Ben Moore News

Tonight, February 20 the Palm Beach Opera will present the first world premiere in its 53-year history with Ben Moore's Enemies, A Love Story. Hailed as “one of the most eagerly anticipated premieres of the season” (WQXR), the unprecedented new production is one of several original projects designed to bring opera to a wider audience at the Florida house, which remains one of American opera's most inspirational recent success stories. Highlighting the company's creative audience engagement initiatives, ticket prices have been substantially lowered on more than 600 seats per performance this season, and tickets for family concerts reduced to a single flat fee of just $5, giving an unprecedented level of accessibility to Palm Beach Opera's current offerings.

On Friday, February 20 the Palm Beach Opera will present the first world premiere in its 53-year history with Ben Moore's Enemies, A Love Story. Hailed as “one of the most eagerly anticipated premieres of the season” (WQXR), the unprecedented new production is one of several original projects designed to bring opera to a wider audience at the Florida house, which remains one of American opera's most inspirational recent success stories. Highlighting the company's creative audience engagement initiatives, ticket prices have been substantially lowered on more than 600 seats per performance this season, and tickets for family concerts reduced to a single flat fee of just $5, giving an unprecedented level of accessibility to Palm Beach Opera's current offerings.

The New Amsterdam Singers (NAS), led by music director Clara Longstreth, will present New American Romantics, a program of American music featuring poems of Robert Frost, William Butler Yeats, James Agee, Robert Graves, and Thomas Hardy written by living composers. They include Dominick Argento, Donald Grantham, Matthew Harris, Morten Lauridsen, Elizabeth Lim, Ben Moore, and Ronald Perera. The two performances will take place Friday, March 6, 2015, at 8:00 P.M., and Sunday, March 8, 2015, at 4:00 P.M., at The Church of the Holy Trinity, 316 East 88th Street.

Symphony Space will welcome the season with the iconic gospel group Blind Boys of Alabama tonight, December 3 (8 pm) in the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre. Their holiday program, 'Go Tell It On the Mountain,' features an inspired selection of traditional spirituals, Christmas standards, and original tunes, all rendered in the soul-stirring vocal harmonies and funky instrumental backings that have brought them five Grammy Awards and international renown. Reviewing their CD of the same title, Mojo magazine wrote, 'There's nothing remotely schmaltzy or cloyingly sentimental about this seasonal offering from the veteran gospel group.'

The Glimmerglass Festival announces further information about its 2015 season, which celebrates the Cooperstown-based company's 40th anniversary. In addition to four mainstage productions, the summer festival presents concerts, lectures, public master classes and more.

The Glimmerglass Festival announces further information about its 2015 season, which celebrates the Cooperstown-based company's 40th anniversary. In addition to four mainstage productions, the summer festival presents concerts, lectures, public master classes and more.

Symphony Space will welcome the season with the iconic gospel group Blind Boys of Alabama on Wednesday, December 3 (8 pm) in the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre. Their holiday program, 'Go Tell It On the Mountain,' features an inspired selection of traditional spirituals, Christmas standards, and original tunes, all rendered in the soul-stirring vocal harmonies and funky instrumental backings that have brought them five Grammy Awards and international renown. Reviewing their CD of the same title, Mojo magazine wrote, 'There's nothing remotely schmaltzy or cloyingly sentimental about this seasonal offering from the veteran gospel group.'

Elephants in Space—The Past, Present and Future of Life and the Universe takes us on a journey from the beginning of time to the end of the universe to uncover our origins and reveal our destiny. Written in an engaging style, the author Ben Moore describes our place in time and space, how we got here and where we are going. He explains how mankind acquired this knowledge starting from the beginning of civilization when the ancient Greeks first began to ask questions about the nature of the world around them.

The 2014-15 season sees one of Deborah Voigt's most personal projects come to fruition, with the HarperCollins publication of her candid, funny, and soul-baring memoir Call Me Debbie: True Confessions of a Down-to-Earth Diva. She also returns to the opera house, reprising her star turn in Francesca Zambello's Salome for her Dallas Opera debut; making her title role debut in a new staging of The Merry Widow at Michigan Opera Theater; and undertaking the roles of Elisabeth and Venus in Tannhäuser at the Hamburg State Opera – her first time singing both roles in the same production. To launch her new appointment as WQXR's inaugural Susan W. Rose Artist-in-Residence, Voigt co-hosts the opening-night broadcast of Carnegie Hall Live, joining WQXR host Jeff Spurgeon to present the Berlin Philharmonic, Sir Simon Rattle and Anne-Sophie Mutter live in concert from the New York venue. She herself headlines the season-opening concert of the Las Vegas Philharmonic and season-closing events at both the Pacific Symphony and the USM Symphony, which she joins for “An Evening with Deborah Voigt.” Meanwhile, as returning Artist-in-Residence at the Washington National Opera, the beloved soprano continues mentoring young singers in the company's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program throughout the season.

At a time when so many opera companies find themselves forced to cut back, Palm Beach Opera has succeeded instead in breaking new ground, presenting the first world premiere in its 53-year history. Set to a libretto by Nahma Sandrow, Ben Moore's Enemies, A Love Story - a dark comedy based on Nobel laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer's eponymous novel and the subsequent Academy Award-nominated film adaptation - marks a major new addition to the repertoire. Starring bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch, now creating his fourth leading role in a Hollywood-inspired opera, Enemies, A Love Story will debut on February 20, with conductor David Stern leading Sam Helfrich's new production.

Deborah Voigt showcases her enviable range in a trio of major summer festival engagements this month.

No one likes cancellations, especially performers. Luckily, when both mezzo-soprano Susan Graham and pianist Bradley Moore were ill and had to cancel their April 2nd recital in Philadelphia, they were able to reschedule within just a few weeks. Considering both Graham and Moore have quite busy calendars, it's tremendous that the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society was able to reschedule a performance with them so quickly.

American tenor Paul Appleby closes his 2013 -2014 with a strong finish. His latest recording is today's (April 28, 2014) Delos release of the world premiere recording of Dear Theo, a CD of three song cycles by celebrated American composer Ben Moore. In early May, he makes his company debut with the Washington National Opera singing the role of Tamino under the baton of conductor Philippe Augin in the company's spring production of Mozart's The Magic Flute.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company announces that at the end of its Season 34 this June, Jeffrey Herrmann will step down as Managing Director following a seven-year tenure. He will be heading to the Pacific Northwest to take on the role of Managing Director at Seattle Repertory Theatre, where he will replace Ben Moore, who is retiring after 28 years as the theatre's current Managing Director. He leaves behind a great artistic and financial legacy, having almost doubled Woolly's size during his time here in DC, spearheading the theatre's innovative Connectivity initiative, providing leadership for Woolly's "Free the Beast!" campaign, and purchasing the theatre's building.

Seattle Repertory Theatre Board President Becky Lenaburg announced today the appointment of Jeffrey Herrmann as the Rep's incoming managing director, effective July 1, 2014. Mr. Herrmann will succeed departing Managing Director Benjamin Moore, who has led the organization for 28 years.

This month, Deborah Voigt embarks on a spring recital tour that will place the superstar soprano on both coasts for a program of songs by Amy Beach, Leonard Bernstein, William Bolcom, Ben Moore, Richard Strauss and Tchaikovsky. She said of the recital repertoire: 'It gives me a chance to show a side of my personality that doesn't come out when I'm singing all these very serious heroines' (South Florida Classical Review). Joined by her long-time collaborative pianist, Brian Zeger, artistic director of the vocal arts department at Juilliard, Voigt launches her new tour at the McCallum Theater in Palm Desert, California, on April 8. She makes her debut at Stanford University's Bing Concert Hall on April 11, and on April 13 she sings at the new Green Music Center on the Sonoma State University campus. Voigt continues the tour on the East Coast with a return engagement in the 75th anniversary season of Boston's popular Celebrity Series, and on May 10 she returns to the Met to host the 'Live in HD' broadcast of Rossini's La Cenerentola.

This month, Deborah Voigt embarks on a spring recital tour that will place the superstar soprano on both coasts for a program of songs by Amy Beach, Leonard Bernstein, William Bolcom, Ben Moore, Richard Strauss and Tchaikovsky. She said of the recital repertoire: 'It gives me a chance to show a side of my personality that doesn't come out when I'm singing all these very serious heroines' (South Florida Classical Review). Joined by her long-time collaborative pianist, Brian Zeger, artistic director of the vocal arts department at Juilliard, Voigt launches her new tour at the McCallum Theater in Palm Desert, California, on April 8. She makes her debut at Stanford University's Bing Concert Hall on April 11, and on April 13 she sings at the new Green Music Center on the Sonoma State University campus. Voigt continues the tour on the East Coast with a return engagement in the 75th anniversary season of Boston's popular Celebrity Series, and on May 10 she returns to the Met to host the 'Live in HD' broadcast of Rossini's La Cenerentola.

Last night at New York City's Pierre Hotel, the National Corporate Theatre Fund (NCTF) honored Tony and Emmy Award Winning singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth, and the Edgerton Foundation for their leadership in the arts at the NCTF 2014 Chairman's Awards Gala. The evening included a special performance by Tony Award Winner Jefferson Mays and Bryce Pinkham, stars of the current hit musical A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder; an excerpt from the highly acclaimed show Witness Uganda, currently at A.R.T. (an NCTF member theatre); and an appearance by legendary comedian Lily Tomlin, currently on tour with a solo show. BroadwayWorld was there for the special night and you can check out photo coverage below!

Musica Sacra, the longest continuously-performing professional chorus in New York City, will present a performance in honor of Women's History Month featuring works by acclaimed composers Meredith Monk and Jocelyn Hagen at New York's Alice Tully Hall on Monday, March 31, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.