Mark Campbell News

Washington National Opera (WNO) will present the world premiere of Approaching Ali on Friday and Saturday, June 8-9, 2013 in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Approaching Ali features music by composer D.J. Sparr and a libretto by Mark Campbell and Davis Miller, based on Miller's own autobiographical novella. This new work is the first hourlong opera created under the auspices of the American Opera Initiative, WNO's new commissioning program for contemporary American opera, and will be directed by Nicole Watson in her WNO debut.

Shana Farr, the multi-talented actress/singer who won the coveted Julie Wilson Award at the Mabel Mercer Foundation's 23rd Annual Cabaret Convention last October at Jazz at Lincoln Center, will make her London singing debut at The Crazy Coqs (20 Sherwood Street) in London, England, tonight, May 14 - 18, 8:00 PM with two late-night shows May 17 - 18, 10:30 PM.

Artistic Directors Steven Blier and Michael Barrett cap the first quarter-century of NEW YORK FESTIVAL OF SONG with a 25th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION tonight, May 13 at 7:30 PM at DiMenna Center for Classical Music.

Shana Farr, the multi-talented actress/singer who won the coveted Julie Wilson Award at the Mabel Mercer Foundation's 23rd Annual Cabaret Convention last October at Jazz at Lincoln Center, will make her London singing debut at The Crazy Coqs (20 Sherwood Street) in London, England, on May 14 - 18, 8:00 PM with two late-night shows May 17 - 18, 10:30 PM.

American Lyric Theater (ALT) today announced complete casting forInsightALT, the company's upcoming festival dedicated to providing an intimate, up-close look at its process of creating new operas.

Lawrence Edelson, Founder and Producing Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater (ALT), announced today that the company has been selected by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to receive a $35,000 Art Works grant to support its Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP), the only full-time professional mentorship initiative for emerging operatic writers in the country.

Lawrence Edelson, Founder and Producing Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater (ALT), announced today that the company has been selected by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to receive a $35,000 Art Works grant to support its Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP), the only full-time professional mentorship initiative for emerging operatic writers in the country.

Artistic Directors Steven Blier and Michael Barrett cap the first quarter-century of NEW YORK FESTIVAL OF SONG with a 25th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION on Monday, May 13 at 7:30 PM at DiMenna Center for Classical Music.

Shana Farr, the multi-talented actress/singer who won the coveted Julie Wilson Award at the Mabel Mercer Foundation's 23rd Annual Cabaret Convention last October at Jazz at Lincoln Center, will make her London singing debut at The Crazy Coqs in London, England, on May 14 - 18, 2013 where she will present her critically acclaimed cabaret show, Whistling Away The Dark, Through Songs of Julie Andrews.

American Opera Projects (AOP) announces the return of its popular Composers & the Voice program for its 2013-14 season. Created and led by Composers & the Voice Artistic Director Steven Osgood, six composers or composer/librettist teams will be selected for a year-long fellowship, working with the company's Reside nt Ensemble of Singers and Artistic Team. Applications and additional information can be found at AOP's website www.operaprojects.org/composers_voice. The deadline for applications is May 17, 2013. All sessions will be at AOP's home base in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

TREASURE ISLAND ~ A NEW MUSICAL set to sail at Arkansas Rep on March 8, 2013. Featuring a book by Brett Smock and Carla Vitale and music and lyrics by Corinne Aquilina, the show is directed and choreographed by Brett Smock. Watch the video below as cast and crew replicate storms on the high seas in 'Hispaniola'!

The 2013-2014 season of Washington National Opera (WNO) has just been announced by Artistic Director Francesca Zambello. The season includes Tristan and Isolde, a new production of The Force of Destiny, the East Coast premiere of Moby-Dick, The Elixir of Love, and a new production of The Magic Flute. WNO will also present the world premiere of The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me, a holiday-themed family opera commissioned by WNO and written by acclaimed American composer Jeanine Tesori. A second season of the American Opera Initiative will continue WNO's efforts to commission new American works.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2013-14 Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP). Founded in 2007 and recognized for artistic excellence by both the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the CLDP is the only full-time professional mentorship initiative for operatic writers in the country.

American Lyric Theater presents the next installment in its popular series, The Living Libretto, at the National Opera Center, tonight, February 6th, 2013. Featuring guest actors from the Broadway and off-Broadway stage, each event is the culminating reading of extensive libretto workshops conducted for new operas currently being written by ALT Resident Artists.

Lawrence Edelson, Producing Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater, announced today the national expansion of the company's core initiative, The Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP). Through the use of newly acquired HD teleconferencing technology, gifted emerging artists with an interest in writing for the opera stage will be able to participate in the CLDP, regardless of where they live in the country.

Lawrence Edelson, Producing Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater, announced today the national expansion of the company's core initiative, The Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP). Through the use of newly acquired HD teleconferencing technology, gifted emerging artists with an interest in writing for the opera stage will be able to participate in the CLDP, regardless of where they live in the country.

Lawrence Edelson, Producing Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater, announced today the national expansion of the company's core initiative, The Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP). Through the use of newly acquired HD teleconferencing technology, gifted emerging artists with an interest in writing for the opera stage will be able to participate in the CLDP, regardless of where they live in the country.

American Lyric Theater presents the next installment in its popular series, The Living Libretto, at the National Opera Center, Wednesday February 6th, 2013. Featuring guest actors from the Broadway and off-Broadway stage, each event is the culminating reading of extensive libretto workshops conducted for new operas currently being written by ALT Resident Artists.

TREASURE ISLAND ~ A NEW MUSICAL will set to sail at Arkansas Rep on March 8. Featuring a book by Brett Smock and Carla Vitale and music and lyrics by Corinne Aquilina, the show will be directed and choreographed by Brett Smock.

American Lyric Theater (ALT) has been awarded two grants of $15,000 each from OPERA America's THE OPERA FUND for Repertoire Development. Announced earlier today by OPERA America, the grants are for two operas in development at ALT: La Reina by composer Jorge Sosa and librettist Laura Sosa Pedroza; and The Long Walk, by composer Jeremy Howard Beck and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann based on Brian Castner's critically acclaimed book of the same name.