Beth Morrison News

On Monday, September 12, 2016, Works & Process at the Guggenheim presents discussion with the creators and excerpts of Opera Philadelphia's upcoming world premiere of Breaking the Waves by composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek.

Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) Stanford Calderwood General and Artistic Director Esther Nelson announced today a multi-platform, regional recognition of the robust opera and vocal music offerings in Greater Boston over the next six weeks, and debuted an online calendar that combines them all as part of the company's "40 Days of Opera" celebration.

On the heels of releasing his latest album Portraits & Tributes, award-winning composer/conductor/teacher Scott Wheeler celebrates two new major works to be performed in fall 2016: Naga, his fourth opera, set to a libretto by Cerise Jacobs, premiering September 10-17 in Boston; and Songs To Fill The Void, a three-song cycle set to poetry by Robert Barefield, premiering October 2 in New York City at Weill Recital Hall. In addition, the New Juilliard Ensemble conducted by Joel Sachs will present his chamber symphony City of Shadows on October 1.

The GRAMMY Award-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus has announced that Silent Voices, a multimedia, multi-composer stage work conceived, co-commissioned, produced and performed by the Chorus, will be the centerpiece of the Chorus' 25th anniversary season.

2016-17 Programming Expands the Chorus' Pioneering Role as a Powerful Lead Performer, a Bold Commissioner of New Music and a Producer of Innovative Stage Works.

NEW YORK, NY (For Release 8.2.16) — On the heels of releasing his latest album Portraits & Tributes, award-winning composer/conductor/teacher Scott Wheeler celebrates two new major works to be performed in fall 2016: Naga, his fourth opera, set to a libretto by Cerise Jacobs, premiering September 10-17 in Boston; and Songs To Fill The Void, a three-song cycle set to poetry by Robert Barefield, premiering October 2 in New York City at Weill Recital Hall. In addition, the New Juilliard Ensemble conducted by Joel Sachs will present his chamber symphony City of Shadows on October 1.

Prototype: Opera/Theatre/Now invigorates New York City January 5-15, 2017, with its fifth annual explosion of provocative and pioneering opera- and music-theatre, curated by co-founding producers, Kristin Marting (of HERE), Beth Morrison (of Beth Morrison Projects) and Kim Whitener (of HERE).

HERE has announced its 2016-2017 producing season, featuring three HERE Resident Artist world premieres, two international presentations from HERE's renowned Dream Music Puppetry Program, the fifth annual PROTOTYPE: Opera/Theatre/Now festival, and HERE's yearly CULTUREMART festival, where HERE serves up a first look at new work in process from artists in the HERE Artist Residency Program (HARP).

Opera Saratoga's Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson announced today the three exciting new productions that will comprise the company's 2017 Summer Festival, which will build on the company's commitment to producing masterpieces from the operatic cannon, important American works, and works in which dance plays an integral role.

Opera Philadelphia looks forward to launching the 2016-17 season with the world premiere of a new company co-commission, Breaking the Waves (Sep 22-Oct 1).

On Monday, May 23, HERE honors renowned puppet artist Basil Twist and the Mertz Gilmore Foundation & the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, accepted by Foundation President Jay Beckner, at HERE's annual gala.

LA Opera's 30th Anniversary Season will conclude with the world premiere of Anatomy Theater, opening on June 16. Created by Pulitzer Prize-winning and Academy Award-nominated composer David Lang, who co-wrote the libretto with Mark Dion, the new work is presented at REDCAT (631 West 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012) as part of the LA Opera Off Grand series. The presentation is part of a multi-season collaboration between LA Opera and Beth Morrison Projects to present cutting-edge contemporary works. 

LA Opera's 30th Anniversary Season will conclude with the world premiere of Anatomy Theater, opening on June 16. Created by Pulitzer Prize-winning and Academy Award-nominated composer David Lang, who co-wrote the libretto with Mark Dion, the new work is presented at REDCAT (631 West 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012) as part of the LA Opera Off Grand series. The presentation is part of a multi-season collaboration between LA Opera and Beth Morrison Projects to present cutting-edge contemporary works.  BroadwayWorld brings you a first look below!

? OPERA America, the national service organization for opera and the nation's leading champion for American opera, is pleased to announce the latest recipients of Discovery Grants and Commissioning Grants from the Opera Grants for Female Composers program, made possible through the generosity of The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

21C Media Group is delighted to announce that it now represents creator and librettist Cerise Jacobs, a project developer of irrepressible enthusiasm and vision who stands at the very center of each development process, initiating the concept, writing the text, and choosing the composer solely according to the stylistic demands of her libretto.

BASS continues its innovative new music series In Context at the Tenri Cultural Center tonight, April 2nd, 2016.

As part of its 2015-2016 Producing Season, HERE presents the Artistic Director production, IDIOT, conceived by writer Robert Lyons (Text) and HERE Artistic Director Kristin Marting (Director, Choreographer), adapted from Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Idiot.

As part of its 2015-2016 Producing Season, HERE proudly presents Science Fair, a HERE Resident Artist production conceived and performed by Hai-Ting Chinn. This new opera-theater work, a live science show with lessons & lectures in song, Science Fair features Music Direction by Erika Switzer (piano), and Music by Matthew Schickele, Renee Favand-See, Stefan Weisman and Conrad Cummings. Lisa Rothe directs. This world premiere will have 8 performances only, April 13 - 24, at HERE (145 Sixth Avenue, just below Spring Street). Developed through the HERE Artist Residency Program (HARP), Science Fair marks the culmination of a residency for Hai-Ting Chinn with HARP.

BASS continues its innovative new music series In Context at the Tenri Cultural Center on SaturdayApril 2nd, 2016. This year's featured composer is Scott Wheeler, hailed by Fanfare as “one of the freshest American voices.” The program features Mr. Wheeler's work alongside those by colleagues and mentors (Virgil Thomson and Judith Weir) and favorite classics (Johannes Brahms and Robert Schumann). The program will include the world premiere of Ben Gunn. Soprano Elisabeth Marhsall, mezzo soprano Kate Maroney, tenor Brandon Snook, and baritone Steven Eddy join pianists Michael Brofman, Jocelyn Dueck, and Miori Sugiyama.

NEW YORK, NY (For Release 3.7.16) — Hailed for his vocal and operatic music, award-winning composer/conductor/teacher Scott Wheeler showcases his omnivorous compositional style during the 2016-17 season. From the album release of Portrait (Bridge Records) and the world premiere of his latest opera Naga by the Boston Lyric Opera to nationwide performances of his Ben Gunn song cycle and debut as a composer for dance, Wheeler continues to lead the new-music vanguard. A continual point of reference for contemporary music, Wheeler serves in numerous leadership roles including: 2016-17 Affiliate of NYUâ€s Center for the Ballet and Arts, 2016-17 Composer-in-Residence at the Brooklyn Art Song Society, and Professor at Bostonâ€s Emerson College.