San Diego Opera Podcast

Juan Carlos Acosta has a long-standing relationship with San Diego Opera, as a student at our Student Dress Rehearsals, as a subscriber, as a member of the San Diego Opera Chorus and now as conductor of our upcoming production: All Is Calm. In this interview he talks about the challenges of keeping a 16-member all-male chorus on track (and on pitch!) without the presence of an orchestra or some kind of instrumental accompaniment. This unique opera has got Juan Carlos and our Dr. Nic very excited about upcoming opening on December 7. Enjoy!

In this fascinating interview, Maestro John Nelson shares his thoughts about Mozart, the brilliant young cast of The Marriage of Figaro, Stephen Lawless' flawless production (which, according to Nelson is the most musically effective production of an opera that he's ever seen), and spirituality as communicated in the famous 'perdono' scene at the end. (No spoilers here!) Enjoy!

Mezzo-soprano Emily Fons is back with us in the trouser role of Cherubino for The Marriage of Figaro. She was last with us as Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni, and her contribution to that show was simply fantastic! In this interview with Dr. Nic she talks about the nature of trouser roles (for those of us who don't know what that is or who need a 'brush up'!), about the character of Cherubino and about her experience with playing this fun part. This is an absolutely delightful interview, so tune in and enjoy!

Sopranos Sarah Shafer and Caitlin Lynch sing the roles of Susanna and the Countess Almaviva, respectively, in our production of The Marriage of Figaro. Ms. Lynch catches up on Rosina a few years into her role as the wife of Count Almaviva and Ms. Shafer lets us in a bit on the back story of Susanna, the Count's current target for seduction. The plot thickens in this conversation with two wonderful debut artists in this Mozart classic. Enjoy!

Bass-baritone Evan Hughes and baritone John Moore play Figaro and Count Almaviva, respectively, in our upcoming production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. In this wonderful conversation with Nic Reveles they talk about their careers, their roles and the contributions of the author of the plays that this opera (and Rossini's The Barber of Seville) are based on: Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. These singers also find a lot in this opera for us to think about in terms of current affairs. Enjoy! 

Bizet's opera Carmen is right up there with La boheme and Aida in terms of popularity, and so it returns to SDO with a new production for us, and a brilliant new cast of young singers. In this interview with General Director David Bennett, he talks about the return of opera's favorite femme fatale! 

Jake Heggie's connection with Frederica Von Stade is well known, and this was the first complete operatic role that he created for her. We are honored that Ms. Von Stade will be with us again, along with this challenging work about family...the relationships we have as opposed to the ones we wish we had. Enjoy this conversation with General Director David Bennett!

One of Verdi's greatest creations, Rigoletto graces our stage again after a ten-year absence. The opera was a real experiment for the composer in that it breaks with so many operatic traditions, like giving the main character an aria or two...what Rigoletto gets are monologues, making him a kind of musical Shakespearean character. Enjoy what Mr. Bennett has to say about the singers and the production of this dynamic piece of musical theatre!

All Is Calm, a production originally conceived by Theatre Latte Da in Minneapolis, is a choral opera about a true story: the Christmas Eve cease fire in 1914, when the Allies and German troops in the trenches spent a few hours at peace, singing their favorite carols, sharing stories and even playing a soccer match. In this interview General Director David Bennett talks about the origins of this production from Bodhi Tree Concerts and the involvement of the choral group Sacra Profana. Enjoy! 

In this conversation with David Bennett, General Director of San Diego Opera, you'll hear all about the singers, the director, the conductor and this wonderful new production of Mozart's masterpiece. Figaro is both a drama and a comedy with some of the most beautiful and engaging music ever written for the stage. Enjoy!