Eun Sun Kim Named Music Director of San Francisco Opera
“She leads with great vision on the podium but also welcomes each and every person into the creative process, inviting them to do their very best work. The resulting art is spectacular.” Eun Sun Kim becomes the first woman to serve as Music Director of a Level 1 American opera company.
December 5, 2019
“From my very first moments at San Francisco Opera, I felt this was home. There was an unusual feeling of open collaboration across so many facets of the Company—a real sense of professional alchemy. I’m deeply honored to be joining the San Francisco Opera family and helping to carry this incredible lineage forward.”
Eun Sun Kim has been appointed the Caroline H. Hume Music Director of San Francisco Opera, making her the first woman to serve as music director of a Level 1 American opera house.
Ms. Kim will become the fourth music director in the history of San Francisco Opera, leading the orchestra, chorus, and music staff, and working with General Director Matthew Shilvock; Managing Director: Artistic Gregory Henkel; and other members of the Company on repertoire and casting. She will be a key member of the creative leadership, helping to shape the artistic direction of the Company’s second century, working closely with the young artist programs, and bringing great opera to Bay Area audiences.
Effective immediately, Ms. Kim is Music Director Designate; she will participate in the planning of future seasons and in orchestral auditions. She will conduct the Company’s new production of Beethoven’s Fidelio as part of the opening weekend of the 2020–21 season. Complete information about San Francisco Opera’s 2020–21 season will be announced in January.
As Music Director, she will conduct up to four productions in each season of her initial five-year contract, in addition to conducting concerts, working with San Francisco Opera’s resident artist Adler Fellows, and participating in the executive leadership of the organization.
Born in South Korea, 39-year-old Eun Sun Kim conducts frequently at major opera houses across Europe and is increasingly recognized in North America as an insightful interpreter of the operatic and symphonic repertoire. She made her U.S. debut in September 2017, leading a production of La traviata at Houston Grand Opera, and she was subsequently named the company’s first principal guest conductor in 25 years. Last month, she made her Washington National Opera debut conducting Die Zauberflöte, and upcoming U.S. company debuts include productions at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and LA Opera. She returns to Houston Grand Opera in April for a production of Salome. In the concert hall, she has conducted the Cincinnati Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Milwaukee Symphony, and future performances include subscription concerts with the New York Philharmonic and Oregon, San Diego, and Seattle symphonies.
Photo by Marc Olivier Le Blanc
“Eun Sun Kim brings a unique energy to San Francisco Opera. She connects all of us—audiences, artists, technicians, administrators—in the pursuit of one singular artistic journey, bringing thoughtful leadership, deep compassion, and an incredible respect for everyone in the theater. She leads with great vision on the podium but also welcomes each and every person into the creative process, inviting them to do their very best work. The resulting art is spectacular. This community can look forward to a future of extraordinary music-making that connects deeply to the core of what it means to be human. It is a privilege to welcome Eun Sun to be our next music director.”
SFCM Announces Center for Innovative Leadership
As The New York Times writes, SFCM has “emphasized risk-taking and an expansive view of the field.” Deeply committed to cultivating a sense of entrepreneurial spirit among its student body, SFCM will now expand its culture of exploration with rapid-fire programs designed to empower arts professionals.
November 12, 2019
Ute and William K. Bowes Center for Performing Arts
As The New York Times writes, San Francisco Conservatory of Music has “emphasized risk-taking and an expansive view of the field.” Deeply committed to cultivating a sense of entrepreneurial spirit among its student body, SFCM will now expand its culture of exploration with rapid-fire programs designed to empower arts professionals. The SFCM Center for Innovative Leadership will welcome its first cohort in January 2021 to the new Ute and William K. Bowes, Jr. Center for Performing Arts, a comprehensive arts hub created through a transformative $46.4 million gift in 2018.
“SFCM is built on an expansive and inclusive vision for the future,” said President David H. Stull. “To make that vision a reality, the industry needs committed and energetic arts leaders with the tools to lead their institutions toward artistic and fiscal growth. The Center for Innovative Leadership will contribute major resources and top-tier faculty and mentors to enhance the talent pipeline for arts administration.”
Arts administrators, ranging from entry-level professionals to C-suite executives and board chairs, will be welcomed to SFCM’s learning lab to expand their sense of opportunity and capacity for action. Stull expects this wellspring of creativity will inspire undergraduate and graduate students as well — with the option to audit these professional courses, students curious about arts administration will be able to immerse themselves in subjects far beyond the standard music curriculum.
The center will be led by its Founding Executive Director and SFCM Vice President of Strategic Communications, a role created for Aubrey Bergauer. Recognized by the San Francisco Chronicle as a “dynamic and innovative administrator,” Bergauer is an orchestra executive and management consultant with a proven ability to find creative solutions for arts institutions. Her data-driven approach as Executive Director of the California Symphony catapulted the orchestra onto the national stage, as it was strategically transitioned from a near-closure ensemble to “the most forward-looking music organization around,” per the San Jose Mercury News. In her five-year tenure, California Symphony doubled its audience, nearly quadrupled its donor base, and increased its operating budget by 50%, all while balancing budgets and eliminating a portion of past accumulated debt.
“As I established my consultancy, it quickly became clear that the demand for innovative and evidence-based executive guidance existed on a large scale,” said Bergauer. “When David offered me an opportunity to partner with him and assemble a team to address field-wide issues with SFCM’s substantial resources, I knew this was an undeniable chance to make an impact beyond the organizations I’m able to personally advise. By focusing our energies on developing executive leadership and good governance, we can influence the state of the industry in a more widely distributed way.”
Aubrey Bergauer / Photo by The Morrisons
In keeping with Bergauer’s trademark data-driven approach, the Center for Innovative Leadership will track progress toward industry-wide goals, such as diversifying the administrative talent pipeline. Internally, both recruitment and curriculum will champion equity and inclusion. Faculty and advisory board members will be cultivated across genders and ethnicities, and progress toward increasing diverse representation among industry leadership will be measured to ensure accountability. Bergauer’s own appointment hints at the type of administrator SFCM hopes to nurture.
“Aubrey is emblematic of everything we’re trying to achieve here,” said Stull. “From running regional orchestras to advising powerhouses like LA Opera and NPR, her ability to deftly move from big-picture ideation to decisive action has captured the attention of the industry. Our profession needs more leaders like her: activators who are able to conceive bold ideas and inspire stakeholders to bring those ideas to fruition. Under her direction, SFCM hopes to foster a new breed of change-makers who will drive our industry forward.”
The Center for Innovative Leadership will be nestled among the concert halls, classrooms, conference facilities, and guest suites of the Bowes Center, which opens in fall 2020. Curricular models will be designed to address the needs of multiple administrative constituencies. In June 2021, aspiring arts managers will enroll in the center’s flagship offering: Project ADAM (Audience Development and Advancement of Music) Seminar for Early Career Professionals, which will inform and empower rising leaders at the entry point to the talent pipeline. A series of alternating Level-Up Workshops will take place each January, with a cohort of first-time executive directors convening in January 2021, and a group of revenue-generating professionals in fundraising and marketing roles meeting the following year. In September 2021, orchestra and opera board leaders will have the opportunity to learn from distinguished board heads — and each other — in the Board Chair Forum.
“Conservatories typically instruct students with a single-minded focus on winning a job at a top orchestra or opera company,” said Bergauer. “SFCM is expanding that field of vision, creating options not only for its students, but for the entire arts management pipeline. By addressing every facet of industry training, SFCM and the Center for Innovative Leadership will ensure that the quality and preparation offstage matches the talent onstage.”
For those following SFCM’s trajectory since Stull began as president in 2013, this bold expansion of the conservatory’s offerings is a logical progression. SFCM has created an inclusive culture that reflects the cooperative experimentation of the Bay Area’s tech hotbed, making it a natural fit for a center that will encourage creative exploration and cultural intelligence.
“We want to attract diverse and inventive participants who have the intellectual capacity to be high-performing leaders and empower them to execute bold ideas,” said Stull. “The SFCM Center for Innovative Leadership will be a home for pioneers, shaping savvy leaders who are collaborative, curious, and comfortable setting — then breaking — new paces for the industry.”
OPERA America Kicks off Nationwide Celebration
The organization will commemorate a half-century of opera’s progress with a variety of initiatives, including an Opera Hall of Fame, Oral History Project, and a series of national events. It will also rally members of the opera industry to participate in a national promotional campaign, #meetopera, to inspire curiosity in the art form.
October 24, 2019
““I am very optimistic about opera in America. When I entered the industry decades ago, new American operas were rarely commissioned or performed. Today, the flow of creativity from American composers, librettists, directors and designers has generated an American opera repertoire that spans the gamut of styles and subject matter.””
Industry leaders cut the ribbon at the OPERA America 50th Anniversary announcement
The wellspring of creative talent in the United States over the past 50 years has been fostered by OPERA America, the national champion for opera in America, which has provided financial support, mentorship and connections between thousands of companies and artists. Founded in 1970 as a collaborative agency by mid-sized opera companies, OPERA America now comprises 500 professional companies, conservatories, training programs and other related businesses, as well as nearly 2,000 individual artists, administrators, trustees and operagoers. Its impact extends internationally in scope: OPERA America provided the model for the development of Opera Europa, Ópera Latinoamérica and Opera.ca in Canada, which approaches its 20th anniversary next year.
On the occasion of its 50th anniversary in 2020, OPERA America will embark on a yearlong celebration of 50 years of opera in America. The organization will commemorate a half-century of opera’s progress with a variety of initiatives, including an Opera Hall of Fame, Oral History Project and series of national events. It will also rally members of the opera industry to participate in a national promotional campaign, #meetopera, to inspire curiosity in the art form.
“Between 1970 and 2020, opera has moved from being an imported, historic European art form to a dynamic, contemporary American cultural expression that resonates with the world in which we live,” says Scorca. “We see this anniversary year as an opportunity to celebrate this astonishing narrative of creativity, determination and growth — and a chance to demonstrate our commitment to continue moving opera forward.”
#meetopera
On January 6, 2020, OPERA America will launch a nationally coordinated, locally implemented promotional campaign designed to shift the public perception of opera. Developed with cohorts of field members, the #meetopera campaign invites arts enthusiasts and other potential operagoers to see opera as the vibrant and progressive art form that it is today. It is about showcasing the breadth of opera, the diversity of the people who make it and enjoy it, and the many ways it can be experienced.
“This is a ‘yes, and’ campaign,” says Timothy O’Leary, general director of Washington National Opera and board chair of OPERA America. “Opera is grand and intimate. It takes place in historic opera houses and local bars. It is in Italian, French, German and English, Spanish and Mandarin. It offers a special night on the town and a casual evening with friends.”
OPERA America introduced the campaign to the public on October 18, when performing luminaries such as Jamie Barton, Angel Blue, Ailyn Pérez and Morris Robinson joined inspiring creators like Paola Prestini, Kamala Sankaram and Mark Campbell in announcing their participation in the campaign via social media. These industry icons are part of a cohort of 50th Anniversary Ambassadors recruited to extend the reach of the #meetopera campaign and support OPERA America throughout its 50th anniversary initiatives.
Countless opera companies and artists also participated in the October 18 announcement by sharing the #meetopera campaign video, a highlight reel of footage contributed by companies across the nation, showcasing the variety of looks, styles and scales of opera in America.
Anniversary Initiatives
Opera Hall of Fame
OPERA America will honor leaders in the opera field in an Opera Hall of Fame. Building on the legacy of the NEA Opera Honors, produced by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with OPERA America from 2008 to 2012, this new initiative will recognize nine living American artists, administrators or advocates in its first year. These individuals, and those added in subsequent years, will serve to inspire the next generation of industry leaders. The first round of nominations is now open through January 15, 2020, at operaamerica.org/HallofFame.
Oral History Project
The shared stories of opera in America will be captured in an Oral History Project. OPERA America will gather interviews with at least 50 industry veterans who have helped advance the art form and the industry over the last five decades. A partnership with the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and supported by the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation, the project will make audio recordings and transcriptions available to the public via a new OPERA America website launching in 2020 and at the library at Lincoln Center.
Opera America Magazine
Six quarterly issues of Opera America Magazine will be dedicated to tracing the art form’s trajectory since the organization’s establishment. These special editions will focus on various aspects of the industry, including the proliferation of opera companies, the development of new work, the establishment of an artist-training infrastructure and the evolution of the opera business model. Each retrospective feature will be paired with statements from the Anniversary Ambassadors and field leaders that envision the next half-century of opera.
Public Events
Beginning in November 2019, OPERA America will hit the road to co-present public events with each of its 16 founding companies. These events, sponsored by Bank of America, will localize the national narrative and provide each company with an opportunity to celebrate its own contributions to the progress of the art form and industry.
The tour begins November 1 with an event honoring Opera Omaha’s notable accomplishments in civic practice, artistic development and gender parity. On December 3, it highlights New Orleans Opera, the 100th anniversary of the burning of the city’s French Opera House and the city’s rich history of presenting opera since the 18th century. On December 10, an event in San Diego will salute the important role San Diego Opera has played in developing and premiering Spanish-language operas.
In 2020, founding city events will continue in Charlotte, Houston, Kansas City, Louisville, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Saratoga Springs, Seattle, Tulsa and Washington, D.C. In addition, special celebrations will commemorate 75 years of Mississippi Opera in Jackson and 100 years of Cincinnati Opera in Ohio.
Industry Events
OPERA America will engage artists, administrators and trustees in the industry in an additional series of anniversary events in 2020.
New Works Forum
The New Works Forum will take place January 16–19 in New York City. With sessions at OPERA America’s National Opera Center and performances at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and PROTOTYPE Festival, this convening will be the largest gathering of producers and artists in the country. Past New Works Forums have incubated dozens of important new projects, collaborations and productions, including JFK (Little/Vavrek) and Silent Night (Puts/Campbell).
National Trustee Forum
The National Trustee Forum will bring together opera company board members from March 18–20 in Washington, D.C., a founding city where OPERA America was headquartered for many years. Discussions will focus on the importance of good governance and strong boards to the health of the field, and the forum will also include performances at Washington National Opera and visits to legislative offices on Capitol Hill to advocate for public policies on the arts.
50th Annual Opera Conference
In May, OPERA America will return to the city of its first conference in 1970: Seattle. The 50th annual Opera Conference, hosted by Seattle Opera, will take place May 13–16 and will include panels, performances and a 50th anniversary party with the announcement of Opera Hall of Fame inductees.
In February 2021, a concluding event in New York City will recognize donors and others who have made significant contributions to the anniversary campaign.
New Programs Announced
OPERA America’s commitment to developing new works, advancing gender parity, increasing racial and ethnic diversity, and nurturing the next generation of leaders will be supported by the 2020 Vision Campaign. This 50th anniversary fundraising effort will build OPERA America’s ongoing capacity to serve a growing field, maintain the National Opera Center, and enhance programming for artistic initiatives and leadership development.
On October 18, Scorca announced two new programs made possible by early gifts to the 2020 Vision Campaign that support the creation of American operas:
IDEA Opera Residences
IDEA Opera Residencies (denoting Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) are three-year grants, funded by the Katharine S. and Axel G. Rosin Fund of the Scherman Foundation, to support the creative and professional development of New York City-based composers and librettists of color. By providing direct grants, mentorship and career support to artists entering the field, the program aims to break down systemic barriers faced by artists of color and foster pathways for new voices to the opera stage.
The Next Stage
OPERA America will re-introduce The Next Stage, a granting program that supports second and subsequent productions. This initiative, supported in its pilot year by Gene Kaufman and Terry Eder, is intended to encourage companies to program American works that have already premiered and are worthy of more performances in new productions.
“The opportunity to hear new works again is essential to expanding the active repertoire and increasing recognition and programming of the North American canon,” says Scorca. “Over the past 30 years, OPERA America has granted over $15 million to companies in support of new work, and we now have an American repertoire that has earned the admiration of the global opera community.”
Milestones
As The New York Times noted, OPERA America and its National Opera Center “play a crucial role in the operatic biosphere.” OPERA America’s focus on identifying and nurturing talent, particularly among women and people of color, has helped usher in a sea change for the industry.
Opera Grants for Female Composers
OPERA America’s Opera Grants for Female Composers program has now contributed over $1 million to support creators like Ellen Reid, Du Yun and Laura Kaminsky. Funded by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation since 2014, grants have been awarded to 45 women to advance their work and to 30 companies in support of their commissions of female composers. These projects have in turn helped increase contemporary themes on stage, with operas exploring issues of today.
Leadership Intensive
The alumni of OPERA America’s leadership development programs, including its signature Leadership Intensive supported by the American Express Foundation, now hold 10 percent of executive leadership positions at member companies across the nation. Launched in 2012 to identify and encourage the field’s most promising opera administrators, the program has had a profound impact in promoting women to top positions, with alumni including Peggy Kriha Dye, general and artistic director of Opera Columbus; Lee Anne Myslewski, vice president of Wolf Trap Opera; Barbara Lynne Jamison, general director of Kentucky Opera; Ashley Magnus, general director of Chicago Opera Theater; and Jennifer Rivera, executive director and CEO of Long Beach Opera.
“The Leadership Intensive program was an invaluable resource in my career development,” says Annie Burridge, who completed the program in 2012 and now serves as general director and CEO of Austin Opera. “Years later, I am still making use of the knowledge and connections it provided.”
Innovation Grants
OPERA America invests $1.5 million each year in Innovation Grants to support bold ideas, new projects and important research that promise to improve artistic and administrative practices. The program has now been extended for a second time thanks to renewed funding from the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. Past grants have supported The Glimmerglass Festival’s Breaking Glass podcast on the intersection of music and social justice and Opera Philadelphia’s transition to its inaugural fall festival.
Chicago: Where You Can See The Present – And Future – of Opera
Chicago Opera Theater “rides on a new wave, bringing a repertoire that ranges from grand spectacle to electric intimacy.” Now COT’s Vanguard Emerging Opera Composer Residency, which invites accomplished composers into the company for a two-year education in opera-specific skills, has been named the recipient of a $500,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
October 17, 2019
Vanguard Emerging Opera Composer Stacy Garrop
Photo by Darrell Hoemann
CHICAGO, IL – October 16, 2019 – As Chicago magazine recently noted, Chicago Opera Theater “rides on a new wave, bringing a repertoire that ranges from grand spectacle to electric intimacy.” A key component of that innovation is COT’s Vanguard Initiative, an aptly named industry-leading commitment to developing opera as a living art form. The centerpiece of the initiative is the Vanguard Emerging Opera Composer Residency, which invites accomplished composers into the company for a two-year education in opera-specific skills and was today named the recipient of a $500,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
“Composing an opera is among the most challenging of artistic undertakings,” said Lidiya Yankovskaya, COT Staley Music Director and the newly named Artistic Director of the Vanguard Initiative. “In addition to being masters of shaping sound, opera composers must be exceptionally skilled at writing for the voice and adept at dramatic timing and flow. They must also have a clear understanding of the enormous collaborative mechanism essential for work to reach the stage and, crucially, be able to navigate the business side of the industry.”
Despite the daunting breadth and depth of skills required, there is no traditional path for opera composers and no clear training ground. The Vanguard Emerging Opera Composer Residency aims to bridge the gap between general compositional skills taught in university music programs and the real-world observation and experience that help inform an operatic composer’s work. Launched in 2018, the program identifies skilled composers who have not yet had sufficient opportunities for writing opera and provides them with a stipend and a two-year comprehensive course of study.
In addition to a survey of the canonic repertoire and detailed study of voice types, the residency offers access to operatic productions and industry events, insider knowledge of administrative processes, and ample networking opportunities. After observing the scope of the interpretative process by attending creative team meetings and staging rehearsals, the Emerging Composers collaborate with COT Young Artists and an experienced librettist, dramaturg, and director to develop a new full-length opera. Composers also work closely with Vanguard Composer Mentor Jake Heggie, hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “arguably the world’s most popular 21st-century opera and art song composer."
Through the selection and recruitment of composers from underrepresented groups, COT hopes this robust training will empower more diverse composers and bring their voices into the field.
“In order to ensure a future for opera, we must promote stories told by a variety of individuals, who represent the many regions and cultures of the United States, and bring a breadth of musical backgrounds to our field,” said Yankovskaya. “Opera’s strength throughout the form’s history has been in its ability to unite the arts in an effort to tell powerful, moving stories. We can take ownership of ensuring the art form’s continued impact by nurturing a new generation of opera composers who represent all that our country has to offer.”
The first alumna of the program will be second-year composer Stacy Garrop, an accomplished instrumental composer already commissioned by Carnegie Hall, Kronos Quartet, St. Louis Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and Minnesota Orchestra. Though Garrop had also composed extensively for the voice, her lack of immersive experience in the operatic medium made her an ideal candidate for the Vanguard Residency.
“The Vanguard program is a godsend,” said Garrop. “Having two years to write my first opera, and get feedback on it throughout the entire process, has been extremely beneficial for my development. The wide range of activities COT designed for me opened my eyes to see opera from every angle. I can’t imagine entering this world without this kind of training.”
Garrop’s new chamber opera “The Transformation of Jane Doe,” with a libretto by Jerre Dye, will be performed in April at Northwestern University’s Ryan Opera Theater and will feature members of the COT Young Artist Program.
COT’s commitment to building diversity has also placed it at the forefront of the industry offstage. Music Director Lidiya Yankovskaya is the only woman to hold that title in a multimillion-dollar opera company in the United States, and when Ashley Magnus was promoted to General Director in January, COT became a company led by millennial women. The leadership team, supported by COT Board President Susan J. Irion, have brought indomitable energy and keen foresight to strategic planning, fundraising, and artistic programming.
“We are committed to doing our part to ensure the future of our art form,” said General Director Ashley Magnus. “My dream is for Chicago to be at the forefront of new opera – for people to realize that our city is just as rich with art and creativity as the coasts. We believe the Vanguard Initiative can help Chicago become a destination for a new Golden Age of opera in America.”
Conductor Eun Sun Kim Kicks off Powerhouse 2019/20 Season
“Kim cultivated a rich, relaxed sound in the strings. Each phrase breathed, yet she also led with momentum, knowing just the right moment to push ahead.” The Korean maestra has just made important debuts in L.A. and Munich, as well as a hotly anticipated return to Cincinnati.
September 10, 2019
““A dynamic presence as she led, illuminating details of the score with clarity and expressive power. The finale, a towering passacaglia, unfolded with depth and the musicians responded with polished, refined playing.””
The Korean maestra began her 19/20 season with debuts with the LA Philharmonic and Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, and a highly anticipated return to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, with whom she became the first woman to conduct the prestigious May Festival in 2018.
Verismo Founder Presents across United States
This season, Beth Stewart will share her vision for the industry in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Birmingham, Alabama, New York, New York, and Dallas, Texas.
September 20, 2019
This season, Verismo founder Beth Stewart brings her vision for the industry to the University of Michigan’s Arts Leadership Forum, National Association of Teachers of Singing Fall Workshop, Opera America Marketing & PR Forum, and Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Women in Classical Music Symposium.
Recent speaking engagements have included sessions at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Bard College in New York, and Opera America Conference 2019 in San Francisco.
Stewart with faculty and student attendees at the NATS Fall Workshop in Birmingham, Alabama
Chicago Magazine Proclaims: 'Lidiya Yankovskaya Takes Opera into The 21st Century'
“Naysayers accuse opera of resuscitating a permanent past. Here is where you can see the present.” Chicago Opera Theater’s Music Director is the classical highlight in Chicago Magazine’s Culture Issue.
September 17, 2019
““Opera experimentalism has flourished in the past decade among a gaggle of startup companies around the city. Yankovskaya is taking that energy and injecting it into a major company... Naysayers accuse opera of resuscitating a permanent past. Here is where you can see the present.””
Describing Lidiya Yankovskaya, Chicago Magazine notes, “The musical head of Chicago Opera Theater doesn’t look like most bigtime opera conductors.” The fall Culture Issue feature explores Yankovskaya’s notable position as the only female music-director of a multimillion-dollar opera company in the United States who “rides on a new wave, bringing a repertoire that ranges from grand spectacle to electric intimacy.”
Yankovskaya leads Chicago Opera Theatre’s fall double bill of Aleko, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s first opera, and Everest, by contemporary composer Joby Talbot.
Jamie Barton Featured on The Open Ears Project
“It began an obsession with classical music that turned her teenage alienation into a powerful sense of belonging to music and connection with its listeners, whoever they are and wherever they come from.” The American mezzo shares her most pivotal classical music memory with WQXR’s smash hit podcast, alongside Alec Baldwin, Wynton Marsalis, Eddie Izzard, Sam Mendes, and Jon Batiste.
September 17, 2019
““It transports me back into this bedroom that I had as a kid. Sitting in my bay window, overlooking the field, leading up to the forest. There’s nothing else out there.””
American mezzo Jamie Barton joined WQXR’s Creative Director Clemency Burton-Hill on the new hit podcast The Open Ears Project to share the story of the classical music piece that transformed her life’s path.
“Barton grew up in an isolated rural community in northwest Georgia. Her first listen to Chopin's Nocturne No. 21 in C Minor — found on a CD titled Chopin and Champagne — began an obsession with classical music that turned her teenage alienation into a powerful sense of belonging to music and connection with its listeners, whoever they are and wherever they come from.”
Jamie Barton Takes UK by Storm as Favorite 'Queer Girl with A Nose Ring'
"We are witnessing something rather remarkable. That moment an audience falls in love with a singer." Jamie Barton’s media blitz ahead of Last Night of the Proms included appearances on television, radio, national print media, podcasts, and digital and glossy magazines.
September 16, 2019
““We are witnessing something rather remarkable. That moment an audience falls in love with a singer.””
Jamie Barton’s headlining performance at Last Night of the Proms left fans and audience members around the world glowing. Her flurry of media appearances, including features on BBC World Television’s GMT, Today Programme, In Tune, Breakfast, Front Row Live, BBC News, BBC Digital, The Times, The Guardian, The American Magazine, Classical Music Magazine, and Guilty Feminist, were followed by rave reviews afterwards.
Photo by Chris Christodoulou
Slate Magazine Hails Jamie Barton's 'Diva Treatment' of Bisexual Visibility
“In Barton’s hands, bi visibility got the diva treatment.” The activist mezzo talked to Slate about being an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights and body positivity, and what it means to queer the Proms.
September 16, 2019
Slate’s June Thomas sat down for a conversation with American mezzo Jamie Barton about queering classical music, idolizing drag queens, and showing pride at the BBC Proms.
“I’m sitting in a meeting with the BBC last October, and I have purple hair and a side shave and a nose ring, and I’m wondering, are they going to want me to grow my hair out? How conservative do I need to be for this? And from the first moment I said, “You know, the flag that I feel I can get behind and wave during ‘Rule Britannia’ is the Pride flag.” They were like, yes absolutely. So we’re going with the idea of unity and inclusion. These are two very important things to me. I think they are healing things. So I’m proud to be doing it.”
Photo by Chris Christodoulou
Jamie Barton Speaks out for Body Acceptance & Queer Rights in The Times
“After thinking about what she really wanted to project to an audience of millions, she came to the conclusion that exhorting Britain’s naval hegemony wasn’t the only interesting message she could broadcast. “When I sat down with the BBC in October I told them, ‘You know, I can think of a flag that I can get behind. I’d really like to carry the Pride flag.’” The American mezzo tackles hot-button issues in this in-depth profile.
September 12, 2019
““She does not have any truck with the idea that singers playing romantic heroes and heroines on the stage are more credible if they are svelte. ‘Pardon me, but that’s a bullshit argument. Audiences want to see themselves reflected on stage. So to reduce what is represented on stage to a very narrow box of looks, you’re cutting out portions of the audience.’””
Photo by Sarah Creswell
Ahead of headlining Last Night of the Proms, mezzo Jamie Barton was the subject of a major profile in The Times. Barton advocated for the rights of all audiences, regardless of their body size or sexual identity, to be represented onstage.
“Barton is serious about standing up for gay rights at an event that is normally free of politics, sexual or otherwise – the BBC even vets the conductor’s Last Night speech to check for anything that would compromise its objectivity. She has a simple riposte to critics on social media. ‘Guest artists have always brought their own personal swing to this [concert]. And, quite honestly, the BBC knew who they were hiring. I showed up to the table being exactly who I am. And in general I don’t feel that queer culture should be set apart from normal culture. It’s part of my life, it’s a part of so many musicians’ lives.’”
2019 Resonant Bodies Festival Earns Wall-to-Wall Coverage
“Explorations shared in a spirit of generosity and intimacy.” From The New York Times and The New Yorker to Gothamist and Man Repeller, New York’s Resonant Bodies Festival was on everyone’s radar.
September 5, 2019
““The Resonant Bodies Festival empowers singers to flex their creativity with experimental vocal-music programs of their own design. It’s a testament to the attractiveness of that invitation that this year’s edition has drawn big names from the mainstream classical and contemporary scenes who want in on the artistic liberation.””
Described by The New York Times as the festival that “brings the musical world back to school,” the 2019 Resonant Bodies Festival earned widespread coverage in mainstream and classical music media.
Photo by Gretchen Robinette
From features and interviews in The New York Times, NewMusicBox, and Brooklyn Paper, and previews in Brooklyn Based, Gothamist, Log Journal, Man Repeller, and The New Yorker, to shout-outs in The New York Times and Playbill, and reviews in The New York Times, Seen and Heard International, and San Francisco Classical Voice, ResBods was everywhere people were reading about new music or can’t-miss Brooklyn events.
Refugee Orchestra Project Makes Successful UK Debut
“Lidiya Yankovskaya has a passion for the new and for the neglected. She’s here for a Refugee Orchestra concert, she’s the Music Director of Chicago Opera Theater, and a whole host of other things that make me feel deeply inadequate.” Ahead of ROP’s London debut, Artistic Director Lidiya Yankovskaya got the word out.
September 4, 2019
““The richness, variety and depth of music that has come out of immigrant and refugee communities is immense. I hope our audiences see that refugees have come from many places throughout our history, and any of us could find ourselves in the position of desperately needing help.””
The Refugee Orchestra Project has just made its UK Debut under the leadership of its founder and artistic director Lidiya Yankovskaya. The Russian-American maestra made several important media appearances in London, including features on BBC Radio 3 In Tune, Newsday, The American Magazine, and Classical Music Magazine.
Photo by Nick Rutter
“‘In these divisive times, vocal support of refugees has become critical – and musicians are uniquely well-positioned to address this issue,’ explains Yankovskaya. ‘Our art form crosses linguistic and cultural boundaries, and so much of what we do is rooted in collaboration.’”
Lucy Dhegrae is NewMusicBox’s September Conversation
“I would never dream of telling a singer, ‘Hey, you should do this specific piece. I want to hear you do that piece.’ Because you’re only going to get the second-best thing from a singer that way, I think. But if you ask a singer, ‘What do you love to sing? What lights you up? Right now?’ Then things feel urgent. I want to hear your urgent music.'” The founder of the Resonant Bodies Festival discusses the art and science behind the voice.
September 3, 2019
““The beautiful thing about a singer is that you contain this history of where you came from and the current moment, and you become this embodiment of colliding worlds. So that’s what I want to see. Then I want to put all of those people together and let them hear each other’s music, and be inspired.””
Resonant Bodies founder Lucy Dhegrae sat down with NewMusicBox to talk about the 2019 festival, the physicality of singing, and her journey to becoming the fierce advocate and curator she is today. The result is “The Art and Science behind The Voice,” a fascinating video and digital feature.
Noted as “equal measures intelligent, playful, ambitious and moving” by The New York Times, Resonant Bodies is a festival of contemporary vocal music that presents "today's most talented singers" (Feast of Music) performing repertoire of their own choosing. This year's festival features performers ranging from Metropolitan Opera star Stephanie Blythe to composer-performer Erin Gee.
The Cover Star of Classical Music Magazine's September Issue Is...
“I’m interested in building relationships with those houses, like San Francisco, who are doing really good work, but also trying to be inclusive in terms of who they hire as well as who they market to. That is a direction opera needs to go in to stay relevant and viable.” From witches and Wagner to women championing body positivity, this star mezzo-soprano talks all things opera with Classical Music Magazine.
September 1, 2019
“‘A witch is inherently the story of a woman going against what society deems worthy, beautiful, and powerful.””
Classical Music Magazine proclaims, “this is The Season of Jamie Barton.” In conversation with Lisa Houston, Barton opened up about her whirlwind schedule, getting her start as a young singer, the process of managing her career trajectory, and how she would love to sing Carmen.
“‘I feel strongly about Carmen,’ she says, ‘because I think I understand the character and the conflict. Carmen and all her associates are creative, liberal, colourful. They would be a Seattle, Washington, group of friends. While Don Jose is conservative, very Atlanta, Georgia,’ she says, laughing. ‘So they are oil and water. There is a stock character that people go to, which makes sense in a lot of ways, but for me the character is not dependent upon a size and look. I think a body-positive Carmen is right up the alley of what people should be thinking of and it’s something I’d love to be a part of.’”
COT Music Director Pens Series on Responsibilities of Artistic Leaders in the 21st Century
“Those who embark on this path can foster creativity and collaboration, open doors that may otherwise remain closed, increase the number of voices represented, and ultimately move classical music toward a more viable future.” Lidiya Yankovskaya has penned a wide-ranging series on the evolving responsibilities of musical leaders.
August 28, 2019
““As mobilizers and catalysts for change, conductors from diverse backgrounds—spanning cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, and gender boundaries—can have an opportunity to make an impact on our field, even when initially halted by gate-keeping institutions. Those who embark on this path can foster creativity and collaboration, open doors that may otherwise remain closed, increase the number of voices represented, and ultimately move classical music toward a more viable future.””
Lidiya Yankovskaya, Music Director of Chicago Opera Theater, shared her thought leadership in an articulate four-part series for NewMusicBox. Speaking from her diverse experiences as a conductor, activist, and ensemble-leader, Yankovskaya covers everything from the roles of artists as activists, expanding the American canon, and working to create a plurality of voices in classical music.
Photo by Kathy Wittman
Soprano Brenda Rae Joins Verismo Roster
"Virtuosic and sensual, capable of both power and nuance.” Verismo is proud to represent coloratura sensation Brenda Rae, who makes high-profile debuts at Teatro Real Madrid, Salzburg Festival, and the Metropolitan Opera this season.
August 21, 2019
““Her ecstatic desires are expressed in streams of twittering, coloratura runs. Ms. Rae brought plush radiance and brilliant, agile singing to the showpiece.””
Verismo Communications welcomes American soprano Brenda Rae to the roster. Praised by Opera magazine as “virtuosic and sensual, capable of both power and nuance,” Rae is a regular guest at the world’s leading opera houses in a portfolio of demanding principal roles. This season she makes several high-profile debuts, including her first appearances as Adina in Daminao Michieletto’s production of L’elisir d’amore at Teatro Real Madrid, her Salzburg Festival debut as Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte, and her much-anticipated Metropolitan Opera debut as Poppea in a new David McVicar production of Agrippina, to be simulcast in cinemas worldwide via Met Live in HD.
Elsewhere this season, Rae returns to Wiener Staatsoper to reprise the title role in Laurent Pelly’s production of Lucia di Lammermoor, for which the Washington Post praised her as “incandescent, creating a three-dimensional character whose fluid coloratura mirrored the passionate meanderings of her mind.” She also returns to Bayerische Staatsoper as Aminta in Barrie Kosky’s production of Die schweigsame Frau and Opera Philadelphia as the featured artist in their Festival O19 Celebration.
Future projects include her Royal Opera House Covent Garden debut as well as appearances in New York, Madrid, Vienna, Munich, Chicago, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, and Philadelphia.
Photo by Dario Acosta
Lidiya Yankovskaya and Refugee Orchestra Featured by CNN
“The Refugee Orchestra Project brings together musicians from all over the world and provides a space for refugees and immigrants to share their experiences through music.” Lidiya Yankovskaya’s work with her Refugee Orchestra project is the subject of a new CNN feature.
August 16, 2019
““All of us who are on that stage come to the experience with our own feelings and our emotions about what fleeing and seeking for home means to us.” ”
Conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya and her work as the Artistic Director of the Refugee Orchestra Project are spotlighted in a new CNN video feature. Filmed at Brooklyn’s National Sawdust, the segment focuses on Yankovskaya’s drive to build community and uplift immigrant voices.
San Francisco Chronicle Hails Jamie Barton's Work Speaking Out for Women
“Jamie Barton has an obvious affinity for strong, confident and outspoken women — both on and off the operatic stage. Perhaps that’s because, well, she’s one herself.” The American mezzo talks with Joshua Kosman about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Carmen, and other fierce feminist role models.
July 29, 2019
““Jamie Barton has an obvious affinity for strong, confident and outspoken women — both on and off the operatic stage. Perhaps that’s because, well, she’s one herself.””
The “extravagantly gifted American mezzo-soprano” Jamie Barton spoke with Chronicle critic Joshua Kosman in a wide-ranging interview addressing all things fierce and feminist.
“I wouldn’t mind finding a little more balance between life and career. I have what I call the rule of three when I’m looking at gigs, and an offer has to satisfy at least two of these three or it’s off the list. It has to be a location I want to go to, Carnegie Hall or San Francisco or something like that. It has to be a project that I am really interested in. Or it has to pay all of the money.”
In the meantime, Barton has her eye on some dream projects. She still hopes to get mandolinist and composer Chris Thile to write some music for her, and to accompany her in a program that also includes the lute songs of the Renaissance Englishman John Dowland.
And she wants to sing Carmen.
“I’d like to do something that celebrates people of all different shapes, sizes, colors — and I think that is who Carmen and her people are. Whereas Don José is leading a very conservative, very Birmingham, Ala., kind of existence. Now, I come from that world. I understand it. But also I am of the more colorful liberal world now, so I’ve got a specific understanding of who that character is — and quite honestly I think I could sing the snot out of it.”
Chicago Opera Theater Joins Verismo Roster
Led by millennial women, Chicago Opera Theater is emerging from the recent leadership transition as a company laser-focused on living its values.
July 26, 2019
Chicago Opera Theater brings a demonstrated commitment to equity, a multi-pronged approach to nurturing new works and creators, and a boldly millennial voice to the industry. Verismo Communications is proud to be representing COT for a full season of Chicago premieres, including a double bill of Everest / Aleko, the world premiere of Dan Shore’s Freedom Ride, and Nathan Gunn’s role debut in David T. Little’s Soldier Songs.
Company Overview
Led by millennial women, Chicago Opera Theater is emerging from the recent leadership transition as a company laser-focused on living its values:
• expanding the tradition of opera as a living art form
• producing high-quality works that are new to Chicago audiences
• identifying top-tier casts and creative talent at the beginning of grand operatic careers
• leading the industry in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility initiatives
Since its founding in 1973, COT has staged over 125 operas, including 66 Chicago premieres and 36 operas by American composers. COT is led by Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson General Director Ashley Magnus and Orli and Bill Staley Music Director Lidiya Yankovskaya, who is the only woman to hold the title of music director at a multimillion-dollar opera company in the United States.
In addition to its mainstage season, COT is devoted to the development and production of new opera in the United States through its three-pronged Vanguard Initiative, launched in 2018. The Vanguard Initiative mentors emerging opera composers, invests time and talent in new opera at various stages of the creative process, and presents the Living Opera Series to showcase new and developing work.
Committed to leading the charge to increase representation onstage and behind the scenes. In the coming season, 47% of artists (singers/conductors/directors) are ALAANA; 20% of staff are people of color; 27% of staff identify as LGBTQIA; 37% of board members are female-identified.