Words First: Talking Text in Opera

Keturah speaks with director, creator, and Executive Artistic Director of Loose Tea Music Theatre, Alaina Viau, about her creative work and Loose Tea’s BIPOC Composer Librettist Development Program.

Alaina Viau: https://www.alainaviau.com/
Loose Tea Music Theatre: https://looseteamusictheatre.com/
Highlands Opera Studio: https://www.highlandsoperastudio.com/

Kate Holland and Susan Werbe were co-librettists on Letters That You Will Not Get, composed by Kirsten Volness, and produced by American Opera Projects.  In this episode, I speak to them both about their collaboration, and what it was like finding women’s voices from across the continents and weaving them together.

Letters You will Not Get: https://www.aopopera.org/events/2022/letterspremiere

Keturah speaks with General and Artistic director of OnSite Opera, Eric Einhorn, about his relationship to text with site specific work.  They also discuss Rhoda and The Fossil Hunt, which he wrote with John Musto for presentation at the Museum of Natural History.

On Site Opera: https://osopera.org/

Keturah speaks with Matthew Jocelyn, the celebrated director, writer, and theater administrator, who wrote the libretto for Brett Dean’s Hamlet, originating in Glyndebourne in 2017, and currently playing at the Metropolitan Opera.

Keturah interviews playwright and librettist, Deborah Brevoort, about her early political career in Alaska, her switch to theater, and her more recent work writing opera libretti.  They go in depth on three operas: STEAL A PENCIL FOR ME, that had its stage premiere at Opera Colorado, THE KNOCK, that was presented as a film for the Glimmerglass Festival last year, and QUAMINO’S MAP, which is about to get its premiere at Chicago Opera Theater.

Deborah Brevoort: https://www.deborahbrevoort.com/

Keturah interviews director, dramatist, and librettist, Amy Stebbins, about the differences between libretti in the United States and libretti in Europe (particularly new work being written in Germany and Austria).  They discuss the different ways of crafting a piece, why there isn’t a lot of cultural exchange of new works, and what to do about it.  They also talk about some of Amy’s recent libretti, including a work in progress, entitled The People Out There.

Amy Stebbins: https://amystebbins.net/

Keturah interviews playwright and librettist, Catherine Filloux about her many works tackling social justice issues, as well as her work with Olga Neuwirth on the new opera, Orlando.

Catherine Filloux: https://www.catherinefilloux.com/
Orlando: https://www.ricordi.com/en-US/News/2021/12/Neuwirth-Grawemeyer.aspx

Keturah speaks with singer and librettist, Jennifer Cresswell, and conductor and librettist, Kathleen Kelly about the creation of their new work with Kamala Sankaram, Interstate.  They co-wrote them libretto and performed in the filmed work about a women who writes her former friend after she’s been sent to prison.

Interstate: https://mnopera.org/season/2021-2022/interstate/
Jennifer Cresswell: https://mnopera.org/biography/jennifer-cresswell/
Kathleen Kelly: http://www.kathleenkellymusic.com/

Keturah speaks with British Swiss director, translator, and librettist, Max Hoehn, about the development of his new opera laboratory: Opera21, and the state of new opera in Europe.

Max Hoehn: https://www.maxhoehn.com/
Opera21: https://www.opera-21.org/about/

Keturah speaks with librettist, playwright, and director, Marella Martin Koch, who recently won the inaugural West Edge Opera Aperture commission, alongside her writing partner, composer Nicolas Lell Benavides.  Their work, DOLORES, about worker’s rights fighter, Dolores Huerta, will hopefully have its debut at West Edge in 2023.  They discuss the genesis and creation of this opera, as well as her time at the American Opera Initiative at the Kennedy Center, and her deep dive into Jane Austen’s SENSE & SENSIBILITY with composer, Aferdian.

Marella Martin Koch: https://www.marellamartinkoch.com/about
Nicolas Lell Benavides: https://nicolasbenavides.com/
AOI at WNO: https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/opportunities-for-artists/competitions-and-commissions/american-opera-initiative/
Aferdian: https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/The-Rally-Cat-Presents-The-Music-Of-Aferdian-Stephens-20180614
West Edge Opera’s Aperture program: https://www.aperture.westedgeopera.org/