When the Los Angeles Master Chorale originally planned Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis for January of its 2016/17 season, the two performances, let alone the inauguration of a new President of the United States, were still more than a year away. There was no political statement, expressed or implied, in its scheduling, no inherent message of defiance or rebellion in its libretto. … Continue reading
The other shoe has dropped. Having already mentioned that Gluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice will be on the 2017/18 season docket, Los Angeles Opera announced the rest of next season’s schedule earlier this evening. As with the LACO 207/18 season announcement, I’ll give my $0.02 later this week. In the meantime, here are some noteworthy tidbits: Continue reading
This past weekend’s press release from Los Angeles Opera about Music Director James Conlon’s latest contract extension through the end of the 2020/2021 season included statements from General Director Plácido Domingo, Board Chair Marc Stern, and Mr. Conlon himself. One person who was not quoted was the company’s Resident Conductor, Grant Gershon, so I asked him for … Continue reading
The term “unknown masterpiece” is one usually ascribed to works that haven’t seen the light of day for decades or centuries before somehow being unearthed: a Bach aria stashed amidst birthday cards in a Weimar library or a $5 thrift store painting that may end up being a long-lost Jackson Pollack. Lagrime di San Pietro (Tears of … Continue reading
Jean Davidson is six months into her job as President & CEO of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and in some ways, she’s still settling in. She’s lived much of the past two decades in New York. Her most recent ten years were spent as the administrative yin to the artistic yang of acclaimed choreographer … Continue reading
Earlier today, the Los Angeles Master Chorale announced that Jean Davidson will be its new President and CEO beginning August 31, 2015. She takes over the position from Terry Knowles, who is retiring at the end of this season after having led the organization for the past 15 years. Ms. Davidson comes to the Master Chorale from New York … Continue reading
Delaram Kamareh is not a big believer in doing exactly what everyone thinks a soprano should do, and by extension, what they think SHE should do. As we chat over a bite to eat, she recalls a recent conversation with a would-be agent: “It was pretty clear that we weren’t a good fit for each other. … Continue reading
