We may be living in a golden age for opera. It certainly seems so in the discussions we had with composers and artists. Here are are opera interview highlights from 2022.
Composer Ricky Ian Gordon had two operas produced this year: Intimate Apparel at Lincoln Center and The Garden of the Finzi-Continis by New York City Opera. We focused on the latter when we spoke with him early this year. Because of some strong language, you’ll have to watch this one on our YouTube channel as it is age restricted.
Mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča talked about her career and more with us in March. It has proven to be one of our most popular interviews.
We spoke with baritone Etienne Dupuis while he was performing the five-act French language original version of Don Carlos at the Metropolitan Opera.
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Du Yun talked to us in advance of the world premiere of In Our Daughter’s Eyes in Los Angeles.
The most eagerly-anticipated new opera this year was The Hours by composer Kevin Puts and librettist Greg Pierce. We talked to Puts in advance of a concert performance of the work before it was fully staged at the Metropolitan Opera.
Last week we published our interview with conductor/pianist Christian Reif about El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered. Reif, in collaboration with Julia Bullock (his partner), truncated the John Adams opera El Niño into a one-hour work. We also discussed Bullock’s first album, Walking in the Dark, which finds Reif conducting and accompanying her and his very new role as a father.
Those are just a few of our opera interview highlights from 2022. Please go to our YouTube channel to see all of our interviews and to subscribe.
Photo: Elīna Garanča (©Sarah Katharina/Courtesy GM Art & Music)