This Artistic Life

J'Nai Bridges sits down for an informal discussion after her first day working at the Met on Akhnaten. We talk modern singer life, the legacy of Jessye Norman, and long-needed changes in the opera industry.

A bit more casual than the usual episode, J'Nai and Daniel hang out outside the Met for a real chat about where she's been, how she got here, and where we're all going.

Special Guest: J'Nai Bridges.

Making her Metropolitan Opera conducting debut this season, Karen Kamensek sits down to discuss her road to conducting, her collaboration with Philip Glass, and a largely European career. She shares her insights on Glass' music as well as a fresh perspective on life on the podium.

For more info, visit her at www.karenkamensek.com

Special Guest: Karen Kamensek, Conductor.

At the Met this season for Porgy and Bess as Sportin' Life, Frederick Ballentine talks about playing the villain, on-stage community, and his advice for young singers.

Special Guest: Frederick Ballentine.

Sidney discusses the life of a modern singer, the joys of teaching, and his journey from seeing his first opera to a life on stage. Recorded March, 2019.

Special Guest: Sidney Outlaw.

Kicking off Season 2 of the OperaBiz podcast: PR guru Andrew Ousley joins the conversation for an informative talk about the state of social media for singers, what a PR firm actually does in classical music, and where he thinks this corner of the industry is going.

From analytics to trends to what gets you noticed, Andrew has some great insight for singers at any level of their profession.

Special Guest: Andrew Ousley.

From MT to opera, off to Broadway and TV, and now back on the opera stage again, Zachary James brings a unique and fresh perspective on the opera industry.

Special Guest: Zachary James.

Susanna Phillips, soprano, known to most MetOpera fans as Musetta in La Bohème (11 consecutive seasons). We talk about the process of preparing a role, favorite roles, and when it's time to retire a role and move on to others.

Special Guest: Susanna Phillips.

Peter Szep comes on to talk about what's happening in the NYC opera scene, chat about new works and premiers during NY OperaFest 2019, and the great collaboration of opera.

Special Guest: Peter Szep.

Lila Palmer, librettist, comes on to discuss the side of the industry many people take for granted: the text. From creating new works, to collaborative efforts, to crafting a story, Lila brings a unique perspective to the world of opera.

Special Guest: Lila Palmer.

Conductor Timothy Myers (Santa Fe, HGO, Washington National Opera, MNOp, et al.) sits down to discuss working on world premiers, the collaborative effort of opera, and taking the road less traveled to a career. Recorded at Minnesota Opera, one day before the world premier of The Fix.

Special Guest: Timothy Myers.