pianist, opera coach, conductor, writer
Ariadne rehearsals have begun! It is such a pleasure to be back at Glimmerglass after more than a dozen years. Even after all this time it feels familiar, and I’m overjoyed to feast my eyes on the beauty of Otsego County again. The cast was ready to get down to … Continue Reading →
That’s how long we spent between first rehearsal and dress rehearsal. How does that even work? A whirlwind schedule like that can function if you have important people in place. First and foremost, of course, we have our cast from the premiere performances in Houston: the incomparable Frederica von Stade, … Continue Reading →
Where did the time in Houston go? It seems like I was posting from the first Das Rheingold rehearsals just the other day. But the dress rehearsal was last night, and I am back in Austin for a few weeks of teaching. Houston, we have a problem – there are almost … Continue Reading →
“First day of school” – even after many years in this business, that’s always the feeling of a first rehearsal. Today we begin principal rehearsals at the Houston Grand Opera for Das Rheingold, the first installment of Richard Wagner’s monumental tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen. Houston is doing one opera each season for … Continue Reading →
My fellow UT prof David Small and I rehearsed this morning for our Valentine’s Day recital, which we’re entitling “Mars and Venus: The Rules of Engagement.” The first half is comprised of texts dealing with war, including songs by Ives, Butterworth, Weill, and the stunning “War Prayer” composed by our … Continue Reading →