Chicago: Where You Can See The Present – And Future – of Opera
Chicago Opera Theater “rides on a new wave, bringing a repertoire that ranges from grand spectacle to electric intimacy.” Now COT’s Vanguard Emerging Opera Composer Residency, which invites accomplished composers into the company for a two-year education in opera-specific skills, has been named the recipient of a $500,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
October 17, 2019
Vanguard Emerging Opera Composer Stacy Garrop
Photo by Darrell Hoemann
CHICAGO, IL – October 16, 2019 – As Chicago magazine recently noted, Chicago Opera Theater “rides on a new wave, bringing a repertoire that ranges from grand spectacle to electric intimacy.” A key component of that innovation is COT’s Vanguard Initiative, an aptly named industry-leading commitment to developing opera as a living art form. The centerpiece of the initiative is the Vanguard Emerging Opera Composer Residency, which invites accomplished composers into the company for a two-year education in opera-specific skills and was today named the recipient of a $500,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
“Composing an opera is among the most challenging of artistic undertakings,” said Lidiya Yankovskaya, COT Staley Music Director and the newly named Artistic Director of the Vanguard Initiative. “In addition to being masters of shaping sound, opera composers must be exceptionally skilled at writing for the voice and adept at dramatic timing and flow. They must also have a clear understanding of the enormous collaborative mechanism essential for work to reach the stage and, crucially, be able to navigate the business side of the industry.”
Despite the daunting breadth and depth of skills required, there is no traditional path for opera composers and no clear training ground. The Vanguard Emerging Opera Composer Residency aims to bridge the gap between general compositional skills taught in university music programs and the real-world observation and experience that help inform an operatic composer’s work. Launched in 2018, the program identifies skilled composers who have not yet had sufficient opportunities for writing opera and provides them with a stipend and a two-year comprehensive course of study.
In addition to a survey of the canonic repertoire and detailed study of voice types, the residency offers access to operatic productions and industry events, insider knowledge of administrative processes, and ample networking opportunities. After observing the scope of the interpretative process by attending creative team meetings and staging rehearsals, the Emerging Composers collaborate with COT Young Artists and an experienced librettist, dramaturg, and director to develop a new full-length opera. Composers also work closely with Vanguard Composer Mentor Jake Heggie, hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “arguably the world’s most popular 21st-century opera and art song composer."
Through the selection and recruitment of composers from underrepresented groups, COT hopes this robust training will empower more diverse composers and bring their voices into the field.
“In order to ensure a future for opera, we must promote stories told by a variety of individuals, who represent the many regions and cultures of the United States, and bring a breadth of musical backgrounds to our field,” said Yankovskaya. “Opera’s strength throughout the form’s history has been in its ability to unite the arts in an effort to tell powerful, moving stories. We can take ownership of ensuring the art form’s continued impact by nurturing a new generation of opera composers who represent all that our country has to offer.”
The first alumna of the program will be second-year composer Stacy Garrop, an accomplished instrumental composer already commissioned by Carnegie Hall, Kronos Quartet, St. Louis Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and Minnesota Orchestra. Though Garrop had also composed extensively for the voice, her lack of immersive experience in the operatic medium made her an ideal candidate for the Vanguard Residency.
“The Vanguard program is a godsend,” said Garrop. “Having two years to write my first opera, and get feedback on it throughout the entire process, has been extremely beneficial for my development. The wide range of activities COT designed for me opened my eyes to see opera from every angle. I can’t imagine entering this world without this kind of training.”
Garrop’s new chamber opera “The Transformation of Jane Doe,” with a libretto by Jerre Dye, will be performed in April at Northwestern University’s Ryan Opera Theater and will feature members of the COT Young Artist Program.
COT’s commitment to building diversity has also placed it at the forefront of the industry offstage. Music Director Lidiya Yankovskaya is the only woman to hold that title in a multimillion-dollar opera company in the United States, and when Ashley Magnus was promoted to General Director in January, COT became a company led by millennial women. The leadership team, supported by COT Board President Susan J. Irion, have brought indomitable energy and keen foresight to strategic planning, fundraising, and artistic programming.
“We are committed to doing our part to ensure the future of our art form,” said General Director Ashley Magnus. “My dream is for Chicago to be at the forefront of new opera – for people to realize that our city is just as rich with art and creativity as the coasts. We believe the Vanguard Initiative can help Chicago become a destination for a new Golden Age of opera in America.”
Chicago Magazine Proclaims: 'Lidiya Yankovskaya Takes Opera into The 21st Century'
“Naysayers accuse opera of resuscitating a permanent past. Here is where you can see the present.” Chicago Opera Theater’s Music Director is the classical highlight in Chicago Magazine’s Culture Issue.
September 17, 2019
““Opera experimentalism has flourished in the past decade among a gaggle of startup companies around the city. Yankovskaya is taking that energy and injecting it into a major company... Naysayers accuse opera of resuscitating a permanent past. Here is where you can see the present.””
Describing Lidiya Yankovskaya, Chicago Magazine notes, “The musical head of Chicago Opera Theater doesn’t look like most bigtime opera conductors.” The fall Culture Issue feature explores Yankovskaya’s notable position as the only female music-director of a multimillion-dollar opera company in the United States who “rides on a new wave, bringing a repertoire that ranges from grand spectacle to electric intimacy.”
Yankovskaya leads Chicago Opera Theatre’s fall double bill of Aleko, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s first opera, and Everest, by contemporary composer Joby Talbot.
The Cover Star of Classical Music Magazine's September Issue Is...
“I’m interested in building relationships with those houses, like San Francisco, who are doing really good work, but also trying to be inclusive in terms of who they hire as well as who they market to. That is a direction opera needs to go in to stay relevant and viable.” From witches and Wagner to women championing body positivity, this star mezzo-soprano talks all things opera with Classical Music Magazine.
September 1, 2019
“‘A witch is inherently the story of a woman going against what society deems worthy, beautiful, and powerful.””
Classical Music Magazine proclaims, “this is The Season of Jamie Barton.” In conversation with Lisa Houston, Barton opened up about her whirlwind schedule, getting her start as a young singer, the process of managing her career trajectory, and how she would love to sing Carmen.
“‘I feel strongly about Carmen,’ she says, ‘because I think I understand the character and the conflict. Carmen and all her associates are creative, liberal, colourful. They would be a Seattle, Washington, group of friends. While Don Jose is conservative, very Atlanta, Georgia,’ she says, laughing. ‘So they are oil and water. There is a stock character that people go to, which makes sense in a lot of ways, but for me the character is not dependent upon a size and look. I think a body-positive Carmen is right up the alley of what people should be thinking of and it’s something I’d love to be a part of.’”
Eun Sun Kim Makes San Francisco Opera Debut of "Astonishing Vibrancy and Assurance"
“Everything from the highly characterized singing to the lush yet keenly honed reading of the score, under Kim’s baton, registers in a vividly visceral, emotionally penetrating way. Nothing feels or sounds gratuitous; just about everything, across three-and-a-half musically and dramatically absorbing hours, seems essential.” Eun Sun Kim’s house debut in San Francisco earns widespread critical acclaim.
June 28, 2019
Photo by Cory Weaver
Korean conductor Eun Sun Kim has earned widespread critical acclaim for her house debut at San Francisco Opera, where she leads a Rusalka cast that includes Rachel Willis-Sorensen, Jamie Barton, Brandon Jovanovich, and Kristinn Sigmundsson.
Read reviews:
“Magnificent musical values on display from top to bottom. Presiding over everything, in a company debut of astonishing vibrancy and assurance, was conductor Eun Sun Kim, who drew glorious playing from the Opera Orchestra and paced every scene freely but precisely.”
San Francisco Chronicle
“In her San Francisco Opera debut, conductor Eun Sun Kim assuredly drew splendid playing from an ensemble that proved its versatility (the instrumentalists spent the prior night playing Baroque). She brought forward the music’s visceral quality laying deep under the folkloric connotations. More, she succeeded to balance Wagnerian-like statements with subtle invocations of Mendelssohnian delicacy.”
Bachtrack
“A detailed and beautifully paced interpretation of the lovely score. Dvorak must have been thinking of Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" for his passionate final duet between the Prince and Rusalka, and he was probably aiming for some Verdian flavor with scenes between the water nymph and her Water Goblin dad (think "Rigoletto") and appearances by the hideous witch Jezibaba ("Il Trovatore"). Regardless of theatrical influences, Eun Sun Kim underscored [Dvorak’s] unmistakable musical sound with sympathetic support from the orchestra.”
Bay Area Reporter
“A gripping company debut, bringing out the Czech pulse and phrasing under a shiny surface of supple orchestral playing. The Korean-born artist maintained impeccable balances with all the singers and kept the score unfolding with a sense of inevitability. She wrangled the big cast into a cohesive, propulsive engine.”
Seen and Heard International
“Kim draws warm incisive playing from the orchestra, adding to the dramatic impact and underpinning the moving final scene…”
Classical Voice
“Lush, accessible, frequently moving. The dependable San Francisco Opera orchestra, conducted by Eun Sun Kim in her company debut, outdoes itself, especially as the opera soars to its demonic climax.”
Theatrius
“Kim made a strong impression with her company debut, leading a performance that was powerful and passionate. She coaxed glorious playing from the Orchestra…an auspicious debut for her, and the audience responded enthusiastically.”
Parterre Box
“Kim’s shimmering, beautifully contoured performance of the Dvorak’s melody-immersed operatic masterpiece, elicited a brilliant response from the San Francisco Opera Orchestra.”
Opera Warhorses
“Kim drove the emotional flow, pulling the vibrant Dvorak colors from the triple winds of the opera orchestra, urging full-throated force from its strings.”
Opera Today
“Musically and vocally, too, it is carried off with highly impressive results. Within Dvořák’s lush orchestration there’s a whiff of Wagner, a sense of Strauss and a touch of Tchaikovsky among his influences and conductor Eun Sun Kim, in her company debut, captures the darkness, the gossamer-like, the bombastic and mystery of the score with elan.”
OperaChaser
“In this capacious and captivating production at the War Memorial Opera House, everything from the highly characterized singing to…the lush yet keenly honed reading of the score, under conductor Eun Sun Kim’s baton in her fine company debut, registers in a vividly visceral, emotionally penetrating way. Nothing feels or sounds gratuitous; just about everything, across three-and-a-half musically and dramatically absorbing hours, seems essential. The music has a cumulative force, culminating in a duet for Rusalka and the Prince of such excruciating tenderness and bone-deep truth that the Liebestod of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde can’t help but come to mind. Everything has amplitude and authority… Rusalka, the last and clearly best of the company’s three summer productions, is a triumph in all ways. This wonderfully wrought work, last seen her 24 years ago, has returned to the San Francisco Opera stage in a stirring, disturbing, exhilarating way, sure to etch itself in the audience’s memory.”
San Francisco Classical Voice
Verismo Founder Speaks at Opera Conference 2019
Beth Stewart joined San Francisco Chronicle critic Joshua Kosman, Opera Philadelphia VP of Marketing & Communications Frank Luzi, and composer Niloufar Nourbakhsh in a panel discussion on the state of media and promotion in 2019.
June 14, 2019
Verismo Communications founder Beth Stewart spoke on the “Media in 2019” panel at the Opera America Conference in San Francisco, California, alongside San Francisco Chronicle critic Joshua Kosman, Opera Philadelphia VP of Marketing & Communications Frank Luzi, and composer Niloufar Nourbakhsh.
Moderated by Boston Lyric Opera’s Jeila Irdmusa, the panel addressed shifts in traditional and digital media coverage in the arts and entertainment market. Panelists shared perspectives on self-promotion, the role of start-up outlets and social influencers, and other DIY media strategies.
The Opera Conference attracts more than 700 attendees, including opera company general directors, staff members, trustees and volunteers, as well as artists and other industry professionals. Each year, Opera America partners with a host opera company in a different city to offer nearly 100 events over five days. The conference offers inspiring general plenary sessions, informative breakout sessions, exciting performances, and abundant networking opportunities.
Russell Thomas 'Imbues Otello with Vocal and Psychological Nuance'
“Otello requires a dramatic tenor with a wide vocal range, the power to cut through heavy orchestration, and the skill to make the long, declamatory passages sing – ideally, a voice that marries Wagnerian stamina and Italianate beauty. Russell Thomas is one of them.” The American tenor’s staged role debut as Otello is met with critical acclaim across North America.
May 5, 2019
Photo by Michael Cooper
American tenor Russell Thomas has made his highly anticipated staged role debut as the title character in Verdi’s Otello, earning critical acclaim across North America.
Thomas stars alongside soprano Tamara Wilson as Desdemona and baritone Gerald Finley as Iago, in a new David Alden production at Canadian Opera Company. Performances run through May 21, with tickets available via COC.
Read reviews:
“A rare black tenor to be cast in the part, Russell Thomas imbues Otello with vocal and psychological nuance. Otello requires a dramatic tenor with a wide vocal range, the power to cut through heavy orchestration, and the skill to make the long, declamatory passages sing — ideally, a voice that marries Wagnerian stamina and Italianate beauty. Russell Thomas is one of them. His assured vocalism and theatrical acuity were central to the success of the Canadian Opera Company’s chilling new production. This was an insightfully psychological portrayal…”
Wall Street Journal
“Thomas brings [Otello] to life on stage in the most compelling and authentic way. While there are many stunning and familiar arias in this magnificent opera, some of the most captivating and interesting moments lie in the duets.”
Mooney on Theatre
“A subtle and exceptionally nuanced performance; his voice explored Otello from a profoundly internal space.”
Plays to See
“Thomas’s performance is carefully thought out, his authority established from his clarion-call opening notes onward, his jealous fury building gradually and inevitably… Make no mistake. It’s in the music that this Otello triumphs.”
Now Toronto
“Never has his tenor sounded so heroic and Italianate nor has his acting shown such intensity as it does in this role.”
Stage Door Review
“Anchored by a mesmerizing performance by Thomas in the title role, the production takes you on a journey of true love, revenge, and morality. Thomas’ performance oozes sophistication and considering the vocal challenges that a production like Otello throws at a performer, Thomas pulls it off with ease as he brings the title character to life with steadfast devotion, strong vocal delivery, and exceptional stage presence. A tour-de-force experience with exceptionally authentic performances by Thomas…”
Aesthetic Magazine
“Inhabiting Otello’s namesake principal, Russell Thomas crafts a tense, tortured Moor… His well constructed, fine-tuned instrument with its shiny array of top notes is more than sufficiently assertive. Thomas electrifies in a moving, superbly proportioned rendition of the composer’s supercharged lament.”
Opera Going Toronto
Verismo Founder & Clients Featured in 'Instagram Moments' Story
“Instagram allows access for everyone, which is really important in a field that has traditionally been elitist. I believe very much that the future of opera is inclusivity, and Instagram provides a platform for that.” Star mezzo Jamie Barton, conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya, and Verismo founder Beth Stewart are all featured in the Spring 2019 issue of Opera America Magazine.
April 15, 2019
Verismo founder Beth Stewart and mezzo Jamie Barton are quoted in Opera America Magazine’s Spring 2019 issue. The “Instagram Moments” story examines the social platform’s dynamic possibilities for classical music, and also features images from the feed of conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya.
Peter Konwitschny Production of La Juive, Starring Corinne Winters, Now Streaming Online
“Nothing could have prepared me for the focused intensity of Winters’ performance as Rachel…” Opera Vlaanderen’s recent run of Halévy’s La Juive is now available to view online via OperaVision.
April 6, 2019
Photo by Annemie Augustijns
The Peter Konwitschny production of Halévy’s La Juive, which recently concluded its run at Opera Vlaanderen starring soprano Corinne Winters, is now available to view via OperaVision until October 5, 2019.
Read reviews:
”Winters made a magnificent role debut as Rachel, the burnished, purple shades of her lower register gorgeous in the romance “Il va venir.” Her confrontation with Léopold, when he confesses that he is not “Samuel”, but a Christian – sizzled with disbelief and scorn across the pit…”
Bachtrack
“Nothing could have prepared me for the focused intensity of Winters’ performance as Rachel, and the remarkable strength and evenness of her middle and lower registers; the way she sang the whole role with a feeling of intensely projected line. This Rachel felt things deeply and conveyed it through the music. Konwitschny asked a lot of his Rachel, she turned suicide bomber in Act Three, but Winters certainly delivered and did so with the music, not despite it.”
Planet Hugill
“The voice of soprano Corinne Winters goes through marrow and bone… [This is] an intimate performance that crawls under the skin and asks questions about the present.”
NRC Handelsblad
“With her grand, dramatic sound, Corinne Winters shows what potential is in her voice, but also in her acting. It is Konwitschny’s style to step outside the frame of the stage, which feels uncomfortable because you are so directly addressed as an audience. But there was so much power and conviction in Winters' acting that this scene felt logical.”
Place de l’Opera
“Corinne Winters, in her role debut, delivers a powerful performance based on an unerring and penetrating timbre that is a little dark and very personal. Her aria ‘Il va venir’ is undeniably one of the evening’s high points.”
Ôlyrix
“The American Corinne Winters, in her role debut as Rachel has a wonderfully good sense of drama and timing… Winters‘ contribution is intimate, human, touchable.”
de Volkskrant
Jamie Barton Subject of Opera Magazine's 'People' Feature
“A complete singer with a once-in-a-generation voice, a born communicator, a deeply compassionate human being with so much to give to audiences – Jamie Barton is an artist whose time truly has come.” The American mezzo earns a six-page feature in the March 2019 issue of Opera.
February 15, 2019
““Jamie Barton may hail from Rome, Georgia, not Rome, Italy, but she possesses an exceptional affinity for Italian style. The lustrous-voiced mezzo-soprano shapes her legato in Bellini and Donizetti with superb elegance. Turning to Verdi, She effortlessly masters the toughest vocal demands, and her detailed textual communication yields an interpretative subtlety that Verdi’s mezzo roles seldom receive.””
Photo by Wilfried Hösl
American mezzo Jamie Barton is the subject of a six-page ‘People’ feature in the March issue of Opera Magazine (UK). Read the wide-ranging interview with this “complete singer with a once-in-a-generation voice” via Opera.
Corinne Winters Returns to Tucson for Latin-Themed Concerts
“Holtan is ecstatic about having this world-class soprano back in our midst. ‘She was such a huge hit when she was here last time, and when we reached out to her, she didn’t hesitate,’ he says.” Corinne Winters joins the Tucson Desert Song Festival for concerts, a recital, and a masterclass.
January 14, 2019
Photos by Fay Fox
American soprano Corinne Winters returns to the Old Pueblo this month for a series of appearances with the Tucson Desert Song Festival. In addition to leading a masterclass for students at the University of Arizona, Winters will perform with guitarist Adam del Monte and True Concord Voices & Orchestra in repertoire including Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5, before debuting her new Shades of Night recital, featuring opera arias and songs that explore literal and metaphorical interpretations of night.
Ahead of her arrival in Tucson, Corinne spoke with Tucson Lifestyle Magazine and the Arizona Daily Star.
“The recital will be a virtual album of moments to remember. Winters explains, ‘It’s called Shades of Night because it examines all the facets of night: celebration, romance, excitement, loss, and the metaphorical ‘dark night of the soul.’ Each piece, in one way or another, is about exploring what’s hidden. The pieces are beautiful and accessible, including a mix of standard works and lesser-known gems. I suggest that the audience really take in the variance in color and mood. This program is not esoteric; it’s meant to be experienced viscerally. I suspect the impact will be different for each person!’”
Read full feature in Tucson Lifestyle Magazine >
“Corinne Winters is making up for lost time this week. After a four-year absence from Tucson stages, the soprano, who has fast-become a rising star on international opera stages, is returning to the Tucson Desert Song Festival, where she is doing triple-duty.”
Jorge Mejia and An Open Book Nominated for Latin Grammy
Mejia’s “Prelude in F Major for Piano and Orchestra,” from his album An Open Book, was nominated for Best Classical Contemporary Composition.
September 20, 2018
Photo by Laura Coppelman
Jorge Mejia’s memoir in music, An Open Book, has been nominated for a Latin Grammy Award. The album comprises 25 preludes for piano and orchestra, with the composer appearing as pianist alongside the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra.
A Steinway Artist, Jorge is a masterful storyteller dedicated to bringing new audiences to classical music. He was recently profiled in Billboard Magazine, graced the cover of Músico Pro Magazine, and was interviewed on WLRN Radio. Immediately following its Miami launch concert, An Open Book was hailed as "an instant classic...a rigorous and eclectic work" by El Nuevo Herald.
Mejia’s “Prelude in F Major for Piano and Orchestra” was nominated for Best Classical Contemporary Composition. The winner will be announced at the 2018 Latin Grammy Awards Show on November 15.
Jorge Mejia's Musical Memoir Featured in Billboard Magazine
"Success for Mejía…has come easy, in part, because he can relate. Mejía is a musician himself, a pianist-composer who is known for connecting on a visceral and musical level with his songwriters.” Billboard Magazine talks with Jorge Mejia about bridging worlds, genres, and cultures.
June 29, 2018
Pianist and composer Jorge Mejia talked with Billboard Magazine about An Open Book: A Memoir in Music.
"Success for Mejía -- who also has deals with "Despacito" co-writers Erika Ender and Daddy Yankee, and signed Colombian superstar Maluma to a global publishing deal in 2017 -- has come easy, in part, because he can relate. Mejía is a musician himself, a pianist-composer with a performance degree from the University of Miami who is known for connecting on a visceral and musical level with his songwriters.
Now, Mejía is further exploring his own talents. In May, he released An Open Book: A Memoir in Music, a book and album of short classical piano pieces with orchestral accompaniment that tell his own story as a bicultural, bilingual artist. The Open Book Latin American Tour, which Mejía narrates and performs, has included performances in Ecuador and Uruguay. Here, Mejía speaks about his music, Fonsi's success and betting on the Latin market."
Jorge Mejia Lands on Cover of Músico Pro Magazine
“He delves with ivory keys into intimacies that words can not reach.” Pianist and composer Jorge Mejia talks with the magazine about stories, music, and straddling worlds of genre.
May 2, 2018
Pianist and composer Jorge Mejia is on the cover of the special 22nd Anniversary edition of Spanish-language Músico Pro Magazine, in a feature titled "A Life Dreaming In Music".
“I sat down with Jorge Mejía in his home, at the foot of a beautiful Steinway, where he generously interlaced original pieces and sections of well-known melodies to better illustrate his responses. It turns out to be a particularly suitable dynamic given the concept of the most recent addition of its repertoire. His most ambitious project as a composer and performer is titled An Open Book: A Musical Memoir, and offers a narrative as a prelude to each instrumental piece, where he delves with ivory keys into intimacies that words can not reach.”
Corinne Winters Is 'On The Couch' With Australian Arts Review
"It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon, but daring to be oneself, especially when it means standing alone, is real bravery..." Ahead of her Opera Australia debut as Violetta in the beloved Moshinsky La traviata, Winters speaks with Australian Arts Review.
April 13, 2018
““It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon, but daring to be oneself, especially when it means standing alone, is real bravery... Inspired people uplift others, creating a domino effect that has the power to change the world.””
Ahead of her Australian debut in the beloved Moshinsky production of La traviata at Opera Australia, American soprano Corinne Winters spoke with Australian Arts Review.
Conducted by Carlo Montanaro, La traviata runs through May 11. Tickets can be purchased via Opera Australia.
Photo by Fay Fox
All Who Wander Wins 2018 BBC Music Magazine Vocal Award
“No one who has heard Jamie Barton in action is in any doubt about the American mezzo-soprano’s gifts. She boasts an expansive, robust vocal sound, tinged with richly varied colors, and she deploys it with a distinctive combination of heroic power and tender intimacy. So the splendors of her debut release don’t exactly come as a surprise. But that hardly diminishes the joy of listening to Barton’s expressive, full-throated performances.” Jamie Barton's debut solo album has won the Vocal Category of the 2018 BBC Music Magazine Awards.
April 6, 2018
““The long wait for Jamie Barton’s debut recital disc was worth every minute. Barton is wonderfully idiomatic in Dvořák and Sibelius, and she and her pianist give a performance of Mahler’s Rückert Lieder that is up there with the greatest.””
Jamie Barton's debut album, released on Delos Music, has won the 2018 BBC Music Magazine Vocal Award. Accompanied by pianist Brian Zeger, All Who Wander features lush, romantic melodies by Mahler, Dvorak, and Sibelius. All Who Wander was also nominated for an International Classical Music Award in the Vocal Recital category, and was one of six Solo Vocal albums shortlisted by Gramophone for their Classical Music Awards.
Photo courtesy of BBC Music Magazine
Corinne Winters Featured in Limelight Magazine
“Beautiful tone draws people in, but primal emotion breaks hearts – an easy thing to forget after years of higher education and trying to ‘get it right.’” Ahead of her Opera Australia debut, Winters appears in Australia’s Limelight Magazine.
April 6, 2018
Photo by Fay Fox
““Beautiful tone draws people in, but primal emotion breaks hearts – an easy thing to forget after years of higher education and trying to ‘get it right’.””
Ahead of her Australian debut in the beloved Moshinsky production of La traviata at Opera Australia, American soprano Corinne Winters spoke with glossy, print, and digital cultural outlets in Sydney and Melbourne.
Conducted by Carlo Montanaro, La traviata runs through May 11. Tickets can be purchased via Opera Australia.
Jamie Barton's Debut Album Nominated for BBC Music Magazine Awards
"Some of the most beautiful recordings I have ever heard. Anyone who loves the human voice should own this." All Who Wander is up for a BBC Music Magazine Award in the Vocal category.
January 25, 2018
Jamie Barton's debut album, released on Delos Music, has been nominated for a BBC Music Magazine Award in the Vocal category for 2018. Voting is open until February 19 at www.classical-music.com/awards.
All Who Wander has also been nominated for an International Classical Music Award in the Vocal Recital category, and was one of six Solo Vocal albums shortlisted by Gramophone for their Classical Music Awards.
Accompanied by pianist Brian Zeger, All Who Wander features lush, romantic melodies by Mahler, Dvorak, and Sibelius.
““Jamie Barton seems now to be the equal of any dramatic mezzo before the public. The great element which has enabled her rise to stardom is, of course, her voice-large, rich, fully controlled. She is one of the few singers who can delight an audience simply by the sheer beauty of her voice. Nowhere is this beauty more evident than here.
She and Zeger communicate exactly the proper mood of each song, whether boisterous and fun-loving or quiet and reflective. Barton produces some exquisite soft singing, with amazingly steady sustained tones [and] she emphasizes the drama of the situation with great variations in dynamics, from her beautiful soft singing to exciting forte passages.
But it is the opening section of Mahler songs that makes this recording stand alone – Ms. Barton’s glorious sound reinforcing the emotions surely felt by any sensitive listener. These are some of the most beautiful recordings I have ever heard. Anyone who loves the human voice should own this.””
All Who Wander Receives Award Nominations
"It’s the sort of instrument you could listen to all day, in any sort of repertoire." Jamie Barton's debut album receives recognition from the International Classical Music Awards and Gramophone Classical Music Awards.
November 28, 2017
““The voice is rich, generous and vibrant, big but beautifully controlled, impeccably smooth throughout its range. It’s the sort of instrument you could listen to all day, in any sort of repertoire. This really is an exciting talent, and a terrific disc.””
Jamie Barton's debut album, released on Delos Music, is receiving recognition from the International Classical Music Awards and Gramophone Classical Music Awards.
All Who Wander is one of six Solo Vocal albums shortlisted by Gramophone for their Classical Music Awards. It has also been nominated for an International Classical Music Award in the Vocal Recital category.
Accompanied by pianist Brian Zeger, All Who Wander features lush, romantic melodies by Mahler, Dvorak, and Sibelius.
Photo by Fay Fox
Read reviews:
"The voice is rich, generous and vibrant, big but beautifully controlled, impeccably smooth throughout its range. It’s the sort of instrument you could listen to all day, in any sort of repertoire. This really is an exciting talent, and a terrific disc."
Gramophone
"Barton’s grand and rich voice is perhaps as big as Flagstad’s, Farrell, and Nilsson’s, with tone as beautiful and unforced as the first two singers’. Its compass extends from the bottom of the mezzo range to an easy, room-shaking high C. But as easily as Barton can envelop you with sound, she can also grab you by the gut, and propel you deep into the emotional heart of music’s great mysteries. It is the emotional depth of Barton’s artistry that sets her apart from other singers blessed with exceptional voices. She has the power to render you breathless and at her mercy. I expect that you, too, will marvel at how, as Barton expands her voice to huge proportions, her sound and heart also expand to encompass every emotion of a woman lost in memories of a great, lost love."
Stereophile
“Jamie Barton has one of the great voices in the world today. Sumptuous, flexible, and capable of light and shade, her sizeable mezzo pours forth seamlessly. Barton’s voice at full cry is thrilling to behold but the majesty of her instrument never overwhelms the songs. Her ability to lighten her tone, especially in the tricky upper middle voice, notably allows her to sing with expressive freedom. All Who Wander is everything a song recital should be. Delivering both familiar and unfamiliar fare in beguiling interpretations, Barton and Zeger take the listener into the world of each song with deft musicality and emotional sincerity.”
Parterre Box
“A rising star, Barton seems as comfortable on the concert platform as the opera stage. In these art-songs admirable throughout is Barton’s alluring tone and gorgeous phrasing. My highlight is Mahler’s magnificent Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen, a multi-faceted score full of world-weary introspection. In this intensely melancholic writing, Barton communicates a real sense of yearning to moving effect, which felt extremely spiritual. The text that aches with emotion in Um Mitternacht (At midnight) is enchantingly sung, maintaining an intense expression that adds to the dream-like quality of the writing and concludes with a sense of resignation.”
Music Web International
"Barton is the most important American mezzo-soprano since Stephanie Blythe, another phenomenon capable of singing everything, and very well. Instead of Bellini’s Adalgisa and Wagner’s Fricka, which are her calling cards on opera stages around the world, the singer opted for a more intimate and very demanding repertoire. Barton has been given a voice and that abundance of means could betray her; fortunately those fears are unfounded. Her instrument is a column of generous, opulent sound that dominates to the point of allowing her to completely abandon herself to the chosen material in order to concentrate on the interpretation."
El Nuevo Herald
"We listened to All Who Wander on a rainy afternoon in London; Barton’s singing is just as much a warm hug on a cold day as it is a refreshing breeze in the heat.”
Schmopera
"Barton’s voice is delicate throughout, a sound that the audiences are not accustomed to hearing in the opera house where her potent mezzo soprano exhilarates with its brilliance and forwardness."
Opera Wire
"Perhaps the song on the record which encapsulates best what Barton can do is Sibelius’ “Säv, säv, susa”. She conveys its arched structure from repose to violence and back again with real conviction, and the final long vowels are unbelievable.”
The Arts Desk
"She is emphatically her own artist. All Who Wander is a testament to Barton’s artistic individuality—and, equally importantly, to the depths of her talent. No, the Twenty-First Century has given us no Flagstad or Callas, but what a gift we have been given in Jamie Barton."
Voix des Arts
Jorge Mejia Is Billboard Magazine Latin Power Player
"Mejia's investment in 'Despacito' has paid dividends beyond anything he could have imagined. Penned by Sony/ATV's own Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Erika Ender, the global hit, which spent 16 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, is the most streamed song of all time, with 4.6 billion streams and counting. 'We always thought the day would come when there would be light at the end of the digital tunnel," says Mejia. "It's starting to happen.'"
November 6, 2017
“Definition of crossover: “When my wife’s family – they’re from a town in Kansas – sings one of my songs.””
Composer and pianist Jorge Mejia has landed on Billboard's Latin Power Players 2017 list, honoring music industry professionals who are "nurturing the scene and helping reshape the culture."
The Miami Symphony Orchestra (MISO) will play his compositions alongside music from Gershwin to Tchaikovsky as part of #MisoChic, an immersive multimedia experience melding music and extraordinary fashion at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
Read the full Latin Power Players list.
Learn more about Jorge and MISO-Chic.
Christopher Allen Featured in Opera News Magazine
"At thirty-one, conductor Christopher Allen is one of the fastest-rising podium stars in North America. Allen’s leadership is a model of clarity, vigor and intelligence, keenly detailed and richly colored; his work with soloists, chorus and orchestra is first-class..." The October issue of Opera News includes a 2-page spotlight on the young conductor – and his tattoos.
October 1, 2017
Photo by Gabriel Gastelum
““Opera is not dead. I’m just going to keep saying that.””
During a late afternoon lunch in St. Louis’s plush Tenderloin Room last June, Allen answered questions carefully and succinctly; his voice is soft, but his passion for opera is loud and clear. “The stories of our time need to be told. And the medium where I can help that is opera. That’s what we do—tell stories. Look at Ricky’s Grapes of Wrath, which we are doing now. Steinbeck’s novel was written in the ’30s, but there are so many things in it that are relevant today. How scary is that?
“Did you see Fellow Travelers at Cincinnati Opera? Greg Spears is a brilliant composer, and that piece is a perfect example of a story that is relevant to our time and needed to be told. I sat there and thought, ‘Wow, this is absolutely entertaining—people need to see this.’ And the reaction of that audience was astonishing. Opera is not dead. I’m just going to keep saying that. I suppose ‘Opera is dead’ is a good media headline, but I don’t know how true it is.
Read the full feature in Opera News.