like a self-titled midlife crisis. Because for years and years, you ask yourself every year, am I still happy doing this? It’s important to me to rethink the pros and cons at least once a year, like in any other job! People ask you, like in interviews or, or just in coaching and stuff, and people will say: “why, why are you a singer? What do you like about being a singer? And I reply that I love being on stage. I love telling stories. I love telling stories with the group of people that I get along with. And I think THAT love is starting to not outgrow, but it’s growing bigger than just opera. Opera is still, it’s a frame still. And I’d like to start telling stories going outside of that frame if I can.

Nothing says that those things won’t be linked. Perhaps once we finish working on a project and telling a story we’d like to tell, we’d realize, hey, we’d make a great opera. You know, like, it doesn’t have to be just like a TV show or, I don’t know, five minutes on YouTube or something. But I just want to write stories and collaborate to them in any way I can. So, this is my dream at the moment. But I think there’s… I think in me there’s still a lot that I can use on stage in regard to making people feel something….. like the emotion I can create with an audience…. and it has to do with the psychological arc of a character. So of course, if you’re talking to me about Wagner, like Wolfram or something, there’s an arc, you know, it’s okay. But it doesn’t come to touch me the same as Puccini does, because Puccini’s characters are so like in real time, you know? I’d love to tell a Gianni Schicchi story. Most people think, oh, it’s a comedy. Yeah, it’s a comedy but there’s serious stuff to tell in there. Some of the greatest operas have some really good morals to them. I love to touch those. I mean, Gianni Schicchi is… I’m naming him just because I like the role. There’s many… I don’t know, there’s many. It needs a good team. It needs a good director that’s going to have a great idea for bringing the context back into today. Here, I’m going to say, I’m hesitating because I don’t want to go on a tangent, but I keep thinking that new operas should be more informed about what everyone knows today. Every opera that’s been written usually, the big masterpieces that we play today, usually stem from common knowledge at the time. You know, books that were highly popular, news that everyone had talked about, even mythology that everyone knew about. So, they had the codes. No one went in there, not knowing the codes. They probably had read the book, or if not, people had discussed it with them. Nowadays you sit someone in front of “La Boheme” or a “Carmen” and no one’s read the book, but they still have some of the codes because they’re very famous and popular operas that you can hear in other mediums but then you get them into a different opera something like “Falstaff” for example and they’ve never heard of the “Merry Wives of Windsor.” The whole time they’re like, what is happening? But it’s a genius piece. It’s genius, genius. But I go, how about we write genius pieces today on the events of today? And to facilitate things, we don’t have to write music that is so hard to understand that you need like five degrees just to get the reference of it. Like, you may have ten people in the audience going “wow!” but then you have thousands going, “what?” I think we’re doing a disservice to the art to create only that kind of new opera. So, this is the tangent coming back to what I was saying… I need directors and conductors who are willing to do that with operas we know. We don’t have to change the original setting, necessarily, but we have to change the idea of how we’re going to put things on stage.

The post Q & A: Étienne Dupuis
 On His Opera Career & How He Envisions His Future appeared first on OperaWire.

What does the future look like for female directors in opera? Opera San José, the opera company in the heart of Silicon Valley, California, now entering its 41^st season, gives OperaWire a look at two young trailblazers: the current CEO and General Director, Shawna Lucey, and Michelle Ainna Cuizon, presently in residence and about to make her Directorial debut with “La Boheme.” Together they share a vast imagination, hard-work ethic and strong sense for knowing how their work impacts the field.

OperaWire’s interview with both, makes it clear how women are bringing more than just their presence to the world of opera.

Meet Shawna Lucey

Shawna Lucey brings with her a feast of varied experience. “I began in acting,” she said, detailing her academic accomplishments completing degrees in Theater and Italian at the University of Texas in Austin, “then I moved to Russia and completed a Master’s degree at the Boris Schukin Theatre Institute of the Vakhtangov Theater in Moscow. There I worked in traditional theater physical action, fencing, rhythmics, directing, and dance.”

Having worked with the Bread and Puppet Theater, when she directed and designed her first project in Moscow, she created a puppet version of Primo Levi’s “If This is a Man,” which was performed in Moscow and then went on tour. As the only American (and sole foreigner) in a class of Russians, Shawna learned first-hand not only how to blend multi-disciplinary traditions of dance, music and puppetry with narrative, but as the sole American in her program, how to work with differentness and collaborators. In fact, it was collaboration that became a benchmark of her developing work.

“Then, I didn’t know a lot about opera,” Shawna laughed. “But, what happened next was dumb luck that changed my life. I participated in an orchestral reading of Verdi’s ‘Falstaff,’ and it was love at first note.”  She laughed again. “Because of my strong interest in how to affect an audience as a performer, as a director I realized that with music, I could do even more.”

Further, she began to explore the many different ways a performance could answer an audience need as well. “I began to ask,” Shawna said, “what the audience was clamoring for. It was crucial for the performance to satisfy that need. I studied the work of various opera personae – singers like Quinn Kelsey, J’nai Bridges, Rachel Sorensen, Aileen Perez; and directors, like Paula Suozzi, Jen Good, Matthew Shilvock,” and studied how the wealth of their skills helps bring life to a performance. That’s, after all, what the audience came for, something real, something live, and, definitely, something whole. Unless these artists bring their talents into the total performance effectively, the whole project will not come alive.

Collaboration was one key, Shawna emphasized, for them and for her as director. A newer model of authority seems at work in her artistic vision. Performance was not to rest only in the hands of the director. “It was/is very important to work with the performers above all, to listen to whatever they are trying to say,” and so make the whole process and the performance inclusive. Shawna stressed how much she benefited from her mentors and that one of her key goals is to provide the artists in her productions with the same gift. As she said, “my mission is to nurture new talent.” Directing in this way can smooth the way for this to happen.

When she came back to the U.S., she took another degree, this time a Masters of Science in non-profit art.

Then, she worked at Santa Fe Opera, Houston Opera, San Francisco Opera, among others, and realized too that it is crucial nowadays to show women characters as more than victims or weak-willed. We need to wrestle with these images in some way that remains faithful to the opera narrative and its music, but doesn’t fail to show women as also smart and powerful. One example is Nedda in “Pagliacci,” whom we can see as a smart woman, rather than not.

Then she added, as feminist directors, we must deal with the anger of women in the U.S. as well as elsewhere who know that in this field, and it is an uphill battle. “Where did your fierce direction come from?” I asked. “I had a strong feminist grandfather. He pushed me and my sister in this. I feel I am part of the chain of women moving through history.” She added, “I was sent  to a Catholic high school and I was under the watchful eye of the head nun who was a strong feminist. From her too, I learned that men were not always better at everything.”

This lively and articulate young woman wants to work on the international as well as domestic opera scene, and is very happily settled in San José with her young daughter. She sees the benefits for further development of the company, where she sees herself as an opera CEO, director, and a “global citizen.” Her upcoming directing projects include a new production of “Tosca” for the San Francisco Opera, “Falstaff” at Dallas Opera and “Pearl Fishers” at Santa Fe. In November, she will direct San José’s “Bluebeard’s Castle.”

Meet Michelle Ainna Cuizon

Michelle Ainna Cuizon, Resident Stage Director at Opera San José for the 2024–2025 season, on the other hand, started off singing. “I was a musical kid. I did Karaoke, where I grew up in the Philippines. Also, I sang in choirs and always saw music as a door opening, all kinds of music. At Manila University, for instance, I studied musical theater. Recognizing, however, how competitive the field was, I decided to become a voice major,” says Cuizon.

“My family had always had their hearts set on living in the U.S., and back in the 1980s, my grandparents set the wheels in motion. Since they were also very encouraging and supportive of my career vision, they thought moving to the U.S. could be helpful to me. Then, suddenly, the time came, and we set off. We landed and settled in New York, learned English and began to pursue the next phase of our lives. For me that meant applying to the Metropolitan Opera Fellowship by the Bank of America. I got one for 2022-23. Before Covid, I had been leaning toward directing opera, and this fellowship enabled me to begin working in the field. I never expected it, and long before I ever expected it, I became an assistant director,” says Cuizon.

Like Lucey, Michelle found herself strongly influenced by watching other women directing, among them, Metropolitan Opera Executive Director, Paula Suozzi. “There was a woman with so many roles, which I realized she couldn’t manage if she weren’t efficient and well-organized,” says Cuizon.

That’s it, she thought; only with focus could she achieve what she wanted. During her one year fellowship, Michelle worked on eight operas, including “The Hours” and “Champion,” after having surmounted the challenge of working on Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtensk,” in Russian!

“English is already my second language, and here I was facing the challenge of assisting on an opera, that was totally foreign to me. What a challenge,” says Cuizon. Now, she is studying Italian, and says, “really a must for opera directors. This time it is much easier.”

Michelle is proud of her time learning from other talented directors and singers, like Patricia Racette on “Susannah,” J’nai Bridges, and Aileen Perez, Last season she assisted Shawna Lucey on the Broadway World awarded production of “Romeo & Juliet.” She also assisted Stephen Lawless on “Barber of Seville,” Dan Wallace Miller on “Rigoletto,” and on the Bay Area premiere of “Florencia en el Amazonas,” assisting Crystal Manich, and at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and worked on “Julius Caesar” directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer. In addition to being Opera San José’s Resident Stage Director this season, Michelle will assistant direct at the Metropolitan Opera this coming winter to assistant direct “The Magic Flute – A Holiday Presentation” and “Tosca“ with Sondra Radvanosky in the title role.

“I have learned so much from Shawna Lucey of course. It is clear when she sees something she wants she makes up her mind to do it. I benefit so much from her example,” says Cuizon. From both women, what we get is how much they are learning from each other. Rather than the stereotypical competitive stance between women, vying as they had to the scant array of positions available to them, they have returned to the age-old one in which women band together and urge each other forward, contributing to the sense of belonging.

“It is Shawna who inspired me from the start and has encouraged me to put forth my vision, Shawna, the young mother of a nearly four year old, who gives so much. If I can give… then I will be living out the dream which I have been living since I myself was mentored by some of the most remarkable people, who see me as I am. I have faced opposition as a woman, let alone moving to U.S., speaking a different language, taking charge as of a whole production and finding new skills and seeing myself altogether differently,” says Cuizon.

Both of these young women have devoted themselves to their craft, despite their personal challenges of being a woman in a field largely dominated by men and the male point of view.

“In my production of the female heroine in ‘La Boheme,’ in which OSJ Music Director Joseph Marcheso will conduct, and opening on November 16th, I am trying to show strength of women, and women’s friendship, for instance in Musetta and Mimi. It is so important to see a complete woman rather than simply a victim for whom we pity only,” says Cuizon.

“Also, she aims to show a sense of belonging in this coming of age story. To show the relationships of the chars who are complex, asking questions like, where have I come from, and where do I belong. It is refreshing and invigorating to hear the wish to strengthen women’s capacities in an opera like ‘La Boheme,’ so beloved and endearing. To begin to see women as capable even as they suffer is definitely a good thing,” says Cuizon.

“What about your musical dreams?” I asked.

“To belong, to a community, to a place, to people,” says Cuizon.

She wants her culture to be acceptable outside of the Philippines. She also wants to establish opera in the Philippines and to raise interest so she can establish funding. To show it is necessary.

Let’s keep our eye on Opera San José among other houses in the opera world, and the women who offer their vision and their stunning ability to translate it into action.

The post Vast Imagination – Directors Shawna Lucey & Michelle Ainna Cuizon on Bringing their Vision to Opera San José & the Opera World at Large appeared first on OperaWire.

On Oct. 11, Rachel Fenlon made history with her debut album on Orchid Classics, becoming the first ever to sing and accompany herself in Schubert’s masterpiece “Winterreise” on recording.

Fenlon has self-accompanied herself at prestigious festivals and venues such as Fundación Juan March, the Oxford Lieder Festival, Festival de Lanaudière, Martha Argerich Festival Hamburg, Ottawa Chamberfest, National Arts Centre Canada, Settimane Musicali di Ascona, Vancouver Opera Festival, Festival International Povoa de Varzim, and Toronto Summer Music Festival, among others. She has also performed with such companies as the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, and Oper Leipzig, among others. 

Fenlon spoke to OperaWire about her new album and the process of finding funds and recording “Winterreise.”

OperaWire: How do you feel after releasing this album?

Rachel Fenlon: I feel a deep sense of support and love from those around me, for a project that I’ve dreamt about creating my whole life. I feel I accomplished what I set out to achieve, I poured my whole self into this record. It’s still sinking in, that “Winterreise” is now out in the world! However, what’s surprising me the most is how shared this experience feels. I never expected it to feel like such a collective experience. Now I get why so many of my favourite musicians say that a record is no longer just yours, when it’s released, it also becomes the listeners, their experience of it, it belongs to them too. I’m definitely feeling that and it feels incredible.

OW: You play piano and sing on the record. How did this come about? What were the biggest challenges of doing it this way?

RF: Singing and playing is about 95 percent of my career, since I first began in 2016, which takes me on the road internationally, year round.

My path has been beautifully winding – pursuing singing and piano, in conservatory in high school and then in University at UBC in Vancouver, where I was finding myself going back and forth constantly between the instruments – singing leading roles in the operas, playing piano for singers, learning Beethoven piano sonatas when I wasn’t learning a Mozart soprano role. My career began in quite a traditional way – I was a young artist at Vancouver Opera, and singing roles on their main stage from age 24. and it wasn’t until I moved to Berlin and truly challenged myself in my identity, in who I am as a person and an artist, that I realized that I would never be quite whole unless I found a way to combine my singing and playing. It was after I moved to Berlin, which was a pivotal moment for me 10 years ago, that I began to question my artistic identity completely.

In 2016, I sang and played my first Schubert recital at an artist residency in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, and I had the experience of feeling a deep sense of “home” on stage. I knew from that moment on, that I would put everything into singing and playing. At this point, I’ve played self-accompanied recitals at major festivals and recital halls, and I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten to this point.

The vision for this album was to be able to share what I do, to share my unique interpretation as a singer/pianist. The choice for “Winterreise” itself came in 2021, during the dark months of the pandemic, when I was living alone in a forest area outside of Berlin. I bought the score to “Winterreise” one day and began learning it. What I discovered was that I have never found, nor lost myself so much in a work as I did with “Winterreise.” To share my interpretation of this great work, and to add to the enormous canon of recordings, from the perspective of a singer sitting at the piano and accompanying myself, is the greatest gift I could ask for.

The biggest challenge has definitely been trying to figure out how to create and navigate a career where I am doing something no one else has done before. There is no real example of someone who’s paved a career this way. I have to say, though, that this has also been extremely liberating, because I get to be the one determining how to do things. What repertoire to sing and play. How to build and shape my own career. What kind of artist I want to be. It’s so empowering.

It was very challenging in the early years, because a lot of people tried to discourage me from doing something which was so against the grain. Some people in classical music can be really afraid of change, because they think they are safeguarding something sacred, instead of, in my opinion, participating in a living, ever-changing thing, which is evolving as we evolve. I feel really lucky that with core people who believed in me, and with a really deep passion for music and a strong sense of self, I’ve been able to create an artistic life which is so rich, and fulfilling. I also have an amazing team, and it was a huge moment for me to sign with my agent Isabella Pitman at IMG – she is someone who really supports the uniqueness of my vision and is very good at what she does.

OW: Why do you think accompanying yourself has become something very unique?

RF: Whilst accompanying myself and singing is totally unique in our day and age, outside of the pop/folk realm, it wasn’t always the case. Something which many people don’t realize is that Schubert himself sang and accompanied himself in the first 12 songs of “Winterreise” in the world premiere. Renaldo Hahn sang and played all his songs. Richard Tauber performed Schumann’s “Dichterliebe” singing and playing. So, for me it feels a bit like a forgotten art.

I draw so much inspiration from singer-songwriters, like Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Alicia Keys…I absolutely adore the singer songwriter genre, and a huge part of my passion is bringing the essence of this to classical song. I feel there is such an intimacy with singer-songwriters, and that kind of intimacy is at the heart of classical and contemporary song.

OW: Were you first a pianist or was it singing that was your first passion?

RF: My introduction to music was on the piano, at age three, with my grandad, who was a jazz pianist. At age six I began formal piano training, and went through all my degrees of piano performance. For years, I was sure I wanted to be a concert pianist. Singing lessons came much later, although I’m reminded constantly that I used to get my entire family together to perform musicals for friends and neighbours!

As a youth, I was in children’s choir, and then choirs in high school, and at 17 I had my first voice lessons, which were like a crash course in singing. I took six weeks of singing lessons so that I could get through a university opera audition, for which I was miraculously accepted! It was really in university, at the opera program at UBC, where I feel in love with opera, and in love with singing.

OW: How did this album come about? How did you raise the money to do the record?

RF: Such a key question, thanks for asking that! So, the model for many record labels these days is such that the artist has to financially back a huge chunk of the recording and post production costs. Once I had decided I would record “Winterreise” and had secured the sound engineer and producer I wanted to work with–Carl Talbot, a Canadian legend–I got working on fundraising. I raised most of the funds for the album through a Kickstarter campaign, which was a huge gamble, because you only get funded on Kickstarter if you meet your fundraising goal. I had the fortune of having an exceptionally generous patron of the arts say he would match whatever the total of my campaign amount was so that I would meet my goal. In the end, I raised a total of $16,000 for the album. I have to say, I am pretty proud of that!

OW: What was the collaboration with Orchid Classics like and what has distribution been like?

RF: Orchid Classics is a dream team. They are artist driven, which means they are there to support the vision of their artists once they have signed you. Matthew Trusler, who founded the label, has so much insight into the industry and we had so many helpful conversations about things like distribution, playlists, Dolby Atmos. Alex Patel is their head of marketing and he has also been such a massive support–he’s helped me with everything from graphics on my socials, to scoring us huge coverage on the radio. “Winterreise” was chosen as BBC Radio 3’s “On Record” Disc, as well as CBC’s “Concert on Demand” Record of the Week. These were huge wins for a new artist on the scene like myself. “Winterreise” was also selected as an album of the week on IDAGIO, and is featured on lots of different playlists on Apple, Tidal and Idagio, which is key to reaching wider audiences.

I can’t say enough amazing things about the team. We have also had physical CD’s produced, and I had a sold out album launch last week in Berlin at the Kuhlhaus, where I sold and signed my first CD’s…what an amazing moment!

OW: What are the challenges of making an album in the modern age and what are some of the facilities now?

RF: First of all, the financial investment is completely on your shoulders, and that’s an immense responsibility. It’s an investment which can absolutely (definitely) put you on the map, and benefit your career in huge ways, but it is also a huge ask for many people, who don’t necessarily have the tools, the knowledge and the confidence needed to fundraise these up front costs. I don’t think you can expect to make profit from the album itself, through sales, you have to look at it from a different perspective–the benefits to you and your career for example, once you see it that way then it really feels worth the investment. There are also SO many logistics–deciding on your label, knowing how you visually want to represent yourself, figuring out your press team (I have an amazing press agent, Karen). I would say building and finding the right team is another big challenge, because an album needs momentum to get to live its full potential. I feel extremely lucky for all the people involved in this project, from my incredible producer Carl, to the photographer Clara Evens who shot all my album shots, to my dear friend Alexander Neef who wrote my programme notes, to my agent Izzy, the team at Orchid, and last but not least, my family.

OW: Talking about Schubert, which are some of your favorite pieces in this cycle?

RF: You know, the best part about this work is that you fall in love with it over and over again. And I notice new things every time I perform it–some days I am crazy about the really pretty songs like “Der Lindenbaum,” and “Fruhlingstraum.” Other days I feel strongly drawn to the more unassuming pieces like No. 12 “Einsamkeit” in b minor–a piece which guides us into a different realm in the context of the whole cycle. But if I had to choose, I would say the very last two pieces: “Die Nebensonnen,” and “Der Leiermann.”

OW: What are the challenges of this song cycle?

RF: For me, the challenge is in pacing. “Winterreise” is 70 minutes without a break, and I perform it completely from memory, as both the singer and pianist. It’s a total marathon! I’ve performed “Winterreise” as self-accompanied singer/pianist 16 times now in recital, and the thing I’ve learned most, is that you have to trust your body and go with the energy you are feeling the moment you get on stage. What I mean by this is that if I get on stage and feel the opening song “Gute Nacht” a little slower than usual, I need to trust that it’s okay.

Balance is always a tricky one, because when the piano part is huge and boisterous, the vocal line over top is legato and spinning and needs to feel really delicate. I often have to remind myself to be my own best accompanist!!!

OW: Are you planning another album of anything soon and would you like to tour this cycle the way you recorded it?

RF: Yes! Another album is already in the works, which will be a new song cycle written for me by the phenomenal Canadian composer Matthias McIntire. The cycle is for me to sing, play, and perform live electronics, and we’re already in post-production. It’s such a personal project for me, because the poetry is my own, and the song cycle is an expression towards the climate crisis–our love for nature and our fear of climate change.

I will be touring “Winterreise” all season–I started the season on the road, and have been touring Canada and Europe. Next week I will be in Helsinki and following that I will go to Brazil and London for recitals, all before Christmas! I have a second North American tour in 2025, as well as some really exciting Europe dates, including my recital debut at the Konzerthaus Berlin. It’s definitely a “pinch me” season!!!

The post Q & A: Rachel Fenlon on Her Debut Album ‘Winterreise’ & Accompanying Herself appeared first on OperaWire.