Celebrating a Year of Opera

Our Favorite Moments of the 2015/16 Season

By Lucy Caplan, Education & Community Engagement Intern

October: We kicked off the Season with our annual Opera Gala.  The evening began with the spectacular Opening Night performance of La Bohème at the Shubert Theatre, with pre-show and post-show parties at the Wang filled with dancing, delicious desserts, and champagne.

Photo: Pierce Harman for Boston Lyric Opera

October: We welcomed the talented singers of the children’s chorus Voices Boston for our production of La Bohème. 12 young artists, led by director Kirsten Shetler, joined us for the production.

Photo: T. Charles Erickson for Boston Lyric Opera

 October: We had the privilege of hearing directly from composer Philip Glass at the MFA’s Shapiro Celebrity Lecture Series. BLO cast members kicked off the event with performances of scenes from In the Penal Colony, and a conversation between Mr. Glass and WGBH’s Jared Bowen was filled with fascinating insights about the composer’s illustrious career.

Photo: Eric Antoniou for Boston Lyric Opera

November: We launched our  Opera Annex production of In The Penal Colony at the Boston Center for the Arts. At the post-show talkback, the audience heard insights from our artistic production team about how we mounted an opera in the Cyclorama.

Photo: T. Charles Erickson for Boston Lyric Opera

December: Sparkling melodies rang out through the galleries of the MFA at Brindisi! Italian and French Drinking Songs. After a performance by BLO artists, attendees enjoyed food and drink inspired by the music, a lively discussion, and – last but not least – a singalong!

Photo: Boston Lyric Opera

January: Students in Boston and beyond had the chance to learn about opera when BLO’s Emerging Artists visited their schools. More than 700 students at 11 different schools had  the opportunity to enjoy live performances by professionally trained singers .

Photo: Boston Lyric Opera

February: The highlight of Opera Night at the Boston Public Library was a delightful surprise: the great-niece of Sibyl Sanderson (Massenet’s favorite soprano), who lives in Boston, brought along a copy of The Sorrows of Young Werther inscribed by Massenet himself! Hosted by BLO Music Director and Conductor David Angus, the event also explored Werther through a mixture of commentary and live performances by members of the cast.

Photo: Eric Antoniou for Boston Lyric Opera

March: We invited you to “Add Your Love” to BLO’s production of Werther by submitting a love letter. 

Photo: T. Charles Erickson for Boston Lyric Opera

April: We were honored to host Alexander Lehar, grand-nephew of composer Franz Lehár, who attended opening night of The Merry Widow. Mr. Lehar is pictured here with conductor Alexander Joel (the half-brother of Billy Joel!) and BLO General & Artistic Director Esther Nelson.

Photo: Pierce Harman

May: BLO former and current Emerging Artists serenaded shoppers and diners with opera classics all about food and drink at an Opera Pop-Up concert at the Boston Public Market, part of ArtWeek Boston. Watch a video of their performance here!

Photo: Boston Lyric Opera

June: Students presented world premieres of their classroom operas at schools all over greater Boston. Over 350 students participated in the Create Your Own Opera Partnership program this year, working intensively with BLO Resident Teaching Artists and classroom teachers to write and perform their own original operas.

Photo: Boston Lyric Opera

 

Thank you for sharing our 2015/16 Season with us, and we hope you'll join us for our 2016/17 40th Season! Purchase online or call our Audience Services team at 617.542.6772.

BLO Emerging Artists: Summer Plans!

This week, we caught up with several of BLO's 2014/15 Emerging Artists to find out where their operatic pursuits were taking them this summer. These talented artists will be spread far and wide, across the country and even beyond, performing in some of the world's most distinguished opera houses and festivals. Perhaps an opera road trip is in order!

Heather Gallagher

For those staying close to home, Heather Gallagher, mezzo-soprano, will be showcasing her vocal and dramatic talents to the greater Boston community through two upcoming performances!

First up, she appears in Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti, as part of MetroWest Opera's double-bill, Shattered Dreams, from May 28-31 at All Saints Parish in Brookline (also featuring Michelle Trainor, Emerging Artist alumna). Then, in July, Heather will present a recital with pianist James Myers at Old South Church. Toi, toi, toi, Heather!

Chelsea Basler

Soprano Chelsea Basler, who stole hearts and wowed critics in all four operas at BLO this season, will travel to the picturesque and famed Santa Fe Opera. 

As a member of its Young Artist Program, Chelsea has a busy summer planned. She will cover the role of Arminda in La Finta Giardiniera, sing in the chorus of The Daughter of the Regiment, and create the role of Sara in the world premiere of Cold Mountain, composed by Pulitzer Prize-winner Jennifer Higdon. Before you head west for the premiere, don't forget to add the  bestselling novel to your summer reading list!

Brad Raymond

Brad Raymond, tenor, is already hard at work as a Young Artist at Glimmerglass Opera Festival in Cooperstown, NY. For three months, Brad will cover mainstage roles, receive musical coaching, attend classes in diction and acting, and participate in master classes with some of opera's leading artists. 

The Glimmerglass season includes The Magic Flute, Macbeth, Candide, Cato in Utica, concerts, and more.  Plus, you can stop by the Baseball Hall of Fame when you visit! 

Rachel Hauge

And last but not least, we have a world traveler: Rachel Hauge, mezzo-soprano, will be spending the summer in Germany! Rachel will perform several roles at Deutsche Oper Berlin, including Linetta in L'Amour des Trois Oranges, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, and Flora Bervoix in La Traviata, and will also perform the role of 2nd Twin/Boy/Tapestry in the world premiere of The Canterville Ghost at Oper Leipzig.

Viel Glück, Rachel!

The Best Singer in the World...

The first in a series of posts from BLO Emerging Artist Michelle Trainor who sings the role of Bombalina in John Musto's The Inspector this month.

So, rehearsals for The Inspector have begun. After all of my hard work preparing I was really anxious to meet the cast and just dive in. I’ve been working with a coach and feel quite confident about my role. I will have to adjust to the commute to the city again. Driving to the station at rush hour is not so much fun and I really dread sitting on the train because, as a singer, I am constantly thinking I’ll catch a cold every time I hear a sneeze or cough. But, due to the astronomical prices of parking in the city, the train is my most economic choice. It has been wonderful to have time lately to coach, take lessons, teach and go grocery shopping. I will now have to adjust and find a schedule that works around the staging rehearsals so that I still have time to spend some quality moments with my husband, Scott and our beautiful cat, Sut.

Our first musical rehearsal went well. There was some unexpected free time given to us in our schedule, and this is when living outside of the city can become bothersome. Sometimes you might have a three or four hour break in your day, I live too far away to go home and come back, so what do you do with yourself? Well, in a foreign city, I would go to a museum, go shopping, go back to the hotel and take a bath. But, I have already done all of that in Boston. So I walked down to the yarn store that is very close to our rehearsal space to kill some time and look around.  I love to knit or crochet during rehearsals while I am waiting for my scenes. My grandmother taught me how work magic with yarn, we were extremely close. It had been many years since she had been able to hear me perform, but every Sunday I would visit her and tell her about the music I was learning, show her pictures, and show off the new crochet project I was working on. She especially loved seeing pictures of me in costume. She would laugh so hard at the wigs, or when I would tell her about how fast some of my costume changes were.

We lost my grandmother last fall, and I inherited her knitting needles. I am finding great comfort in holding my needles and yarn… Periods of uncertainty happen to every singer even though they might not admit it to others. Things like, will the cast members like me, does the conductor think I’m a good musician, am I doing what the director wants…am I doing my job well…It's at times like these that I just grab my knitting, with my grandmother’s well-worn needles, and think of her telling me that I am the best singer in the world…

Michelle Trainor with her grandmother.

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Check back soon for more musings from Michelle, and see her in The Inspector, April 20-29 at the Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre. 

THE INSPECTOR Has Arrived!

From BLO’s rehearsal hall to the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) to the Boston Public Library (BPL), Boston is buzzing with excitement for The Inspector! Sunday afternoon found composer John Musto in conversation with Music Director David Angus at the MFA for BLO’s Signature Series, rehearsals began bright and early Monday morning, and Tuesday evening Stage Director Leon Major joined David Angus at the BPL to talk about this exciting new adaptation of the Wolf Trap premiere production.  

Below, see a video from Sunday’s Signature Series featuring Emerging Artists Meredith Hansen and Neal Ferreira, along with photos taken in the rehearsal hall by Emerging Artist Julius Ahn during the cast’s first days working together. All three will perform in The Inspector; Meredith Hansen and Neal Ferreira as the young lovers Beatrice and Tancredi, and Julius Ahn as Padre Ruffiano.

Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes glimpses at The Inspector, onstage at the Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre April 20 – 29, 2012. 

 Bass-baritone Jake Gardner (The Mayor)

Mezzo-soprano Dorothy Byrne (Malacorpa) 

Music Director and The Inspector Conductor David Angus 

Mezzo-soprano Dorothy Byrne (Malacorpa) 

The Inspector Composer John Musto

Bass-baritone Jake Gardner (The Mayor)

Tis the season!

Please join BLO and your fellow Bostonians this Thursday (12/1) at the 70th Annual Boston Common Tree Lighting when two of our 2011/2012 Emerging Artists Michelle Trainor and David Cushing will sing a few holiday selections to warm the crowd!
The event is scheduled from 6 to 8pm, with Michelle and David singing around 6:15pm.
For more information, visit the full event listing. 
Happy Holidays!