San Diego Opera Podcast

We're always honored and delighted to have the return to San Diego Opera of one of the world's greatest singers, bass Ferruccio Furlanetto. This season he sings, for the first time in the U.S., the role of Archbishop Thomas Becket in Ildebrando Pizzetti's Murder in the Cathedral, a role that he thinks compares to the other great roles for bass: Boris, Philip in Don Carlo, Don Quixote. In this wide-ranging conversation with Nicolas Reveles, Geisel Director of Education and Outreach, he talks about this neglected opera and the challenges of the role.

Conducting for San Diego Opera for the first time is Maestro Donato Renzetti, the wonderful Italian conductor who led the La Scala forces for a revival of Pizzetti's Murder in the Cathedral with Ferruccio Furlanetto a couple of years ago. He comes to us, then, with unique experience of the work. As well, as you'll hear in this interview, he studied conducting with Gianandrea Gavazzeni, the original conductor of the La Scala orchestra, chorus and soloists at the premiere of the work in 1958. Enjoy this delightful conversation with a marvelous new friend of San Diego Opera!

Is it a "star turn" or a "dubious distinction" to be cast as the First Chorister in Pizzetti's Murder in the Cathedral? Well, however ungracious the name of the character, the music for her is wonderful and she's in the unique position of having the only full aria in the opera. So according to Susan Neves (an Abigaille, Norma, Turandot and Lady Macbeth with stunning qualifications!), this role is a remarkable opportunity to stake claim to an unusual piece of the operatic repertoire. Watch and listen to her delightful conversation with Education Director Nicolas Reveles.

As we look forward to next week's performances of Cruzar la cara de la luna, the first-ever mariachi opera by Jose 'Pepe' Martinez, it's time to get more familiar with mariachi as a musical form. Just what is mariachi, what are its roots, how has it developed and what has it to do with opera? Professor of Mariachi Studies at Southwestern College, classical and mariachi trumpet player Jeff Nevin has some answers for us and we think you'll find entertaining and interesting. Join Nicolas Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education and Outreach for this wonderful conversation.

The opera Murder in the Cathedral by Ildebrando Pizzetti is unknown to most of our audience members so here's an opportunity to fix that! Geisel Director of Education and Outreach for San Diego Opera interviews General & Artistic Director Ian Campbell about why he chose this unusual work for staging and what he expects to do with it as the stage director of the work which goes up on our stage March 30. There's lots of information here, especially designed for those of you who have questions about this wonderful opera!

Heldentenor Clifton Forbis has been here before: as Samson in our last go 'round with the opera in 2007. But he's as fresh as ever, fun to be with, exciting to watch and hear, and delightful to chat with. Join Director of Education and Outreach Nicolas Reveles in an interview with this international opera star.

Welcome to 'old home week', or alumni day as we're calling it! Anooshah Golesorkhi, baritone, is making his debut with San Diego Opera as the High Priest of Dagon in Samson and Delilah which opens this week. But many local folks remember him as an undergraduate student at USD and graduate student at SDSU. As Dr. Nicolas Reveles, Director of Education and Outreach explains, Anooshah was being trained as a young voice student when Dr. Reveles began teaching at USD, so many memories are shared as well as the excitement of a locally schooled baritone who's making an international career as an opera singer! He also shares how he got his start in the business through a rather roundabout gateway...enjoy! 

In a wide-ranging interview with Nicolas Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education and Outreach for San Diego Opera, our resident conductor Karen Keltner discusses the music of Samson and Delilah, our exciting next production. The Saint-Saens' sensitivity to the Hebrews as well as his touches of exoticism in the score are discussed, as well as the overall spectacular effect of this French 'grand opera'. Enjoy!

The beautiful Bulgarian mezzo-soprano Nadia Krasteva is making her company debut with us in the role of Dalilah in our upcoming production of Samson and Delilah. Nadia has already impressed the company with her good nature, delightful sense of humor and fantastic (and seductive!) voice. Join Nicolas Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education and Outreach for a fun interview with this terrific new artist.

Franco-Canadian conductor Yves Abel is our maestro for the first opera in our 2013 Season, The Daughter of the Regiment. In this free flowing conversation with Nicolas Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education and Outreach for San Diego Opera, he shares his background, information on his studies in New York and his career. This exciting young conductor has wonderful ideas about music, conducting and theatre. Tune in!