It seems I’ve grown up with Mozart at the Filene Center. My first professional opera gig was as a pianist intern assigned to the Wolf Trap Opera Company’s 1985 production of The Magic Flute. Dawn Upshaw sang Pamina, Richard Croft was Tamino, and guest artist Jerome Hines towered over everyone as Sarastro. My travels with
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Problems Time Has Solved
My InBox. Not my email InBox, which I reduce to almost zero on a regular basis. (It’s a sickness.) Rather, it’s my desk InBox to which I’m applying that most-wonderful-of-strategies: Problems Time Will Solve. Everyone in my office knows not to put important mail in my real InBox during the summer. If I’m really meant
Read MoreVive Ouf!
I’ve been told by several colleagues associated with our production of L’Étoile (opening tomorrow!) that I’ve neglected this most-enjoyable-of-operas in the blog. It seemed inconceivable, for most of my days lately have been consumed by all things L’Étoile. But it’s true. Completely unintentional but true. How to summarize a month’s worth of Chabrier’s sassy and
Read MoreStars and Sillies
Thinking a lot about star power and large personalities. Three days’ worth in this weekend’s National Symphony Orchestra concerts: Lang Lang, James Galway, Marvin Hamlisch. I worked the Lang Lang concert. It’s always fascinating to see a pianist who’s completely at home at the keyboard. There are pianists who conquer the instrument, who dominate it
Read MoreOnce Upon a Time in Germany
Even though there were other important things happening today (a “Dressing for Operatic Success” seminar with costume guru Marsha Leboeuf, an all-too-entertaining L’Etoile run-through among others), I can’t resist yet another storyboard from opera in the woods. Once again, all created by the several hundred children in the audience. One of whom, obviously, was recently
Read MoreThe Happy Dragon
Today, in the woods….. Once upon a time in a castle, a princess… …and a wizard… …galloped through the forest every day until a dragon… …came along to kidnap the princess. (There was a handsome prince, too.) Gotta Love Instant Opera. (Thanks for playing, Jeremy! You were brilliant!)
Read MoreNotes from the Office Next Door
A Guest Post In Which Many Kind-and-Slightly-Embarrassing Things Are Recounted Having the office next to Kim’s is a trip, in all the best possible ways. During the summer it’s a little like living next door to the Mayor – the personalities that drop in are varied and colorful: Studio artists pop by to borrow a
Read MoreSo Little Time
The days just crowd in on themselves, and the choice of sleeping or blogging is a common one. So there’s much to catch up on. Anti-Master Class Today, three of our singers talked to and worked with some high school singers. It’s gratifying work, and our artists are always more than happy to volunteer. When
Read MoreStill Counting
I’m not so good with blog statistics. Occasionally I look at them, but not so much lately. I have the same uneasy relationship with them as I do with box office numbers. My mental health, such as it is, depends on my doing the best I can at whatever I’m thrown at, but stopping short
Read MoreDefinitely….Not…..Opera
There’s an email that goes out to all Wolf Trap Foundation employees the morning of the weekly Little Lunch Music concert. (So that if you’d like to attend you’ll know what’s coming up, and if you would like to avoid opera at all costs you can plan to be out of the building:) My colleague
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