San Diego Opera Podcast

This is soprano Ellie Dehn's third appearance with our company, now making her role debut as Alice Ford in Verdi's Falstaff. In this interview with Nicolas Reveles she spends a little time talking about her career, as well as the role and the current rehearsal process. After Mimi and Donna Anna this is a role with rather different challenges! Enjoy. 

Baritone Roberto de Candia is making his West Coast debut with the role of Falstaff in our production of the Verdi opera opening on February 18th. This is one of his favorite roles and has the distinction of having coached it with Sesto Bruscantini, one of the great basso buffos of his generation. Roberto has much to say about this wonderful role and the fun he's having rehearsing the opera with this cast. Listen in!

Paris-born stage director Olivier Tambosi is directing his own production of Verdi's Falstaff, a production which originated with Chicago Lyric Opera. In this fascinating interview he gives us his understanding of the essence of this opera, which is a celebration of life and laughter (from the pen of an 80-year-old composer!) Enjoy!

This isn't your grandma's Carmen! This is a version of the Bizet opera devised by eminent director Peter Brook back in the '80s in an attempt to focus intensely on the story and the important relationships in it. More based on the Prosper Merimee novella upon which the Bizet is based, The Tragedy of Carmen brings us much closer to the characters, especially the elemental power of the main character, while still using the great tunes and musical moments that we all know and love. In this conversation with Nic Reveles, stage director Alexander Gedeon gives us a preview of his take on this fascinating piece, complete with sneak peaks at video sequences by Yuki Izumihara and renderings of the costumes that will be used in our production by costume designer Adam Alonso. Enjoy!

Making her debut with San Diego Opera as Cinderella in La cenerentola is mezzo soprano Lauren McNeese. This is her fifth production of the opera and she tells in this revealing interview how she learns something new every time she approaches the role. Enjoy!

Australian native Lindy Hume, Artistic Director of Opera Queensland, is making her San Diego Opera debut as the stage director for La cenerentola. Her delightful production of this Rossini opera has played in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and is now here. We talk about the genesis of the production and why its design is tied to mid-19th century London, a look and feel that seems to match the story perfectly. Enjoy!

It's hard to believe that in her long and distinguished careermezzo-soprano Frederica Von Stade is only just now making her debutat San Diego Opera in Great Scott. But we'remaking up for lost time by sitting down with her to talk about herrole in the opera (Winnie Flato, the founder and director of thefictional America Opera company), a couple of her outstandingrecordings, opera in the U.S. today and a special word ofencouragement for young singers. Enjoy!!

Conductor Joseph Mechavich is back this season after having

American countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo plays the role of

Soprano Joyce El Khoury plays the role of Tatiana Bakst in the