The American song-writing tour de force that is Richard Rodgers, Mary Rodgers and Adam Guettel was brought to life at The Barns yesterday and today. As always happens when Steve Blier works with our singers, the house overflowed with lyricism, wit, energy, storytelling and the occasional tear. Song lyrics may be found here!
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Day 76: Baritone Joo Won Kang in the Artist Spotlight
During the 2015 season, the blog will feature interviews with our Filene Young Artists. Today, we hear from baritone Joo Won Kang, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly. Which experience(s) most influenced your decision to become a professional singer? What’s the earliest point in your life that you can identify in pointing you in this direction? It was quite
Read MoreDay 75: Bass Evan Boyer in the Artist Spotlight
During the 2015 season, the blog will feature interviews with our Filene Young Artists. Today, we hear from bass Evan Boyer. Evan’s big role of the summer was Ramfis in Verdi’s Aida in Concert, and we are enjoying luxury casting in Butterfly as he takes the role of the Bonze! Which experience(s) most influenced your decision to become a professional singer? What’s
Read MoreDay 74: Music and Art
Tonight, another inspiring evening of song and visual art at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., the second of this summer’s Vocal Colors concerts. Soprano Amy Owens, baritone Morgan Pearse, and pianist Emily Senturia offered up 11 songs chosen to pair with artwork in the museum’s collection: “Let Beauty Awake” (Vaughan Williams/Stevenson) Red Sun (Miró) “Les filles
Read MoreDay 73: Mezzo-soprano J’nai Bridges in the Artist Spotlight
During the 2015 season, the blog will feature interviews with our Filene Young Artists. Today, we hear from mezzo-soprano J’nai Bridges, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly. Which experience(s) most influenced your decision to become a professional singer? What’s the earliest point in your life that you can identify in pointing you in this direction? A very long story short,
Read MoreDay 72: Pianist Edward Kim in the Artist Spotlight
The job of a Collaborative Pianist in the opera biz is a fascinating one. Today, we feature an interview with Edward Kim, one of our two 2015 Coaching Fellows! People are often confused about exactly what a “vocal coach” is. How would you describe what you do? This question is perhaps better answered in terms
Read MoreDay 71: Pianist Peter Walsh in the Artist Spotlight
The job of a Collaborative Pianist in the opera biz is a fascinating one. Today, we feature an interview with Peter Walsh, one of our two 2015 Coaching Fellows! When did you begin playing the piano, and how did you transition into collaborative piano? I began playing the piano when I was 5 years old. Although I
Read MoreDay 69: Soprano D’Ana Lombard in the Artist Spotlight
Today, a look back at The Ghosts of Versailles, as the spotlight shines on soprano D’Ana Lombard, our Rosina! Which experience(s) most influenced your decision to become a professional singer? What’s the earliest point in your life that you can identify in pointing you in this direction? I tell this story a lot but it’s really
Read MoreDay 68: The Feelings Are Bigger
This video below is making the rounds within the WTO family, and it has already resonated strongly with our opera network across the country. Bless him, our young friend Iain manages to capture so many things that we opera lovers wish we could communicate more clearly to the “outside” world. Things about the essence and
Read MoreDay 65: Aida at The Barns
Tonight, the Aida cast is working through the score with Maestro Daniele Callegari, aided in superb fashion by Justina Lee at the piano. (Seriously. Brava.) The voices permeate the timbers of the English Barn, and a good amount of Verdi is seeping out into the parking lot! What an enormously exciting concert this will be. You really have to
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