In this podcast, Dr. Muriel McClendon hosts "History Vs. Opera", in which Dr. Tiffany Kuo and Dr. Kara Cooney analyze Verdi's depiction of Egypt in Aida and historical records of Egypt's Old Kingdom. This recording was made as part of LA Opera Connects' professional development series for teachers, Opera for Educators. LA Opera's Aida is playing from May 21 to June 12 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Get your tickets now at LAOpera.org. 

https://youtu.be/ZOVpQYGm3NM

Aida: History Vs. Opera

In this episode,  Anthony León, member of the LA Opera Young Artist Program, reads the synopsis for The Marriage of Figaro. See Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, playing February 4-26. Tickets are available now at LAOpera.org

The Marriage of Figaro Scene-by-Scene

In this episode, join LA Opera's Richard Seaver Music Director James Conlon as he delves into the history of French playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais and his beloved character Figaro for this pre-recorded pre-talk. See Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro now through February 26. Tickets are available at LAOpera.org.

James Conlon's Pre-Performance Talk on The Marriage of Figaro

As an arts and health advocate, internationally acclaimed soprano Renée Fleming has brought global attention to the ways in which singing, dancing, painting and more can improve the quality of life for those affected by illness. Ahead of LA Opera’s June 9th Arts and Health Summit, hear Renée in conversation with Dr. Andréa Fuentes, Director of LA Opera Connects, as they discuss the research and practice of integrating arts and health. Learn more at LAOpera.org/ArtsAndHealth

Additional Resources:
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/music-and-health-what-you-need-to-know
https://www.nih.gov/research-training/medical-research-initiatives/sound-health
https://neuroartsblueprint.org/
https://www.musictherapy.org/
https://soundhealth.ucsf.edu/

Advocating for Arts and Health in conversation with Renée Fleming and Dr. Andréa Fuentes

In this episode, Vice President of LA Opera Connects, Tehvon Fowler-Chapman, reads the synopsis for Don Giovanni. Playing September 23-October 15, tickets to Don Giovanni are available now at LA Opera.org

Don Giovanni: Scene-by-Scene

Who is Don Giovanni? In this pre-performance talk, Richard Seaver Music Director James Conlon guides you through Mozart's Dramma Giocoso; the plot, the history and of course the music. Tickets to Don Giovanni are available now at LAOpera.org.

James Conlon's Pre-Performance Talk on Don Giovanni

Hell for Don Giovanni is loneliness, according to director Kasper Holten, who portrays the titular character as a reactive nobleman, lost in excess and the labyrinth of his own mind.

Dive deep into the psyche of Don Giovanni with Kasper Holten and Dr. Tiffany Kuo. Tickets for Don Giovanni are available now at LAOpera.org.

Don Giovanni in Conversation with Kasper Holten and Dr. Tiffany Kuo

In this episode, Senior Director of Programs for LA Opera Connects, Dr. Andréa Fuentes, reads the synopsis for The Barber of Seville. Playing October 21-November 12, tickets to The Barber of Seville are available now at LA Opera.org

The Barber of Seville: Scene-by-Scene

Louis Lohraseb has been an opera fan for as long as he can remember, first becoming enamored with the art form after hearing a performance on tv. Now, he's back in Los Angeles, a former Young Artist here at LA Opera, conducting this season's The Barber of Seville. Listen in as Louis discusses his journey to conducting, the mentors who shaped his career and his favorite musical moments in The Barber of Seville, with Senior Director of Artistic Planning, Paul Hopper.

Playing now through November 12, tickets to The Barber of Seville are available at LAOpera.org.

The Barber of Seville in Conversation with Louis Lohraseb and Paul Hopper

In this episode, CEO for La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Leticia Rhi Buckley, reads the synopsis for El último sueño de Frida y Diego. Playing November 18-December 9, tickets are available now at LA Opera.org

El último sueño de Frida y Diego: Scene-by-Scene

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are the center of an otherworldly romance set in Mexico during Día de los Muertos. In this pre-performance talk, Dr. Tiffany Kuo guides you through Gabriela Lena Frank's stunning new opera; the plot, the history and of course the music. Tickets to El último sueño de Frida y Diego are available now at LAOpera.org.

Dr. Tiffany Kuo's Pre-Performance Talk on El último sueño de Frida y Diego

In this special episode of Behind the Curtain, join LA Opera Connects' Vice President Tehvon Fowler-Chapman and LA Opera staff as they share their favorite songs and recordings to listen to during the holidays.

Behind the Curtain - 2023 Holiday Special

Looking forward to this season's Recovered Voices project, Dr. Tiffany Kuo shares the history of Traces, a staged vocal work by Luciano Berio, censored at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Listen in as Dr. Kuo explores the intricacies of this controversial and important work.

Tickets to LA Opera's Recovered Voices Double Feature are available now at LAOpera.org.

Deeper Cuts and Unsung Operas with Dr. Tiffany Kuo

In this episode, Richard Seaver Music Director James Conlon walks us through the history, the plot and of course the music of The Dwarf by Alexander Zemlinsky. Don't miss this a rarely performed one-act opera featured in our upcoming Double Bill, tickets are on sale now at LA Opera.org.

James Conlon's Pre-Performance Talk on The Dwarf

In this episode, Richard Seaver Music Director James Conlon walks us through the history, the plot and of course the music of Highway 1, USA by William Grant Still. Don't miss this rarely performed one-act opera featured in our upcoming Double Bill, tickets are on sale now at LA Opera.org.

James Conlon's Pre-Performance Talk on Highway 1, USA

In this episode, Karen Mack, founder of LA Commons, reads the synopsis for Highway 1, USA and The Dwarf. Playing February 24-March 17, tickets to this exciting Double Bill are available now at LAOpera.org.

Highway 1, USA and The Dwarf: Scene-by-Scene

Erica Petrocelli and Roderick Dixon are no strangers to the LA Opera stage. Listen as they join Senior Director of Artistic Planning Paul Hopper to explore their characters and favorite musical moments in Zemlinsky's The Dwarf, as well as what it means to truly see oneself. 

Don't miss this rarely performed one-act opera, playing now through March 17. Tickets are on sale at LAOpera.org.

The Dwarf in Conversation with Erica Petrocelli, Rodrick Dixon and Paul Hopper

Written in 1942 under the title A Southern Interlude, William Grant Still’s Highway 1, USA was not performed by a professional opera company until 2021. In this podcast, Dr. Tiffany Kuo explores the work’s production history and reception. Tickets to Highway 1, USA are available now at LAOpera.org.

Highway 1, USA's Journey Back to Los Angeles with Dr. Tiffany Kuo

William Grant Still's Highway 1, USA is an opera about family. Listen in as affiliated scholar, Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano and the grand-daughter of William Grant Still - Celeste Headlee, discuss who Still was at home - and how the powerful women in his life influenced the drama we see unfold on stage.

Highway 1, USA in Conversation with Celeste Headlee and Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano

In this episode, Sarah Saturnino, member of the LA Opera Young Artist Program, reads the synopsis for La Traviata. Playing April 6 through the 27. Tickets are available now at LAOpera.org
.

La Traviata: Scene-by-Scene

In this episode, Richard Seaver Music Director James Conlon guides you through history of Verdi's La Traviata. Tickets to this new to LA production of La Traviata are available now at LAOpera.org.

James Conlon's In-Depth Look at La Traviata

Shawna Lucey and Rachel Willis-Sorensen bring the story of La Traviata to life through extensive research and world-building, sharing glimpses of their unique rehearsal process and personal stories that shape their artistry with Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano.

Don't miss this new to LA production, playing now through April 26. Tickets are available at LAOpera.org.

La Traviata in Conversation with Shawna Lucey, Rachel Willis-Sørensen and Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano

In this pre-recorded episode, Book of Mountains and Seas composer and librettist Huang Ruo and director and production designer Basil Twist join Beth Morrison for this post-performance conversation to discuss this adaptation of Chinese mythology, reshaped to match contemporary times.

Book of Mountains and Seas in Conversation with Huang Ruo, Basil Twist and Beth Morrison

In this pre-show talk, KUSC's Brian Lauritzen discusses "Gianni Schicchi" and "Pagliacci."

Pre-Show Talk: KUSC's Brian Lauritzen Introduces "Gianni Schicchi" & "Pagliacci"

James Conlon, LA Opera's Richard Seaver Music Director, gives his pre-pre-show talk on Bizet's "Carmen" prior to the September 14, 2017 performance.

From the Vaults: James Conlon's Pre-Performance Talk on "Carmen"

LA Opera's Richard Seaver Music Director James Conlon explores Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "The Magic Flute" during his pre-show talk prior to LA Opera's opening performance on November 16, 2019.

All About The Magic Flute: A Pre-Performance Talk with James Conlon

LA Opera's Richard Seaver Music Director, James Conlon, delves deeply into Debussy's "Pelléas & Mélisande" - one of his desert island favorites. Join him as he delves into the gorgeous music and mystery of this beloved work. (Part Three of a three-part series.)

James Conlon on Debussy's Pelléas & Mélisande (Part Three)

LA Opera's Richard Seaver Music Director James Conlon sets the stage for the upcoming audio-stream of Richard Wagner's epic, four-part Ring cycle (Der Ring des Nibelungen) by reflecting on the philosophy of the German-language music drama. 

Commemorating the 10 year anniversary of the company's first complete presentation, the Ring cycle will be featured in a marathon, back-to-back audio stream of all four operas on Saturday, July 25. (Visit https://www.LAOpera.org/LAOatHome for more information.)

James Conlon at Home: Reflections on the Ring

LA Opera's Richard Seaver Music Director, James Conlon, explores the first opera of Wagner's Ring cycle: Das Rheingold during LA Opera’s pre-performance lecture in June 2010. Maestro Conlon goes in depth on Das Rheingold's characters, plot line, and musical themes.

Listen to all four talks in preparation of LAO At Home's audio stream of Wagner's epic four-part Der Ring des Nibelungen, conducted by Music Director James Conlon. Commemorating the ten-year anniversary of the company's extraordinary first complete presentation in 2010, the Ring cycle will be featured in a marathon back-to-back audio stream of all four operas in one day, beginning at 8am PDT on July 25, 2020 (https://www.laopera.org/ring/)

Die Walküre (https://www.laopera.org/podcasts)
Siegfried (coming July 21)
Götterdämmerung (coming July 23)

James Conlon's Pre-Performance Talks on The Ring Cycle: Das Rheinhold (part one)

LA Opera's Richard Seaver Music Director, James Conlon, explores the second opera of Wagner's Ring cycle: Die Walküre during LA Opera’s pre-performance lecture in June 2010. Maestro Conlon goes in depth on Die Walküre's characters, plot line, and musical themes.

Listen to all four talks in preparation of LAO At Home's audio stream of Wagner's epic four-part Der Ring des Nibelungen, conducted by Music Director James Conlon. Commemorating the ten-year anniversary of the company's extraordinary first complete presentation in 2010, the Ring cycle will be featured in a marathon back-to-back audio stream of all four operas in one day, beginning at 8am PDT on July 25, 2020 (https://www.laopera.org/ring/)

Das Rheingold(www.laopera.org/podcasts)
Siegfried (coming July 21)
Götterdämmerung (coming July 23)

James Conlon's Pre-Performance Talks on The Ring Cycle: Die Walküre (part two)

Created in 1986 by a team of visionaries, LA Opera has become a leader in artistic innovation, while honoring the great historical legacy of opera. Through the powerful art form of opera, we celebrate the diversity and pioneering spirit of our great city.

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