Opera
Latest Past Events
Upbeat Live Lecture @ LA Phil: Wagner’s “Die Walküre” (Act 3/ MAY 24)
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallContinuing their exploration of Wagner’s “Ring” cycle—in semi-staged presentation—the LA Philharmonic presents the second opera of the massive tetralogy, Die Walküre. Music Director Gustavo Dudamel and stage director Alberto Arvelo lead the Find out more »
Upbeat Live Lecture @ LA Phil: Wagner’s “Die Walküre” (Act 3/ MAY 21)
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallContinuing their exploration of Wagner's "Ring" cycle—in semi-staged presentation—the LA Philharmonic presents the second opera of the massive tetralogy, Die Walküre. Music Director Gustavo Dudamel and stage director Alberto Arvelo Find out more »
Exploring Opera: Mozart’s ”The Magic Flute” (LA Opera virtual seminar)
ZoomI return to familiar stomping grounds—in terms of my research area—for this session of "Exploring Opera," where I will offer an in-depth exploration of one of my fave characters: The Find out more »
Exploring Opera: Verdi’s “Falstaff” (LA Opera virtual seminar)
ZoomVerdi's long journey to his final opera—his only successful comic work—is a lesson in perseverance and reinvention. He was 80 years old when Falstaff premiered at La Scala in Milan, Italy—the same Find out more »
Exploring Opera: “Akhnaten” (LA Opera virtual public seminar)
My kickoff lecture for this terrific FREE series of public lectures from LA Opera Connects will look into the musical idiom commonly labeled "minimalism" and more specifically Philip Glass's Ahknaten, the Find out more »
Exploring Opera: “La Bohème” (LA Opera virtual seminar)
ZoomWhat fun to share insights about Puccini's most popular opera as part of Los Angeles Opera's "Exploring Opera" virtual seminars, open to all opera lovers! My presentation will focus on Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Verdi’s “Rigoletto”
ZoomLA Opera's production of Rigoletto, starring powerhouse baritone Quinn Kelsey in the title role, promises to be a thoroughly gripping season ender! And I will kickoff the "Opera for Educators" Find out more »
LA Opera Connects / Opera for Educators: Golijov’s “Ainadamar”
ZoomFor this exciting session of the "Opera for Educators" seminars, I will familiarize participants with the eclectic and deeply dramatic musical style of Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov. The many influences Find out more »
Opera League of Los Angeles: Seminar on Mozart’s “Così fan tutte”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesIn anticipation of the upcoming Los Angeles production of Mozart's comic opera Così fan tutte, my presentation for the marvelous Opera League of Los Angeles will interrogate the gender-determinist premise of the Find out more »
Opera Symposium: Don Giovanni (UNC Wilmington/Wilmington Opera)
Beckwith Recital Hall - UNC Wilmington Cultural Arts Building, WilmingtonI will be the keyboard speaker for this symposium focused on the upcoming summer production of Mozart's Don Giovanni by Opera Wilmington. My presentation at UNC Wilmington will center on Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Mozart’s Così fan tutte
ZoomSo excited to be in my special wheelhouse for this seminar: Mozart opera! My presentation will focus on the gender politics behind this comic opera with its problematic accusation that Find out more »
Pre-performance Lecture: LA Opera’s “Romeo and Juliet”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesAh, star-cross'd lovers! I'll be giving the pre-performance talk for LA Opera's production of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. I'll delve into the particular history and aesthetic traditions of French opera, Find out more »
Pre-performance Lecture: LA Opera’s “Romeo and Juliet”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesAh, star-cross'd lovers! I'll be giving the pre-performance talk for LA Opera's production of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. I'll delve into the particular history and aesthetic traditions of French opera, Find out more »
Pre-performance Lecture: LA Opera’s “Romeo and Juliet”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesAh, star-cross’d lovers! I’ll be giving the pre-performance talk for LA Opera‘s production of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. I’ll delve into the particular history and aesthetic traditions of French opera, I’ll spotlight some Find out more »
Pre-performance Lecture: LA Opera’s “Romeo and Juliet”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesAh, star-cross'd lovers! I'll be giving the pre-performance talk for LA Opera's production of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. I'll delve into the particular history and aesthetic traditions of French opera, Find out more »
Opera for Educators/LA Opera Connects: Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette”
ZoomEver notice that French-language opera doesn't get the same time in the programming spotlight as Italian-language opera? No fair! I will dive into the rich history of French opera and Find out more »
Opera League of Los Angeles: Seminar on Puccini’s legacy (Puccini100 celebration)
Thayer Hall, The Colburn School 200 Grand Avenue, Los AngelesThe final seminar of the Puccini100 series, sponsored by the Opera League of Los Angeles, will consider Puccini's legacy and enduring popularity—not just in terms of the operas themselves, but Find out more »
Opera League of Los Angeles: Seminar on Puccini’s “Il trittico” (Puccini100 celebration)
Honoring the 100th anniversary of Giacomo Puccini's death, this lecture series for the Opera League of Los Angeles offers in-depth explorations of the historical and musical context for Puccini's art Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Madama Butterfly
ZoomMy introductory lecture for this particular seminar sets up a day of exploration and critique critique Puccini's Madama Butterfly—of one of the most popular, and also thematically challenging, works of Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Opera Overview
ZoomThe kick-off seminar for LAUSD teachers and other opera-curious people! We open with an overview of the art form, and my talk will look at the three "pillars" of opera—the Find out more »
Opera League of Los Angeles: Seminar on “La Bohème,” “Tosca” and “Madama Butterfly” (Puccini100 celebration)
I continue my seminar series with for the Opera League of Los Angeles celebrating the centennial of Puccini's death. This second lecture looks at Puccini's "triple crown" of popular works: Find out more »
Opera League of Los Angeles: Seminar on Puccini’s Early Works (Puccini100 celebration)
I'm delighted to lead this 4-part seminar series, a deep dive journey into the world of this consummate Italian opera composer as the music world honors the 100th anniversary of Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Puccini’s “Turandot”
ZoomMy presentation for this special Turandot seminar—an initiative of LA Opera Connects—will set the opera in the context of Puccini's Italy and highlight significant stylistic elements in the composer's final Find out more »
Pre-performance Lecture: LA Opera’s “La Traviata”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesI will be giving the pre-performance lecture on one of the most popular opera in the canonic repertoire, Verdi's La traviata! This new production by Shawna Lucey (General Director and Find out more »
LA Opera: Opera in the Classroom Seminar
ZoomPart of the LAO's “Opera for Educators” seminars, this particular event aims to educate—and inspire—K-12 teachers about ways to incorporate opera into their lesson plans. My presentation, "Fairy Tales, Opera, Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Verdi’s “La traviata”
ZoomIn this "Opera for Educators" seminar—offered by LA Opera Connects—I'll be talking about the role of production in creating new meanings of older works such as La traviata, Verdi's most enduringly Find out more »
Upbeat Live: Dudamel leads the LA Phil in “Das Rheingold”
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallThis special presentation of Wagner's Das Rheingold celebrates architect Frank Gehry, a dedicated friend to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and, of course, designer of the gorgeous Walt Disney Concert Hall. Gehry Find out more »
Upbeat Live: Dudamel leads the LA Phil in “Das Rheingold”
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallThis special presentation of Wagner's Das Rheingold celebrates architect Frank Gehry, a dedicated friend to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and, of course, designer of the gorgeous Walt Disney Concert Hall. Gehry Find out more »
Upbeat Live: Dudamel leads the LA Phil in “Das Rheingold”
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallThis special presentation of Wagner's Das Rheingold celebrates architect Frank Gehry, a dedicated friend to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and, of course, designer of the gorgeous Walt Disney Concert Hall. Gehry Find out more »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Seong-Jin Cho
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaMy preperformance talk will introduce the recital program of pianist Seong-Jin Cho, an artist who is wowing crowds over the globe. This particular musical journey includes a delightful Haydn Sonata, Find out more »
Opera for Educators: El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego
ZoomMy contribution to this Los Angeles Opera Connects seminar for K-12 educators and opera lovers will be an exploration of composer Gabriela Lena Frank and her relationship to Hispanic and Find out more »
Pre-performance Lectures: LA Opera’s “The Barber of Seville” (all performances)
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesJoin me for a delectable exploration of Rossini's winning musical style in this lecture which I have crafted in the manner of a gourmet recipe. (Rossini was a renowned gourmand Find out more »
Opera for Educators: The Barber of Seville
ZoomLove sharing the multifaceted world of opera with K-12 teachers and opera lovers! For this "Opera for Educators" seminar, I will be discussing Rossini's perfect "recipe" for comic opera, the Find out more »
Opera for Educators / Otello
ZoomAs part of this seminar for local educators and operas lovers, I will speak about the historical context for Verdi's final dramatic opera, Otello (1887), which the composer completed after Find out more »
Opera for Educators / Pelléas et Mélisande
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesThe Los Angeles Opera is staging Debussy's only complete opera, Pélleas et Mélisande. A masterful response to the stylistic gauntlet thrown down by Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, Debussy's Pélleas sets to music the Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Le nozze di Figaro
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesCalling teachers and opera lovers! The "Opera for Educators" seminars bring together experts in music, history, and opera production and performance for a day of learning and enjoyment. Dr. Brown-Montesano Find out more »
Opera for Educators / Tosca
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesTosca: Puccini's ultimate prima donna! This Opera for Educators session is open to the public, not just educators! Dr. Brown-Montesano will delve into the aesthetics of Italian “verismo” (“realism”) and Find out more »
Final Pre-Concert Lecture / Lucia di Lammermoor
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesLucia is trapped in an impossible situation. Her abusive brother hates the man she loves. Worse, he's forcing her to marry someone else in a last-ditch effort to shore up Find out more »
Opera for Educators / Rhiannon Gidden’s Omar
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesRhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels bring their new opera—Omar—to Los Angeles. This presentation is open to the public, not just educators! Co-presentation with Dr. Tiffany Kuo on the sounds of contemporary Find out more »
Pre-Concert Lectures / Lucia di Lammermoor
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesLucia is trapped in an impossible situation. Her abusive brother hates the man she loves. Worse, he's forcing her to marry someone else in a last-ditch effort to shore up Find out more »
Podcast / Female Leads in Opera
PodcastIn this episode of Los Angeles Opera's podcast series, Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano discusses the multifaceted female leads in the company's 2022-2023 season: Lucia, Tosca, Desdemona, Susanna, Mélisande. Season and single tickets available Find out more »
UpBeat Live / Fidelio with Deaf West Theatre
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los AngelesFidelio—Beethoven's only opera—continues to lend itself to dramatic innovation. Join me for Upbeat Live, where we review Fidelio’s history and prepare this new semi-staged collaboration between the LA Phil's and Find out more »
“Rescuing” Carmen Talk / Gender Sounds
ZoomGender Sounds is an initiative coordinated by the Escola Superior de Musica de Catalunya Department of Cultural and Musical Studies. I'm thrilled to be one of five invited speakers—an international line-up Find out more »
Free LAO Zoom Class / How to Build an Opera
ZoomThis Week's Topic - How to Build an Opera: from Overture to Scene For this final session, we will look at the how Rossini and Wagner put their operas together—their Find out more »
LA Opera / Team Eurydice
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesOur newest—and possibly most inventive—opera retelling of Eurydice's story premieres this month. And with it, the LA Opera hosts a larger discussion regarding women in opera. I'm pleased to be Find out more »