Savannah Voice Festival interview on Instagram

 Here's a link to an Instagram interview for Savannah Voice Festival about composing for voice. It was conducted by Jorge Parodi, SVF's artistic director, with me and fellow composer and Iowan, Jodi Goble. It's part of the Voices of the Festival interview series.

Buoso in Miami

It's thrilling to be in Miami to work on GIANNI SCHICCHI and BUOSO'S GHOST. Here's a promo shot of the cast. Photo by Eric Joannes.

 

BUOSO'S GHOST at Florida Grand Opera

Very excited to be going to Florida Grand Opera in January 2023 for GIANNI SCHICCHI and BUOSO'S GHOST. My first job was there back in the '80s. It was called Greater Miami Opera Association back then. I'll have more to say about it once I'm there. 

 

Dinner 4 3 in Singapore

Thanks to L'arietta Productions for doing DINNER 4 3 last month in Singapore. It was the first live production. DINNER 4 3 was first produced by Fargo Moorhead Opera as part of the Decameron Opera Coalition's first year project, TALES AT A SAFE DISTANCE. You can still see it online. D 4 3 was co-written with Deborah Brevoort.

Thanks to Reuben Lai at L'arietta for giving it a go! 

 

Another working photo from Bill Byrd

I don't have a lot of working photos. My friend (and longtime Amarillo Opera host) Bill Byrd is a talented photographer and I'm fortunate in being able to convince him to come to dress rehearsals to take photos. He took this at last fall's BARBER OF SEVILLE dress rehearsal and then toned down the keyboard I was using for recitatives which was all covered in brightly colored post-it notes. Thanks Bill! 

 

 

Chorus Rehearsal mp3s of Act II of LA BOHEME

 This post is strictly for folks in the business, so if you are looking to see what's up in my life, pass on by! 

For the upcoming 2023 production of LA BOHEME at Fargo Moorhead Opera, I have made rehearsal mp3s for the chorus. They are available for anyone to use at my soundcloud site. They don't include 100% of the chorus bits, but all of the major ones. Once you get to the soundcloud site, you'll want to hit the playlist tabs. There are usually six mp3s in each set--children, soprano, alto, tenor, bass, and tutti.

Of particular interest will be decisions I made at the beginning of the act and the end of it. The original has all sorts of sub groups of singers, with a large chorus creating the hustle and bustle of Paris at Christmastime. Most regional opera companies will do this same act with, maybe 30 choristers, and dividing the half dozen baritones and basses, for example, really will just thin them out too much. So the idea has always been to have folks sing as much as possible, call and response, antiphony be damned. 

One of the other challenges is the children's chorus. Traditionally, some of the female singers are assigned to double them. This has been worked into what's been done here so it can be learned in advance and with assurance. 

So if you are interested and in need, feel free to use these files at the soundcloud site AND download the pdf files for the opening and closing of the act.

Opening of Act II pdf 

Closing of Act II pdf

If you end up using these, I'd appreciate an email. 

DINNER 4 3, live

 

DINNER 4 3, my mini opera with librettist Deborah Brevoort, plays in Singapore on December third. It plays with Tony Solitro's SHE'S FABULOUS and Samuel Barber's HAND OF BRIDGE.

Commissioned by Fargo Moorhead opera as part of the Decameron Opera Coalition, DINNER 4 3 premiered online during the pandemic. This will be its first live production, which will be followed by a live version in Fargo later this year. 

Thanks L'arietta productions!

Amarillo

 Just had a great time doing BARBER OF SEVILLE in Amarillo. The cast (pictured: Ashley Dixon, Andrew Brown, Federico de Michelis, Carlos Santelli, and Tim Mix) was terrific--they sang out in rehearsal practically all the time and were such fun onstage. The production, by Fenlon Lamb, was just right for Amarillo--inventive, lighthearted, and very streamlined.  I am envisioning this as my sixth and last BARBER. My conducting is mostly a process of "stealing from the best" and after six productions I think I've learned lots of lessons from it. 
 

An additional bonus is that I got some nice action photos from my longtime host, Bill Byrd. 

BOW(EL) MUSIC

 I just dictated a text message about BOW MUSIC and it wrote down BOWEL MUSIC.

I can be a sh*ty composer, but I would never stoop so low.

Interview and a New Song

 

I recently recorded a zoom interview with mezzo soprano Audrey Johnson for her "Of thee I sing" series. I met Audrey when she sang Berta in a production of BARBER OF SEVILLE I was conducting at Shreveport Opera. The format of the interview concludes with singing a song. The song we selected is a new one, "Pondering Twilight." The song is published in Northstar Music's Modern Music for New Singers series. This lyric might be a little dark for a song meant to be sung by a young singer, but young people ponder their fate and future all the time. Thank you, Audrey!

When I see the coming twilight of my days

I hope I still can change my ways

And still learn something new

Let go of enmity

Forge new friendships

Thank those who helped me before they are gone

Apologize to those I have wronged

I hope that I will still bring something valuable to the table when asked

Not just stuff about the good 'ol days, or how it used to be

And when it's time for me to go,

I'll know it and slip gracefully away,

Ready to embrace what's in store

Even if its... nothing.