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Daniela Candillari grew up in Serbia and Slovenia. She holds a Doctorate in Musicology from the Universität für Musik in Vienna, a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and a Master of Music and Bachelor's degree in Piano Performance from the Universität für Musik in Graz. She is also a Fulbright Scholarship recipient.Daniela is in her fourth season as principal conductor at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. In celebration of its 50th anniversary season, she is conducting the company's 44th world premiere, This House, with music by Ricky Ian Gordon and libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage and her daughter, Ruby Aiyo Gerber.Daniela made her New York Philharmonic debut in its inaugural season in the new David Geffen Hall, conducting cellist Yo-Yo Ma in Elgar's Cello Concerto. And she made her “Carnegie Hall Presents” debut leading the American Composers Orchestra in a program of premieres. Other engagements include debuts with the Metropolitan Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin, and productions with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Minnesota Opera, Detroit Opera, Orchestre Métropolitan Montreal, and Classical Tahoe Festival.Finally, Daniela has been commissioned by established artists including instrumentalists from the Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, and Pittsburgh Symphonies, as well as the three resident orchestras of Lincoln Center: the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the New York City Ballet. She is deeply involved with Music Academy of the West's programming for young artists and she recently participated in master classes and discussions at DePaul University, Chicago Humanities Festival, and Valissima Institute.It's a pleasure to have her with me on this episode.
Joe Chvala (Artistic Director/Flying Foot Forum) is the founder and artistic director of the highly-acclaimed percussive dance company, the Flying Foot Forum. In addition to the Flying Foot Forum, Chvala has directed, choreographed, and been commissioned to create new works for a variety of theater and dance companies including the Guthrie Theater, the Walker Art Center, the Ordway Music Theater, the Minnesota Opera, Chicago Shakespeare, Children's Theater Company, Arkansas Repertory, Theater Mu, Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, the History Theater, The Alpine Theater Project, Park Square Theatre, and The Boston Conservatory. He has been the recipient of both Ivey and Sage awards for theater and dance as well as numerous “Best of the Year” honors from various US newspapers and periodicals and numerous choreographic and interdisciplinary awards, fellowships, and grants from such organizations as the National Endowment for the Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and the McKnight Foundation. His recent film work as a director/writer has been featured in a number of European and American film festivals.Description of WorkFootfall—Choreographed by Joe Chvala, “Footfall” features a mixture of Flying Foot Forum's signature hybrid percussive dances with traditional clogging, folk music and dance to celebrate the passing of time, the ephemeral quality of life and the joys, struggles, strengths, longings, passions, and melancholy that are a part of it all. This piece will appear in its entirety in our upcoming concert May 8-18 at Park Square Theater. NOTE: The a cappella clogging duet “One Hundred Dead Dollars” was choreographed by founding company member, Clayton Schanilec.
MN Opera's Principal Conductor Christopher Franklin joined Vineeta to discuss Romeo and Juliet which is playing at the Ordway.
MN Opera's Principal Conductor Christopher Franklin joined Vineeta to discuss Romeo and Juliet which is playing at the Ordway.
Don't call it a comeback, dear Scorekeepers! Call it a homecoming! Welcome to the new iteration of your favorite podcast, which we're affectionately calling The Score 2.0. The Minnesota Opera era is over. The Lincoln Center era is over. We're now proudly coming to you as a wholly independent, Black and queer media enterprise, liberated from the shackles of any institutional pressure. What does that mean? It means we're going to keep bringing you the same Black, queer arts and culture commentary you've come to enjoy, but a bit freer and a lot spicier. Plus, we're excited to dip our toes into some completely new topics that we've always wanted to explore. It also means, however, that we need your support more than ever, so if you love The Score and you want it to continue, please tell everyone you can about us, share our content on your socials and, of course, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you're listening. We love you all and thank you a million times for joining us on this new journey!On this week's inaugural episode of The Score 2.0, we chat about our hopes and fears for next month's election, union-busting at the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and, of course, we end with a little Pure Black Joy featuring Doechii, the reboot of classic sitcom A Different World, and remembering Frankie Beverly. Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsProducer: Rocky Jones--Links:"Dallas Black Dance Theatre fires 9 dancers over social media video; city council calls for probe" (Fox4News.com)Dancers of Dallas Black Dance Theatre (Instagram) --New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Tuesday. If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also, leaving a 5-star REVIEW on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. Email your questions or comments to thescorepodcast2.0@gmail.com.Ways to Listen: Apple | Spotify | YouTubeFollow Us on Insta! Lee | Paige | Rocky
Julia gives her review of Anyone But You, we talk with Minnesota Opera actors about Puccini's La bohème at the Ordway Music Theater, and Dermot Mulroney reveals he didn't work for a year after filming My Best Friend's Wedding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Julia gives her review of Anyone But You, we talk with Minnesota Opera actors about Puccini's La bohème at the Ordway Music Theater, and Dermot Mulroney reveals he didn't work for a year after filming My Best Friend's Wedding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Joe Chvala has created over 30 original works for the stage that have toured from New York to Paris and from Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival to Litle Falls, MN. He is the founder and artistic director of the highly acclaimed percussive dance company, Flying Foot Forum. Articles and reviews of his work have appeared in national and international magazines and newspapers including the New York Times, La Monde, the Chicago Tribune, Dance Magazine, and the Village Voice. The range of his work has been described as "somewhere between Sammy Davis, Jr. and Samuel Becket" and has earned such accolades as "Fred Astaire on acid" and "the Agnes DeMille of the tap." Chvala has also choreographed, directed, and/or been commissioned to create new work for a variety of venues including the Walker Art Center, The Ordway Center, the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, the Minnesota Opera, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, The Children's Theatre Company (to name a few). He has received Ivey and Minnesota SAGE Awards for theater and dance, as well as numerous other awards, fellowships, and grants from organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, Minnesota State Arts Board, Target, and McKnight Foundation. Chvala also choreographs and directs dance for films. His first short film, COOKAPHONY, has been chosen as an official selection at 14 film festivals, winning four awards at various festivals including Paris Short Film Festival, Sedona International Film Festival, Vasteras International Film Festival (Sweden) and the Minneapolis/St. Paul Internatonal Film Festval.
On today's episode, Keith Russell of Life in Revue is joined by director/choreographer/dancer/actor/everything Kyle Weiler. Kyle takes us on a journey from the Juilliard School to his time touring as Riff in West Side Story to the surprising story behind his being cast in Hamilton on Broadway. He's back here in Minnesota and quickly winning the admiration of our bloggers with his work directing and choreographing She Loves Me at Lakeshore Players Theatre, choreographing and starring in Crazy For You at Artistry, as well as choreographing and starring as Gabe in Theater Latte Da's Next to Normal. He is now directing the operas Trouble in Tahiti and Service Provider for Minnesota Opera (at Luminary Arts Center from March 9-23). Enjoy the conversation!Twin Cities Theater Chat is produced and hosted by Carol Jackson of Minnesota Theater Love and members of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers collective. As always, you can find the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers on Facebook and on Instagram. Read our review round-ups and go see a show today!
When Cathy was 15, she fell in love with dance and mime while studying at the Children's Theater School with Myron Johnson and Wendy Lehr. She went on to dance with Zoe Sealy's Minnesota Jazz Dance Company where she met aspiring choreographer Ken Delap. As an original member of Ken Delap's Ozone Dance Company, Cathy performed across the Midwest and in New York City at the American Theater Laboratory.Other performance highlights include playing the lead in Kenneth Robbins' production, “Accidently Exalted” at St. Paul's Landmark Center, numerous productions at Chanhassen Dinner Theaters, Minnesota Opera, Kentucky Opera, and Minnesota Orchestra's Summer Pops Concerts, and live business theater events. Choreography credits include Chanhassen Dinner Theater, Minnesota Opera, Theatre Exchange, History Theater, Skylark Opera, Target Corporation, as well as colleges and high schools.As a mime, Cathy was an artist in residence through the Minnesota State Arts Board's Artists-in-Education Program, co-authored “The Mime Alphabet Book” with her sister, Nina, and performed as a Yoplait mime in New York and New Jersey.Since 1996, she's been working as a marketing writer for Twin Cities-based creative agencies and corporate clients. She still enjoys performing but now as a storyteller at The Moth, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Patrick's Cabaret, TEDx, Story Club, and Island of Discarded Women podcast.
We've got a lightning round of 2024 recommendations! Rob Dunkelberger of The Stages of MN, Julie Jackson of Minnesota Theater Love, Mary Aalgaard of Play Off the Page, Keith Russell of Life in Revue, and Jill Schafer of Cherry and Spoon discuss the shows they recommend and are anticipating.Shows discussed include:Ironbound by Frank Theatre at the Gremlin - 1/19/24 to 2/11/24The Last Five Years at Lyric Arts - 1/19/24 to 2/11/24Crazy for You at Artistry - 1/25/24 to 2/11/24A variety of upcoming events at Hive CollaborativeMacPhail Presents: Faculty Spotlight – It Takes Two - 2/3/24The Broadway Songbook: Broadway in Love at Park Square Theatre - 2/16/24 to 2/18/24Elixir of Love at Minnesota Opera - 1/27/24 to 2/4/24Radiant Vermin at Lyric Arts - 3/1/24 to 3/24/24In the Green at Theatre Elision - 2/22/24 to 3/9/24 Toil and Trouble at Yellow Tree Theatre - 2/2/24 to 3/3/24Silent Sky at Theatre in the Round - 2/23/24 to 3/17/24 Cabaret at Theatre 55 - 2/2/24 to 2/10/24Stones in His Pockets at Theater Latte Da - 1/24/24 to 2/25/24Twin Cities Theater Chat is produced and hosted by Carol Jackson of Minnesota Theater Love and members of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers collective. As always, you can find the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers on Facebook and on Instagram. Read our review round-ups and go see a show today!
Opera lover Miluska Novota of Minneapolis says she's “saltando en dos patitas — jumping on two feet” for joy as she looks forward to seeing Venessa Becerra in Minnesota Opera's “Elixir of Love.” Novota loved the soprano's performance in “The Daughter of the Regiment,” and she's happy to see a Latina performer take the lead role as Adina. In Gaetano Donizetti's popular comedic opera, lowly farmer Nemorino (Andrew Stenston), tries to win the heart of the beautiful, strong-willed Adina, and a love potion feels like just the way to go. It's a plot worth of a telenovela, says Novota, but with beautiful arias. Novota appreciates that the Minnesota Opera has been “doing such a good job … recruiting singers of color, and bringing communities that may not have felt welcome in the classical world and in opera.” The production is set in 1916 California. It will be sung in Italian with English captions projected above the stage. The show opens Saturday, Jan. 27, and runs through Feb. 4.Minneapolis-based performer Sam Johnson has long followed the work of choreographer Morgan Thorson, and he's looking forward to watching her newest creation this Saturday night. “Untitled Night” stands out for its location: it takes place on a frozen lake at night. “She often tackles these big, huge issues, concepts that we're all dealing with in our lives. But she comes at it in this in a really interesting, very dance-centric way that I really appreciate.” The 30-minute dance performance investigates our relationship with winter and the night sky, performed as a collaboration of a dozen interdisciplinary artists. There are two shows at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Silver Lake in St. Anthony. This performance is part of The Great Northern, a Twin Cities Arts festival that runs Jan. 25 through Feb. 4. Art lover Marc Robinson of Northfield is looking forward to seeing the third and final installment of an interdisciplinary art project traveling southeast Minnesota that investigates the concept of home. Artist Cecilia Cornejo Sotelo created a traveling recording studio, and she interviewed people in Northfield, Lanesboro and Red Wing about home, belonging and community. In each town, their words were transcribed, and community members embroidered selected phrases onto squares that were then pieced together into a giant quilt. Red Wing's exhibit includes three large quilts with the Mississippi running across all three, uniting them. “Embroidering Red Wing: stories of home told with needle and thread” is on view at the Red Wing Arts Depot Gallery through Feb. 24. There is a public reception Saturday, Jan. 27 from 2-4 p.m. “Embroidering Red Wing” also features an interactive touchscreen, that allows the public to listen to the original, anonymous recording made in 2022, on which the embroidered work is based. The exhibition also includes The Wandering House - Sonic Archive, a repository of testimonials and ambient sounds designed as an exploration of home from a rural perspective. The archive comprises testimonials that Cornejo has been recording since 2019 with community members in Northfield, Lanesboro and Red Wing.
Jazz88's Peter Solomon spoke with David Radames Toro, Stage Director for Minnesota Opera's production of Cruzar La Cara De La Luna, a mariachi opera showing at the Ordway through November 12th. (Attached photo by Dan Norman)
Jazz88's Peter Solomon spoke with David Radames Toro, Stage Director for Minnesota Opera's production of Cruzar La Cara De La Luna, a mariachi opera showing at the Ordway through November 12th. (Attached photo by Dan Norman)
B.E. (Brittney Elizabeth) Boykin is a native of Alexandria, Virginia, and comes from a musical family. At the age of 7, she began piano lessons and continued her studies through high school under the tutelage of Mrs. Alma Sanford. Mrs. Sanford guided her through various competitions, such as the NAACP's ACT-SO competition where she garnered 1st place for 3 consecutive years in the local competition, as well as being awarded The Washington Post “Music and Dance Award” in the spring of 2007.Boykin then pursued her classical piano studies at Spelman College under the leadership of Dr. Rachel Chung. After graduating Spelman College in 2011 with a B.A. in Music, Boykin continued her studies at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. During her time at Westminster, she was awarded the R and R Young Composition Prize just a few months shy of graduating with her M.M. in Sacred Music with a concentration in choral studies in May, 2013.Boykin's choral piece, “We Sing as One,” was commissioned to celebrate Spelman College's 133rd Anniversary of its founding at the 2014 Founders Day Convocation. She has also been featured as the conductor/composer-in-residence for the 2017 Harry T. Burleigh Commemorative Spiritual Festival at Tennessee State University. Boykin has been commissioned and collaborated with several organizations, including a number of ACDA divisions, the Minnesota Opera and the Kennedy Center. She obtained her Ph.D. from Georgia State University with an emphasis in Music Education and is currently an Assistant Professor of Music at the Georgia Institute of Technology.To get in touch with Brittney, you can find her on Instagram (@_klavia) or Facebook (@klaviapress). You can also visit her websites, klaviapress.com and beboykin.com.Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us. Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace HudsonExcerpt from "Stardust" by B.E. Boykin, performed by the WSU Treble Choir, Matthew Myers, conductor. Available from Graphite Publishing: https://graphitepublishing.com/product/stardust/
Matthew Keefe has served the dance field for over 20 years as a dancer, teacher, choreographer, administrator, production & stage manager, non-profit consultant, board member, and artistic director.He holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Iowa and a non-profit management certificate from Rutgers University. Matthew has danced with James Sewell Ballet, Louisville Ballet and BalletMet Columbus, Charleston Ballet Theatre, has appeared as a guest artist for dozens of performances across the US and abroad including productions with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Minnesota Opera, and MN Orchestra's 2015 production of Carousel.He has choreographed over 50 ballets for professional and student ensembles. Matthew served on the board of Dance/USA for six years, chairing the Trustee Committee and a member of the Executive Committee. He served as the Artistic and School Director of the Rockford Dance Company where he led an increase in enrollment and reduction of deficit while creating several innovative productions with the performing company.He was the stage manager for the 2010 and 2016 Youth America Grand Prix and appears (briefly) in the documentary, “First Position”. Matthew directed multiple productions for Children's Dance Theatre in Rochester, MN including: The Mermaid (2016), The Jungle Book (2017), Cinderella (2018), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2019), and Alice in Wonderland (2021). Matthew is proud to work at the University of Minnesota Extension as a Development Associate.Brittany Fridenstine-Keefe danced with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Ballet Memphis, Minnesota Dance Theatre, James Sewell Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, Terpsicorps Dance Theater, Terra Firma Dance Company, Chamber Dance Project, Collide Theatrical Dance Company, at the National Choreographers' Initiative, and with Morphoses. She performed in a solo improvisation show in Germany and Italy under the direction of Luca Veggetti, and was selected to be an American ambassador at the international dance festival in Cali, Columbia.Administratively, Brittany is the Marketing and Communications Director and Young Dance and previously served as the School Coordinator of the Rockford Dance Company.Brittany is certified in the GYROTONIC® exercise system and runs a home-based studio, My Spiral Motion, helping people to “live better in their own bodies!”
Jess Forest (Jesse Neumann-Peterson) is a dancer, theater performer, choreographer, and visual artist residing in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As a nationally touring company member, teacher, and community outreach worker with Stuart Pimsler Dance and Theater (SPDT) for eight seasons he has performed in the following company repertory works, Tales From the Book of Longing, Matinee, Bohemian Grove, Walking, Singing and Other Habits, Ways to Be Hold, You and The Others, Sentry, The Listen Project, and Terra Incognita. He studied dance at the University of Minnesota, and the University of Minnesota Duluth. Before joining SPDT he was a company member, performer, and teacher with Intergenerational dance company Kairos Dance Theater (Kairos Alive!). As an independent dancer he has performed with Flying Foot Forum, Christopher Watson Dance Company, Minnesota Opera, Minnesota Dance Theater, Zenon, Rosy Simas, Vanessa Voskuil, Sharon Picasso, Off-Leash Area, Tino Sehgal, Claude Wampler,and many others. As a choreographer he has created works for Sally Dixon, 16 Feet, 9X22, Cities Ballet, and the 2022 Right Here Showcase. Jesse is a 2014 Sage Award Recipient for Outstanding Dance Performer, awarded for his performances in The Student by Vanessa Voskuil, Under the Current by Sharon Picasso, and Azalea Nights by Christine Maginnis.
SynopsisIn 1971, American film composer Bernard Herrmann confessed, "the only thing I ever did that was foolhardy was to write an opera." The opera was based on the 19th century novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Herrmann began work on it in April of 1943, and didn't finish until today's date in 1951—at 3:45 p.m., as he noted in its score.In those years, Herrmann was juggling three careers. He was conducting the CBS Orchestra, producing music for New York radio plays and occasional Hollywood films, and trying to write "serious" concert hall works. It's no wonder it took him eight years to finish a big opera score that clocked in at over three hours in length.Now, writing an opera is hard enough, but getting it staged is even harder. Herrmann liked to quote Franz Liszt, that "to write an opera you have to have the soul of a hero—and the mentality of a lackey—to have it produced." Even if an opera company expressed interest, Herrmann refused to cut or alter his score. He felt Wuthering Heights was his masterpiece, and refused to compromise.The opera was never staged during his lifetime, so Herrmann had to content himself with making his own studio recording of Wuthering Heights at his own expense. After Herrmann's death in 1975, the Portland Opera staged an edited-down version, and more recently, in 2011, the Minnesota Opera staged and filmed a critically acclaimed revival.Music Played in Today's ProgramBernard Herrmann (1911 - 1975) Wuthering Heights soloists; Pro Arte Orch; Bernard Herrmann, conductor. Unicorn UKCD -2050/52
Edward Tulane was the first work by a woman to be commissioned by Minnesota Opera as part of the company's New Works Initiative. Said composer Paola Prestini: "I'm immensely grateful that Minnesota Opera chose me for this adventure, and hope that this opera brings new audiences to our stages. The themes found in the DiCamillo novel, woven into a brilliant and unique libretto by Mark Campbell gave me the perfect springboard for an opera about hope and transformation! The opportunity to unleash my imagination into sound worlds for underwater fish, a zany doll shop, and ultimately a cast of characters that guide our leading soul with love and wisdom has been delightful. We all are in need of magic and transformation, and Edward's journey brings it in spades.”Track Listing:1 Edward Tulane, Act 1 Scene 12 Edward Tulane, Act 1 Scene 23 Edward Tulane, Act 1 Scene 34 Edward Tulane, Act 1 Scene 45 Edward Tulane, Act 1 Scene 56 Edward Tulane, Act 1 Scene 67 Edward Tulane, Act 1 Scene 78 Edward Tulane, Act 1 Scene 89 Edward Tulane, Act 1 Scene 910 Edward Tulane, Act 1 Scene 1011 Edward Tulane, Act 1 Scene 1112 Edward Tulane, Act 2 Scene 113 Edward Tulane, Act 2 Scene 214 Edward Tulane, Act 2 Scene 315 Edward Tulane, Act 2 Scene 416 Edward Tulane, Act 2 Scene 517 Edward Tulane, Act 2 Scene 618 Edward Tulane, Act 2 Scene 719 Edward Tulane, Act 2 Scene 820 Edward Tulane, Act 2 Scene 9Help support our show by purchasing this album at:Downloads (classicalmusicdiscoveries.store) Classical Music Discoveries is sponsored by Uber and Apple Classical. @CMDHedgecock#ClassicalMusicDiscoveries #KeepClassicalMusicAlive#CMDGrandOperaCompanyofVenice #CMDParisPhilharmonicinOrléans#CMDGermanOperaCompanyofBerlin#CMDGrandOperaCompanyofBarcelonaSpain#ClassicalMusicLivesOn#Uber#AppleClassical Please consider supporting our show, thank you!Donate (classicalmusicdiscoveries.store) staff@classicalmusicdiscoveries.comThis album is broadcasted with the permission of Crossover Media Music Promotion (Zachary Swanson and Amanda Bloom).
1.Stop downplaying the skills you have learned through the arts. Meaning if you're an artist who is looking to pivot or have a parallel career in something artistic or not, stand on the skills you've learned as an artist. Don't negate them! 2. Money is a neutral tool, we are the ones who ascribe an emotion to it and for a lot of artists that emotion is fear, but we can choose to ascribe another emotion to it or no emotion at all. 3. Give yourself permission. Permission to take chances, permission to be good with money, permission to build the life you want as an artist. These are my key take aways from my conversation with Singer, Financial Educator & Advisor Tiffany Soricelli. Tiffany Soricelli is an award-winning financial advisor and the owner of Virtuoso Asset Management LLC, the first Registered Investment Advisory firm in the country dedicated to serving Artists and Supporters of the Arts through financial planning and asset management services. She is also the founder and CEO of Virtuoso Advising for Artists, a company dedicated to coaching and educating artists about the business and financial aspects of building a thriving career in the arts. As a sought-after national speaker, Tiffany currently serves as the business & financial coach to emerging artists at The Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera, and San Francisco Opera. During the summer, she works with artists at Wolf Trap Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Seagle Music Colony, the Mostly Modern Festival and regularly serves as a speaker for national organizations including Opera America, The Recording Academy, and Chamber Music America. She has led educational seminars for New World Symphony, LA Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Atlanta Opera and several prestigious music conservatories across the country. Prior to her financial career, Tiffany earned her BM and MM from SUNY Potsdam's Crane school of Music. She lives in upstate New York outside of Saratoga Springs, NY with her husband and two children. Get in touch: Tiffany Soricelli Website: https://www.virtuosoadvising.com/ Instagram: @virtuosoadvisingforartists Ayana Major Bey Website: www.ayanabey.com Instagram: @ayanambey, @theartistpivot Monthly Newsletter: https://www.ayanabey.com/podcast Show Sponsor: Get 10% off your first month with BetterHelp at https://betterhelp.com/artistpivot ******* Host & Exec. Producer: Ayana Major Bey Editor: Kieran Niemand Part of the Boundless Audio Network
Stephanie [00:00:12]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's dish. We talk to people that have written cookbooks or books or food adjacent things because I can't get enough about talking about food, and and today we have a great guest. She is julie joe sieverson. She is the author of Oldest Twin Cities a Guide to Historic Treasures. And I had read about this book, and I thought, oh, that's cool. I wonder if she has stuff in there about restaurants and breweries, because we have so much history in the Twin Cities. And indeed she does. Welcome to the program.Julie [00:00:47]:Thank you for having me here. This will be fun.Stephanie [00:00:50]:Yes, it will be fun. So how did you decide? Are you like a born and bred twin Citian, and how did you decide to undertake this project?Julie [00:00:59]:Yes, I'm a fourth generation Minnesotan, and I've lived in the Twin Cities most of my life. I first wrote a book called Secret Twin Cities a Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, and that came out in 2020, arrived March, mid March, right when the cities were shutting down. So good timing on my part. I shoved them all in the corner for a couple of weeks because I thought, who's going to want to buy a travel guide right now?Stephanie [00:01:24]:Right?Julie [00:01:25]:It turned out okay for secret Twin cities. They had a lot of social distancing ideas in it, coincidentally. But anyway, all this Twin Cities evolved from that book. About a year later, the publisher asked if I'd like to write another one. And I really wanted to do one of more of a historic nature because I just think with COVID and the really tough year that the Twin Cities had in 2020, including the murder of George Floyd and the Civil uprising and businesses shutting down, burned down. I just felt like I needed a reason to fall back in love with the Twin Cities. And I was feeling a loss of community and a loss of connection. And for me to feel connected to the region I live in is very important to me. I need to feel part of the fabric. And so I just stopped focusing on enduring places in our midst and places that hung in there and have endured and have reopened, providing us continuity, kind of a comfort that was good for my soul to focus my energy there. So that's why I kind of went in this direction.Stephanie [00:02:43]:Well, and one of the selections in the book is the Oldest Best Bar, which is our friend Tony Zacardi, who bought it from our friend Lisa Hammer. I knew Lisa and Keith, and they had shepherded the bar, and then they sold it to Tony Zacardi. And it's from 1906.Julie [00:03:03]:Apparently.Stephanie [00:03:04]:It's an institution on Cedar Avenue. And you talk about sort of that pandemic and that coming back to life. Tony is a good example of someone that really he had just bought the bar and all of a sudden it has to close, and they're trying to hang on. And a lot of these bars and restaurants and distilleries really were in tough shape. So I was so glad that when we came out of the pandemic that Palmers has come out of it. And tell me a little bit about the history of Palmers in particular.Julie [00:03:40]:Yeah. And Tony really was he was really propelled into the national spotlight during that time. Yes.Stephanie [00:03:48]:He was an African American man who.Julie [00:03:51]:Owns this in the heart of he spray painted black owned business in hopes to protect his business, to deflect potential looters. And he was really a spokesperson and a comfort, I think, for the twin stage community during that time. We needed absolutely.Stephanie [00:04:10]:And the music community, too, because Palmer has had such a history in steeped in music.Julie [00:04:16]:Yeah. What a gem this place is. It's so unique, with an Islamic mosque on one end and then that iconic Mustachioed man against it on the other one. And as I write in the book, you rarely leave this place without a story to tell. Kind of rough edge place. Maybe not everybody's going to feel comfortable there, but you're very welcome there, no matter who you are. And you'll be invited to play a game of Scrabble or get into a conversation, unless you're a jerk. Because if you're a jerk, you're going to get plastered on a poster note on the back wall, and you're not going to be welcome there at all.Stephanie [00:05:00]:That's funny.Julie [00:05:02]:Yeah.Stephanie [00:05:02]:Another institution that is in downtown Minneapolis specifically, and I didn't realize that they had had a fire in 1989, but this was Glicks, the oldest downtown bar.Julie [00:05:20]:Yeah. Lots lots of damage. It seems like most of these places have endured fires over the years. Yeah.Stephanie [00:05:30]:You can imagine that. Yep.Julie [00:05:32]:Yeah, they they really came back from that. In fact, there was a moose in there. They have these animal heads mounted all throughout the restaurant. And the moose in the back room had been stolen from during a fraternity party there. And I think this group, whoever had stolen it, felt so bad because of fire that Reopening day, they anonymously returned it, leaning it against the front door. Welcome, everybody back. But yeah, my daughter was just there the other day. She's like I'm a glicks. I'm like, do you know that's in my book? No, I didn't even know that.Stephanie [00:06:05]:I had no idea either. Now, the Monte Carlo has been near and dear to my heart for some time, and my mom and dad got divorced, and my dad moved downtown. And that was really like, wow. Because we were suburban girls. And the first weekend my dad had us, he took us into this CD alley, and he went through this back door that had this weird sign above it and brought us in. And I thought he was bringing us into a pool hall. And I was like, oh, my gosh, my dad has really tipped over here, and it turned out to be the Loveliest bar inside. It was actually the Monte Carlo, and he was kind of a regular there. What's the historic nature of the Monte Carlo?Julie [00:06:47]:Yeah. Well, yeah, the hum of the neon sign is going to remain a constant in the North Loop Bar. It's really exquisite in there with this mirrored wall behind the bar. One's kind of an elegance to it, to it all. But the whole North Loop area, the warehouse district is where the Milky Way candy bars and cream of pasta and pop up toaster were invented. This was a real industrial place. The neighborhood has more than 60 buildings that are over a century old. A lot of them have been repurposed. Some of them. A few of them are rehearsal spaces for the Minnesota Opera, and a lot of them are faded. Business signs are repurposed. You see the old signs, ghost signs, sort of. But the Monte Carlo Bar and Grill have stood the test of time. It used to be mostly only for men, but then when it changed ownership, mr. Rimsick, who owns a number of places in the Twin Cities, he kind of turned it into a destination for all the patty, is a great happening place. Now, Beijing style wings, they're really famous for.Stephanie [00:08:06]:Yeah, the dry rubbed wings are my favorite. Yeah, a kind of funny one that I didn't expect would reach me and grab me, but it did. So I work on the Stone Arch Bridge festival and I curate a culinary market that happens underneath the Hennepin Avenue Bridge. And underneath that bridge, we have 38 ten x ten booths of vendors that produce Minnesota made food products. And as I was looking through your book, it's the oldest bridge relic at First Bridge Park, which is where I am during these two days of the festival from 1855. Underneath that bridge, there's these giant anchors, and I sit on those anchors. That's my chair during the two days of the festival. So I didn't realize they were so old.Julie [00:08:56]:Well, yeah, those don't date back to the very first bridge to cross the Mississippi River anywhere. Right there at St. Anthony Falls. I mean, prior to that bridge back in 1855, people were crossing over the falls to get to the other side. That first bridge didn't last real long, and then they created another one and another one. So anyway, these archaeological excavations revealed anchors from the original bridges, and so now they are under the Hennepin Bridge. Now you can see and sit on them if you want. There's plaque. So cool. Really interesting history at that park. Yeah. Right down from Melrose Park.Stephanie [00:09:42]:The oldest island venue in 1893 is the Nicolette Island Inn, which is still operating as a hotel, as a restaurant. It is a beautiful, gorgeous spot. If you ever just want to pop in for a drink or they have delicious food, too. Yeah, that's a great spot. And I didn't realize that David Shea was kind of responsible for bringing that back. He's designed so many restaurants in the Twin Cities.Julie [00:10:08]:Yeah. I didn't realize he was connected to that either until I started research. Talented guy. Yeah. That place I learned a lot about. I didn't really know a lot about that fire that had kind of spread through Nicholas Island and all northeast Minneapolis. A very ravishing fire, and only one of two structures, industrial structures, on the island to survive it. A fire started by some boys smoking. And so, again, these places that have endured. And at one point, it was a men's shelter, salvation army men's shelter. So I really and, you know, I can't help but continue then to learn about and read about Nicholette Island.Stephanie [00:10:52]:Right.Julie [00:10:53]:So many storied history there. Couple donkeys, Pearl and she. But I really focused on that island and my secret Twin Cities.Stephanie [00:11:01]:Who would have known that the oldest bowling alley was the Bryant Lake Bowl?Julie [00:11:08]:Yeah, I mean, that's a legendary spot in the Lin Lake neighborhood, and that's really evolved over the years. It used to be a Ford garage, and apparently it's haunted by a mechanic who was crushed by a car there. But at the heart of it is the eight lane bowling alley. Old school. But around it now is a really funky groovy restaurant that you never super funky for. A bowling alley and a cabaret with these red leather seats from Stillwater Junior High School, where you can go to all kinds of events there. And there's a really cool drone video that went viral in 2021 that they created to support businesses struggling through the pandemic. It's a cool right up our alley. You can Google it went viral. Yeah.Stephanie [00:11:57]:In 1964, Boca Chico became the oldest Mexican eatery, which is interesting, because I know that the Silva family opened El Burrito Mercado a little bit further down the street in the 70s, early seventy s. I didn't realize Boca Chica was that old. And it's still run by the family, isn't it?Julie [00:12:17]:Yeah, it sure is. Grandma Fria seasoned pork tamales are still on the menu. Yeah, this place was a really delightful surprise. Walking into you can go there after visiting the Wapisher Caves, the gangster tours there. That's a great place to go to afterwards. You just walk in and every wall tells a story of the family's heritage murals. But, yeah, Uramo Frias and Gloria Coronado, who's a petite, spunky lady, they fell in love and started this little place. She was actually linked to a dynasty, cultural dynasty in Minneapolis. Her parents owned the first Mexican restaurant in St. Paul, and then in Minneapolis called the Casa Coronado, but that has long closed.Stephanie [00:13:10]:And there's the oldest family Italian restaurant in St. Paul. Yuruso's.Julie [00:13:15]:Yeah. Yuruso's and giant meatballs. And again, that's family owned. Same family. And what I love about that place are giant murals of Sweet Hollow especially. It is located right across from Sweet Hollow. You would never know that across the street there is a hidden valley below street level. Right. We're former immigrant shanty town and in the book I give directions on how to get there because it's a little kind of windy but you can find it.Stephanie [00:13:50]:Yeah.Julie [00:13:51]:Yes.Stephanie [00:13:53]:When you were writing the book, what was one of your favorite discoveries?Julie [00:14:00]:Well, I fell in love with the New York Life Eagle. And that's a Summit overlook park in the Summit neighborhood. It overlooks the river valley.Stephanie [00:14:09]:I lived right there. It's right across from the University Club on Point of Land.Julie [00:14:16]:Maybe because of a mother. She's a mother. She's there taking her tail ons into a serpent, digging in there, protecting her nest of eaglets there in that pose she was almost discarded. She used to be on the third story entrance of the New York Life building in downtown St. Paul. And when that was removed, she really was nearly forgotten and discarded. And she was kind of put on a pedestal in front of a parking lot for a while until she found her new home here. And now she's in all her glory. There a nice spot while you're mansion goggling over mansions there in that area.Stephanie [00:14:54]:Yeah. I had no idea about Newman's being the oldest bar in the state.Julie [00:15:00]:Well, that's the big question because it's a tie between Newman's and the Spot Bar in St. Paul. The feud. I'm sure St. Spot fans will be mad at me for including Newman's, but I included the Spot bar in secret to the city, so I had to be fair. But those two kind of feud over. They both have very good reason but different reasons to want to claim that title. So yeah, Newman's is famous for their frog tank in the window.Stephanie [00:15:30]:What is the story of the frog tank? Do you know?Julie [00:15:34]:You ask people there and the Tank of Frogs has just been there as long as anybody can remember. It's just a tradition that they keep going and I guess the frogs have disappeared every now and then. One was found in a pitcher of beer. But this place has a hidden door behind the Tank of Frogs. It's only used for special events, but they used to hide have kind of speakeasy up there during prohibition and that's where you could speak up there and have a legal hooch. And there was like a phone that connected upstairs to the main bar to let the bartenders know when the cops were coming sniffing.Stephanie [00:16:13]:That's hilarious. Yeah. I love it. You go into all this detail like 1972. The oldest food co op is the Seward food Co op. Who knew that that was I mean, I don't know. The Twin Cities co op movement has been so strong, but who knew Seward was the first? I didn't. I thought the wedge was the first.Julie [00:16:36]:Yeah, no, they were really kind of the first, and now the most enduring. And what I didn't know was what a violent struggle the food co op went through in those early years. It sounds kind of like stuff going on these days with, you know, there was a takeover yeah. That tried to take over with steel bars and fire bombs, but they failed because there was such a difference of philosophy. And these were really some veteran radicals really disagreed with what they called the white bourgeois elitism. That's kind of how the opposing group.Stephanie [00:17:21]:Those bourgeois co op people.Julie [00:17:25]:And there's a new documentary about that called The Co op wars that was created in 2021. Super interesting to learn about the whole early Twin Cities.Stephanie [00:17:34]:Yeah, that sounds neat. Well, this is a great book. Your second book, Julie. Joe Sieverson Oldest Twin Cities a Guide to Historic Treasures. Are you already working on your third?Julie [00:17:44]:Not yet. Promoting this is full time right now.Stephanie [00:17:49]:Yes. Well, it's fun to visit with you and to hear the story and to just get more history about some of these great spots. Pick up the book and then take your own kind of historical tour, right?Julie [00:18:03]:Yes.Stephanie [00:18:04]:I love it. Thank you, Julie Joe. And thank you for highlighting some of our relics. Treasures, a fabric of a community is always about the history. That where you come from. Right. And it's good to be reminded of some of these great spots. I sat on that anchor all summer, last summer, and I never knew. So I love it. Thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate you.Julie [00:18:29]:Absolutely. Thank you.Stephanie [00:18:30]:All right, we'll talk soon. Okay, bye. Get full access to Stephanie's Dish Newsletter at stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe
Stephanie [00:00:12]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's dish. We talk to people that have written cookbooks or books or food adjacent things because I can't get enough about talking about food, and and today we have a great guest. She is julie joe sieverson. She is the author of Oldest Twin Cities a Guide to Historic Treasures. And I had read about this book, and I thought, oh, that's cool. I wonder if she has stuff in there about restaurants and breweries, because we have so much history in the Twin Cities. And indeed she does. Welcome to the program.Julie [00:00:47]:Thank you for having me here. This will be fun.Stephanie [00:00:50]:Yes, it will be fun. So how did you decide? Are you like a born and bred twin Citian, and how did you decide to undertake this project?Julie [00:00:59]:Yes, I'm a fourth generation Minnesotan, and I've lived in the Twin Cities most of my life. I first wrote a book called Secret Twin Cities a Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, and that came out in 2020, arrived March, mid March, right when the cities were shutting down. So good timing on my part. I shoved them all in the corner for a couple of weeks because I thought, who's going to want to buy a travel guide right now?Stephanie [00:01:24]:Right?Julie [00:01:25]:It turned out okay for secret Twin cities. They had a lot of social distancing ideas in it, coincidentally. But anyway, all this Twin Cities evolved from that book. About a year later, the publisher asked if I'd like to write another one. And I really wanted to do one of more of a historic nature because I just think with COVID and the really tough year that the Twin Cities had in 2020, including the murder of George Floyd and the Civil uprising and businesses shutting down, burned down. I just felt like I needed a reason to fall back in love with the Twin Cities. And I was feeling a loss of community and a loss of connection. And for me to feel connected to the region I live in is very important to me. I need to feel part of the fabric. And so I just stopped focusing on enduring places in our midst and places that hung in there and have endured and have reopened, providing us continuity, kind of a comfort that was good for my soul to focus my energy there. So that's why I kind of went in this direction.Stephanie [00:02:43]:Well, and one of the selections in the book is the Oldest Best Bar, which is our friend Tony Zacardi, who bought it from our friend Lisa Hammer. I knew Lisa and Keith, and they had shepherded the bar, and then they sold it to Tony Zacardi. And it's from 1906.Julie [00:03:03]:Apparently.Stephanie [00:03:04]:It's an institution on Cedar Avenue. And you talk about sort of that pandemic and that coming back to life. Tony is a good example of someone that really he had just bought the bar and all of a sudden it has to close, and they're trying to hang on. And a lot of these bars and restaurants and distilleries really were in tough shape. So I was so glad that when we came out of the pandemic that Palmers has come out of it. And tell me a little bit about the history of Palmers in particular.Julie [00:03:40]:Yeah. And Tony really was he was really propelled into the national spotlight during that time. Yes.Stephanie [00:03:48]:He was an African American man who.Julie [00:03:51]:Owns this in the heart of he spray painted black owned business in hopes to protect his business, to deflect potential looters. And he was really a spokesperson and a comfort, I think, for the twin stage community during that time. We needed absolutely.Stephanie [00:04:10]:And the music community, too, because Palmer has had such a history in steeped in music.Julie [00:04:16]:Yeah. What a gem this place is. It's so unique, with an Islamic mosque on one end and then that iconic Mustachioed man against it on the other one. And as I write in the book, you rarely leave this place without a story to tell. Kind of rough edge place. Maybe not everybody's going to feel comfortable there, but you're very welcome there, no matter who you are. And you'll be invited to play a game of Scrabble or get into a conversation, unless you're a jerk. Because if you're a jerk, you're going to get plastered on a poster note on the back wall, and you're not going to be welcome there at all.Stephanie [00:05:00]:That's funny.Julie [00:05:02]:Yeah.Stephanie [00:05:02]:Another institution that is in downtown Minneapolis specifically, and I didn't realize that they had had a fire in 1989, but this was Glicks, the oldest downtown bar.Julie [00:05:20]:Yeah. Lots lots of damage. It seems like most of these places have endured fires over the years. Yeah.Stephanie [00:05:30]:You can imagine that. Yep.Julie [00:05:32]:Yeah, they they really came back from that. In fact, there was a moose in there. They have these animal heads mounted all throughout the restaurant. And the moose in the back room had been stolen from during a fraternity party there. And I think this group, whoever had stolen it, felt so bad because of fire that Reopening day, they anonymously returned it, leaning it against the front door. Welcome, everybody back. But yeah, my daughter was just there the other day. She's like I'm a glicks. I'm like, do you know that's in my book? No, I didn't even know that.Stephanie [00:06:05]:I had no idea either. Now, the Monte Carlo has been near and dear to my heart for some time, and my mom and dad got divorced, and my dad moved downtown. And that was really like, wow. Because we were suburban girls. And the first weekend my dad had us, he took us into this CD alley, and he went through this back door that had this weird sign above it and brought us in. And I thought he was bringing us into a pool hall. And I was like, oh, my gosh, my dad has really tipped over here, and it turned out to be the Loveliest bar inside. It was actually the Monte Carlo, and he was kind of a regular there. What's the historic nature of the Monte Carlo?Julie [00:06:47]:Yeah. Well, yeah, the hum of the neon sign is going to remain a constant in the North Loop Bar. It's really exquisite in there with this mirrored wall behind the bar. One's kind of an elegance to it, to it all. But the whole North Loop area, the warehouse district is where the Milky Way candy bars and cream of pasta and pop up toaster were invented. This was a real industrial place. The neighborhood has more than 60 buildings that are over a century old. A lot of them have been repurposed. Some of them. A few of them are rehearsal spaces for the Minnesota Opera, and a lot of them are faded. Business signs are repurposed. You see the old signs, ghost signs, sort of. But the Monte Carlo Bar and Grill have stood the test of time. It used to be mostly only for men, but then when it changed ownership, mr. Rimsick, who owns a number of places in the Twin Cities, he kind of turned it into a destination for all the patty, is a great happening place. Now, Beijing style wings, they're really famous for.Stephanie [00:08:06]:Yeah, the dry rubbed wings are my favorite. Yeah, a kind of funny one that I didn't expect would reach me and grab me, but it did. So I work on the Stone Arch Bridge festival and I curate a culinary market that happens underneath the Hennepin Avenue Bridge. And underneath that bridge, we have 38 ten x ten booths of vendors that produce Minnesota made food products. And as I was looking through your book, it's the oldest bridge relic at First Bridge Park, which is where I am during these two days of the festival from 1855. Underneath that bridge, there's these giant anchors, and I sit on those anchors. That's my chair during the two days of the festival. So I didn't realize they were so old.Julie [00:08:56]:Well, yeah, those don't date back to the very first bridge to cross the Mississippi River anywhere. Right there at St. Anthony Falls. I mean, prior to that bridge back in 1855, people were crossing over the falls to get to the other side. That first bridge didn't last real long, and then they created another one and another one. So anyway, these archaeological excavations revealed anchors from the original bridges, and so now they are under the Hennepin Bridge. Now you can see and sit on them if you want. There's plaque. So cool. Really interesting history at that park. Yeah. Right down from Melrose Park.Stephanie [00:09:42]:The oldest island venue in 1893 is the Nicolette Island Inn, which is still operating as a hotel, as a restaurant. It is a beautiful, gorgeous spot. If you ever just want to pop in for a drink or they have delicious food, too. Yeah, that's a great spot. And I didn't realize that David Shea was kind of responsible for bringing that back. He's designed so many restaurants in the Twin Cities.Julie [00:10:08]:Yeah. I didn't realize he was connected to that either until I started research. Talented guy. Yeah. That place I learned a lot about. I didn't really know a lot about that fire that had kind of spread through Nicholas Island and all northeast Minneapolis. A very ravishing fire, and only one of two structures, industrial structures, on the island to survive it. A fire started by some boys smoking. And so, again, these places that have endured. And at one point, it was a men's shelter, salvation army men's shelter. So I really and, you know, I can't help but continue then to learn about and read about Nicholette Island.Stephanie [00:10:52]:Right.Julie [00:10:53]:So many storied history there. Couple donkeys, Pearl and she. But I really focused on that island and my secret Twin Cities.Stephanie [00:11:01]:Who would have known that the oldest bowling alley was the Bryant Lake Bowl?Julie [00:11:08]:Yeah, I mean, that's a legendary spot in the Lin Lake neighborhood, and that's really evolved over the years. It used to be a Ford garage, and apparently it's haunted by a mechanic who was crushed by a car there. But at the heart of it is the eight lane bowling alley. Old school. But around it now is a really funky groovy restaurant that you never super funky for. A bowling alley and a cabaret with these red leather seats from Stillwater Junior High School, where you can go to all kinds of events there. And there's a really cool drone video that went viral in 2021 that they created to support businesses struggling through the pandemic. It's a cool right up our alley. You can Google it went viral. Yeah.Stephanie [00:11:57]:In 1964, Boca Chico became the oldest Mexican eatery, which is interesting, because I know that the Silva family opened El Burrito Mercado a little bit further down the street in the 70s, early seventy s. I didn't realize Boca Chica was that old. And it's still run by the family, isn't it?Julie [00:12:17]:Yeah, it sure is. Grandma Fria seasoned pork tamales are still on the menu. Yeah, this place was a really delightful surprise. Walking into you can go there after visiting the Wapisher Caves, the gangster tours there. That's a great place to go to afterwards. You just walk in and every wall tells a story of the family's heritage murals. But, yeah, Uramo Frias and Gloria Coronado, who's a petite, spunky lady, they fell in love and started this little place. She was actually linked to a dynasty, cultural dynasty in Minneapolis. Her parents owned the first Mexican restaurant in St. Paul, and then in Minneapolis called the Casa Coronado, but that has long closed.Stephanie [00:13:10]:And there's the oldest family Italian restaurant in St. Paul. Yuruso's.Julie [00:13:15]:Yeah. Yuruso's and giant meatballs. And again, that's family owned. Same family. And what I love about that place are giant murals of Sweet Hollow especially. It is located right across from Sweet Hollow. You would never know that across the street there is a hidden valley below street level. Right. We're former immigrant shanty town and in the book I give directions on how to get there because it's a little kind of windy but you can find it.Stephanie [00:13:50]:Yeah.Julie [00:13:51]:Yes.Stephanie [00:13:53]:When you were writing the book, what was one of your favorite discoveries?Julie [00:14:00]:Well, I fell in love with the New York Life Eagle. And that's a Summit overlook park in the Summit neighborhood. It overlooks the river valley.Stephanie [00:14:09]:I lived right there. It's right across from the University Club on Point of Land.Julie [00:14:16]:Maybe because of a mother. She's a mother. She's there taking her tail ons into a serpent, digging in there, protecting her nest of eaglets there in that pose she was almost discarded. She used to be on the third story entrance of the New York Life building in downtown St. Paul. And when that was removed, she really was nearly forgotten and discarded. And she was kind of put on a pedestal in front of a parking lot for a while until she found her new home here. And now she's in all her glory. There a nice spot while you're mansion goggling over mansions there in that area.Stephanie [00:14:54]:Yeah. I had no idea about Newman's being the oldest bar in the state.Julie [00:15:00]:Well, that's the big question because it's a tie between Newman's and the Spot Bar in St. Paul. The feud. I'm sure St. Spot fans will be mad at me for including Newman's, but I included the Spot bar in secret to the city, so I had to be fair. But those two kind of feud over. They both have very good reason but different reasons to want to claim that title. So yeah, Newman's is famous for their frog tank in the window.Stephanie [00:15:30]:What is the story of the frog tank? Do you know?Julie [00:15:34]:You ask people there and the Tank of Frogs has just been there as long as anybody can remember. It's just a tradition that they keep going and I guess the frogs have disappeared every now and then. One was found in a pitcher of beer. But this place has a hidden door behind the Tank of Frogs. It's only used for special events, but they used to hide have kind of speakeasy up there during prohibition and that's where you could speak up there and have a legal hooch. And there was like a phone that connected upstairs to the main bar to let the bartenders know when the cops were coming sniffing.Stephanie [00:16:13]:That's hilarious. Yeah. I love it. You go into all this detail like 1972. The oldest food co op is the Seward food Co op. Who knew that that was I mean, I don't know. The Twin Cities co op movement has been so strong, but who knew Seward was the first? I didn't. I thought the wedge was the first.Julie [00:16:36]:Yeah, no, they were really kind of the first, and now the most enduring. And what I didn't know was what a violent struggle the food co op went through in those early years. It sounds kind of like stuff going on these days with, you know, there was a takeover yeah. That tried to take over with steel bars and fire bombs, but they failed because there was such a difference of philosophy. And these were really some veteran radicals really disagreed with what they called the white bourgeois elitism. That's kind of how the opposing group.Stephanie [00:17:21]:Those bourgeois co op people.Julie [00:17:25]:And there's a new documentary about that called The Co op wars that was created in 2021. Super interesting to learn about the whole early Twin Cities.Stephanie [00:17:34]:Yeah, that sounds neat. Well, this is a great book. Your second book, Julie. Joe Sieverson Oldest Twin Cities a Guide to Historic Treasures. Are you already working on your third?Julie [00:17:44]:Not yet. Promoting this is full time right now.Stephanie [00:17:49]:Yes. Well, it's fun to visit with you and to hear the story and to just get more history about some of these great spots. Pick up the book and then take your own kind of historical tour, right?Julie [00:18:03]:Yes.Stephanie [00:18:04]:I love it. Thank you, Julie Joe. And thank you for highlighting some of our relics. Treasures, a fabric of a community is always about the history. That where you come from. Right. And it's good to be reminded of some of these great spots. I sat on that anchor all summer, last summer, and I never knew. So I love it. Thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate you.Julie [00:18:29]:Absolutely. Thank you.Stephanie [00:18:30]:All right, we'll talk soon. Okay, bye. Get full access to Stephanie's Dish Newsletter at stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe
When someone mentions opera, what comes to mind? Verdi, Puccini, maybe Mozart? Probably not Kao Kalia Yang. The St. Paul writer never set out to get into opera. In 2016 she wrote her book, “The Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father.” On March 9, that story will have its debut at the Minnesota Opera. It's already making history as the first Hmong story to be adapted for the operatic stage. Kalia spoke with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer about her story.
Leslie has danced professionally since 2004. She began her formal training at age 18 at the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay and received her BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota in 2003. Leslie was a founding member of Black Label Movement from 2005 – 2009, and joined nationally acclaimed repertory company Zenon Dance in 2006. She built a rich and diverse performance career at Zenon until its final performance in 2019 when the company closed its doors. Leslie has performed as a guest artist with the Minnesota Opera, Jon Ferguson's Theatre Forever, Shapiro and Smith Dance, Tamara Ober, Paula Mann, Maggie Bergeron, Laura Osterhaus/SLO Dance, and James Everest/Wavelets Creative in collaboration with the seasonal “Soundgardens” in outdoor spaces. Presently she is in collaboration with Mathew Janczewski/ARENA Dances and Berit Ahlgren/Honeyworks for works to premiere summer 2023. Leslie has earned recognition for her excellence in performance with Sage Award Nominations in 2009 and 2016 and she is the recipient of a McKnight Fellowship for Dancers in 2010. Leslie's choreography has been supported by Red Eye Theater, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, the Walker Arts Center, Minnesota State Arts Board, and Bryant Lake Bowl's 9x22, where she most recently featured her latest solo project. Her teaching experience spans all ages, public schools, rural dance studios and intensives. She completed teacher training with Dance for Parkinson's Disease at the Mark Morris Dance Group in New York City in 2018, and has volunteered within her community to serve as grant and fellowship review panelist for McKnight Foundation, MSAB, MRAC, and the Sage Award Committee.
“To be loving we willingly hear the other's truth, and most important, we affirm the value of truth telling. Lies may make people feel better, but they do not help them to know love.” ~bell hooks Vancouver Opera honours Black History Month and shares a conversation that took place during Indie Fest 2022, co-hosted by Debi Wong of re:Naissance Opera and Ashley Daniel Foot the Senior Manager of Partnerships, Engagement, and EDI. Featuring: -Rocky Jones, Minnesota Opera's Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. -Dawn Pemberton, Vancouver's own Queen of Soul. -Morgan-Paige Melbourne, Toronto-based queer interdisciplinary artist. This profoundly powerful conversation, a truth-telling reflects on the state of Black Opera and performance in North America, and the way forward to end cultural and urban erasures in communities of colour.
Kathleen Kelly's projects and repertoire are wide-ranging and diverse. From Mozart to commissioned works by her peers, she is both deeply experienced in the classical vocal canon and engaged in new creation. Recent notable projects include a recording with soprano Emily Albrink - which we'll reference in this episode, leading the world premiere of Matt Bohler's opera FAT PIG (composed for activist soprano Tracy Cox), and the filmed opera Interstate, composed by Kamala Sankaram, co-authored and performed by Kathleen and soprano Jennifer Cresswell, produced by Minnesota Opera. Kathleen has appeared internationally as a pianist in collaboration with singers including appearances at incredible and top tier venues around the world. She has worked with many companies including the San Francisco, Metropolitan, Houston Grand, and Vienna State Operas, and she is regularly invited to speak and write on womens' issues in the opera industry. ** Show Notes ** Uniarts Helsinki article - https://www.uniarts.fi/en/articles/interviews/professors-universities-need-to-help-classical-music-students-expand-their-professional-views-beyond-tradition/?fbclid=IwAR08j3aLWCodbG7j7IDF1ZxMiJYfkN7J2PSZkOs9-uyVeOawO4r6vQ4 SWAP'ra article - https://www.swap-ra.org/post/kathleen-kelly-sit-back-my-friends-it-s-morning-rant-time Thank You* My gratitude goes out to Hannah Boissonneault who edits our Masterclass episodes and to Juanitos and Scott Holmes for the music featured in this episode. You can help support the creation of these episodes when you join the Sybaritic Camerata on Patreon. Get started at patreon.com/mezzoihnen. Be on the Studio Class Podcast Megan Ihnen is a professional mezzo-soprano, teacher, writer, and arts entrepreneur who is passionate about helping other musicians and creative professionals live their best lives. Studio Class is an outgrowth of her popular #29DaystoDiva series from The Sybaritic Singer. Let your emerging professionals be part of the podcast! Invite Megan to your studio class for a taping of an episode. Your students ask questions and informative, fun conversation ensues. Special Guest: Kathleen Kelly.
This week Bunny and Monét are back with producer Jay. As Monét gets ready to perform with the Minnesota Opera, Bunny tells her own story about landing a part from an Opera star. The song Natural Woman becomes a topic of discussion around the trans community, classified documents are being found all over the place but are all classified documents the same? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Stephen Schroeder began his dance career at the ripe age of 6, danced for a couple years then picked it back up before high school. While pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance from the University of Colorado at Boulder, he danced professionally with local Boulder companies Blue Moon Dance Theater, Helander Dance Theater, David Capps/Dances, Interweave Dance Theater, The Boulder Ballet and other local independent artists. Upon completing his degree in 2001, he moved to Minneapolis and continued his career with Zenon Dance Company. In the Twin Cities area he also performed with Minnesota Dance Theater, TU Dance, ARENA Dances (more about that in a moment), Nautilus Music Theater, The Minnesota Opera, Cathy Young Dance, DanceCo and local independent artists Megan Mayer, Penelope Freeh, Nic Lincoln, Devin Carey, and the Flamettes. He also guested with Sean Curran Company out of New York City. While in college he also began his journey in the backstage technical and production elements of dance performances working closely with Robert Shannon, the Technical Director of the Dance Department at the time. He worked shows for the CU-Boulder Dance department and Macky Auditorium as well as locally with the Colorado Dance Festival. Once moving to Minnesota, he continued to work the technical side of productions as the touring technical director for Zenon Dance Company and ARENA Dances.Currently he is the Technical Director for the Dance Department at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN.While dancing in ARENA, he met Stephanie Laager and eventually they would marry and spawn three wonderful children, Paityn and twins Rylan and Beckett. Presently they are all living and thriving in Nowthen, MN with the menagerie of animals that make up the Sparkle Ranch."I'd like to thank Mathew for this opportunity to have a conversation and reminisce. Thanks for all the good times, and, well being a matchmaker too!"
Julia Tehven Sutton began her professional career with Minnesota Dance Theatre under the Artistic Director and Founder Loyce Houlton, performing in many of her original works as well as ballets of renowned choreographers such as Balanchine, Glen Tetley, Frederick Ashton, Petipa and Michael Fokine. In 1988 Julia joined Myron Johnson's Ballet of the Dolls dancing in countless original works including the Children's Theatre productions of Beatrix Potter and Worn Out Dancing Shoes (based on the 12 Dancing Princesses by the Brothers Grimm). Julia has also danced with James Sewell Ballet, Minnesota Opera, Chanhassen Dinner Theater and acted in the Jungle Theatre productions of Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, The Glass Menagerie and Bus Stop. She has performed with local choreographers and was invited to join Robin Stiehm's Dancing People for a performance in Ashland Oregon. She has taught ballet at Larkin Dance, Summit School of Dance, Minnesota Dance Theatre,Zenon and most recently at the Reif Dance program in Grand Rapids, MN. In 2004 Julia was awarded the McKnight Fellowship for Dancers and commissioned John Kelly for her SOLO piece, Mrs. Hamlet. Julia now lives in Central Minnesota in a beautiful house on a beautiful lake with a beautiful husband and beautiful daughter, Ruby, and is quite content.
“Choreographer Heidi Spesard Noble…created dances that bring us into our leads'inner lives, Thais, Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press, (2018) and “able to blend dancersand singers seamlessly” Lydia Lunning, Rusalka, twincitiesarts.com (2016). HeidiSpesard Noble is a multifaceted choreographer telling stories through Opera andTheater.Ms. Spesard Noble has developed strong relationships with Minnesota Opera andlocal theaters in the Twin Cities and surrounding region, choreographing for avariety of productions including Seven World Premieres. Mid Life Crisis, (1997)Chanhassen Dinner Theaters, Grapes of Wrath (2010) assistant choreographer,Wuthering Heights (2011), Dream of Valentino (2012), The Shining (2016), The Fix(2019) and most recently Edward Tulane (2022). Notable recognition was ArtistryTheater's A New Brain voted Top Ten Theater Productions by Star Tribune (2019).She previously danced professionally under the direction of founder LoyceHoulton, performing classical ballet and contemporary dances. She also appearedin Loyce's film Knoxville, Summer of 1915. The next engagements included thosewith State Ballet of Missouri, Ballet of the Dolls and subsequently ChanhassenDinner Theaters where she appeared in more than fifteen musicals. Her favoritesinclude Brigadoon (her choreography debut), 42 nd St., Phantom, Crazy For You andFiddler on the Roof to name a few.Heidi holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Ballet from the University of Utah. Shecontinues to choreograph at theaters and educational institutions in the region.
Michael Casper was born and raised in Rockland County, New York. He began dancing at age 19 at Swarthmore College while getting his degree in English Literature. In addition to taking classes with the Swarthmore faculty, Michael studied dance in New York at the Cunningham studio and worked as an administrative intern for Twyla Tharp Dance.He moved to Minneapolis in 1989 to be an understudy with New Dance Ensemble. He became a company member in 1989 and was with the Ensemble and Laboratory until its disbanding in 1994. From 1994 to 1997, Michael danced independently with Minnesota Opera, Children's Theatre, and independent choreographers in the Twin Cities, including the Flying Sisters. He also worked as an independent choreographer. His work was presented at various venues including Choreographer's evening at the Walker and Studio 2B at the Hennepin Center for theArts. From 1998 to 2001 Michael was dance and movement instructor/choreographer for the Eden Prairie High School marching band color guard. In 1996, Michael enrolled at the Minnesota Center for Shiatsu Study and completed Shiatsu training in 1997. After graduating, he began working at the school as a therapist and instructor, which later merged with Northern Lights school of Massage to become CenterPoint. In 2006, Michael completed the western massage training at CenterPoint in Swedish, Trigger Point Therapy, and Therapeutic Massage.Michael has been a bodywork therapist and instructor for over 25 years. He has practiced in a range of professional settings including the Aliveness Project, Qi Nordeast, the Great Metropolitan Backrub and CenterPoint Professional Clinic. He currently practices at The Wellness Center in south Minneapolis.In addition to Shiatsu and Massage therapy, Michael has done additional training in Thai Yoga Massage, Cupping, Moxibustion, Tuina, Foot and Hand Reflexology.In his time as an instructor at CenterPoint, Michael has taught a wide range of classes including Shiatsu technique, Summary session, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Professional ethics and communication, and Special Populations.
The judge who presided over the murder trial of Derek Chauvin is sharing candid lessons learned from the trial of the former police officer who killed George Floyd. We hear about his advice to other judges and the debate about whether cameras should be in Minnesota court rooms. Roughly one in ten children are diagnosed with ADHD — Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. But in recent years, more adult women are being diagnosed. Plus, Kate DiCamillo is an award-winning author of several children's books and now one of her books is being performed by the Minnesota Opera. Click the audio player above to listen to the full episode. Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.
There's a new way for fans of local author Kate DiCamillo to enjoy her work — on stage with the Minnesota Opera. The stage adaptation of “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane” runs through Oct. 16 and DiCamillo joined MPR News reporter Euan Kerr to talk about the process of collaborating with the Minnesota Opera on this project. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.
"Being part of an ensemble taught me to look not just at my line but at all the music. The composer gives you so much information in the orchestra that you don't get from just the vocal line. That really informs your character. It allows me to be more fun and more creative if I can focus on being part of the whole at any given time."Bass Benjamin Sieverding of Minneapolis, MN has gained notice for his “resonant, expressive bass” (StarTribune). He most recently made his Metropolitan Opera debut as one of the Offstage Voices/Jury in Brett Dean's Hamlet. In 2022, he also made his Intermountain Opera Bozeman debut as Mr. Noble (Pish-Tush) in The Montana Mikado. In 2021, he made his Tulsa Opera debut as Betto in Gianni Schicchi and his Omaha Symphony debut performing excerpts from Mozart's Requiem and Handel's Messiah. In 2020, he was slated to return to Minnesota Opera to sing the roles of Bull and Neal in the world premiere of Edward Tulane, to make his Austin Opera debut as the Mandarin in Turandot, reprise the Dough's Mate in Companionship with Virginia Arts Festival, reprise Doctor Grenvil in La traviata with Out of the Box Opera, and return to Mill City Summer Opera as Sparafucile/Ceprano in Rigoletto. Mr. Sieverding has performed several roles with Minnesota Opera including Alfred Austrian in The Fix, Prison Warden George Benton in Dead Man Walking, Colline in La bohème, Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette, Sacristan in Tosca, and Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte. Other recent performances include appearances with South Dakota State Symphony, Madison Opera, Glacier Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Fort Worth Opera, Opera in the Heights, Opera South Dakota, Lakes Area Music Festival, and Madison Symphony Orchestra. In the upcoming season, Mr. Sieverding returns to Minnesota Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, and Madison Opera.To get in touch with Ben, you can visit his website: www.benjaminsieverding.com.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson from Pexels
The driving force behind Ethnic Dance Theatre, Donald La Course serves as artistic director, lead dancer, choreographer, cultural researcher, and costume designer. Mr. La Course began folk dancing at the age of four. At age seven, he decided to make it his career when he first saw Duquesne University´s Tamburitzans Dancers. Mr. La Course became a member of Edelweiss St. Paul, a German folk dance troupe, at age 10. He danced in this troupe and in musical theatre productions until 1973, when he moved to Seattle to join The Koleda Folk Ensemble (where choreographer Mark Morris was also a dancer). In 1974, Mr. La Course returned to Minneapolis and co-founded EDT. Mr. La Course has completed over a dozen international research trips in order to learn dance techniques, research costumes, and better understand the cultural context of his work. The Autonomous Republic of Northern Ossetia (Russia), Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ukraine, Spain, and Costa Rica are just a few of the countries where he has visited and studied. Nationally recognized for his choreography, Mr. La Course was commissioned to create work for the Chimera Theatre, the Radost Folk Ensemble of Seattle, and Avaz International Dance Theatre in Los Angeles. He has also appeared as a guest artist with the Minnesota Opera, the Skylark Opera Company, Katha Dance Theatre, Dolina Polish Folk Dancers and Jawaahir Middle Eastern Dance Company. In 2011, Mr. La Course received the “Preserving our Heritage” Award from the National Folk Organization. In 2016 and 2018, he was the happy winner of the senior division of the Bayrische Loewe Schuhplattler Competition (the World Championship) in Bavaria. EDT's outstanding national reputation as one of the most diverse and distinctive repertoires to be performed in the world of ethnic dance is a direct result of Mr. La Course's dedication, acumen, and artistry.
You may not think you know the opera “Carmen,” but you probably do. It's full of catchy tunes that are easy to hum. In the same way, you may not think you know Denyce Graves, but you probably have heard her powerful voice. Graves is regarded as one of the greatest “Carmen” singers of all time and one of the great mezzo-sopranos of the 21st century. She's performed around the world with The Three Tenors. In 2020, she sang in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol where the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lay in state. The first time Graves sang the role that made her famous was in the Minnesota Opera's 1991 production of “Carmen.” The 19th century French opera by composer Georges Bizet tells the story of a soldier's possessive infatuation for a Romani factory girl that leads to his downfall. This spring, Graves has returned to the Twin Cities, not to sing, but to direct the company's production of “Carmen,” which opens in May. At 9 a.m. Wednesday, MPR News host Angela Davis spoke with Graves about opera, growing up in Washington, D.C. and what it's been like to be a Black woman singing her way to the top of a traditionally white, European musical art form. Guests: Denyce Graves is recognized as one of the great mezzo-soprano opera singers of our time. She's performed at Metropolitan Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera House – Covent Garden, San Francisco Opera and on many other stages around the world. She is directing Minnesota Opera's “Carmen,” which opens in May. Ryan Taylor is president and general director of the Minnesota Opera. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS. Hear their conversation using the audio player above and read the highlights below. “The one thing that we reached for, that everybody reached for during COVID, were the arts,” Graves said. “And we could see how vital and essential the arts were… We're watching movies, we're watching plays, we would listen to opera. Listening to music, reading books – that was the anchor that everybody held onto. And that's what opera has the power to do: to unite people.” Graves grew up in Washington, D.C. and, with her mother's guidance, she sang at church. Opera came later. “In the neighborhood that I grew up in, nobody was listening to opera,” Graves said. A music teacher encouraged Graves throughout her early years – first as she expressed a love for music in kindergarten, then through junior high school chorus and finally as a student at a performing arts high school, where she discovered opera. And she has distinct ties to Minnesota. “The relationship that I've had with Minnesota Opera has just been one that has defined my whole career,” she said. She landed her first role, as Carmen, with Minnesota Opera. She said that role took her everywhere. “And I mean everywhere – there wasn't an opera house that I didn't sing in all over the world, with everybody. And now here I am, 30-something years later, directing…” Once again, Graves will debut with Minnesota Opera, now as a director. “This first experience has changed the whole trajectory of how I see myself and where I'm going to go and what lies ahead. And so I'm just really, really grateful,” she said. Besides directing “Carmen” for the Minnesota Opera, Graves keeps busy with her foundation, which invests in education to share the stories of African American musical figures. Graves said that work is inspired by opera singer Mary Cardwell Dawson, who, unable to find work in an environment permeated by racism after graduating from a conservatory in 1925, established her own music school and opera company.
Guten morgen, dear Scorekeepers! It's another beautiful Monday in Post-Slap America! Y'all... we tried. I swear we tried. We tried so, so hard not to dip our toes into The Slap Discourse, but after a chat about the grace of soon-to-be-Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, we just couldn't resist (0:02:40). But the good lord invented timestamps for a reason, so for those of you who just can't, we have the most delightful, insightful and hilarious guest on the show today! Zoie Reams is an incredible young, Black mezzo soprano, Minnesota Opera's first Company Member, and is about to take the stage this May in the title role of our brand new production of Bizet's Carmen, directed by the legendary Denyce Graves (0:40:27). Plus, in honor of Carmen, we thought it would be fun for the four of us to take a look back at 2001's Carmen: A Hip Hopera, a modern-day adaptation, starring our queen... Beyoncé, of course (1:07:53)! And as if that wasn't enough Pure Black Joy, as always, we'll start your week with a little snack for your soul (1:30:46). Let's do it to it, y'all! Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds Guest: Zoie Reams Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufezE1bq_4U (Minnesota Opera's Albert Herring - "Meet Me at Quarter Past Eight in the Street") Links MNOp's Carmen (https://mnopera.org/season/2021-2022/carmen/ (Website)) Zoie Reams (https://imgartists.com/roster/zoie-reams/ (Website)) (https://www.instagram.com/zoieimani/ (Instagram)) (https://www.facebook.com/mzozoie/ (FB)) New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also, leaving a 5-star REVIEW on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help get the word out. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit https://mnopera.org/edi/ (mnopera.org/edi). Email your questions or comments to thescore@mnopera.org
Synopsis On today's date in the year 2000, the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen gave the premiere of a new opera entitled “The Handmaid's Tale,” based on the dystopian novel by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. The book and opera tell of a nightmarish future: following a nuclear disaster in the United States, infertility rates have soared, and a religious sect has staged a military coup, enslaving the few fertile women who remain as breeders, or “handmaids,” for the military and religious commanders of their sect. Says Atwood, "There is nothing new about the society I depicted in The Handmaid's Tale except the time and place. All of the things I have written about have been done before – more than once, in fact." Despite its grim subject matter, Danish composer Poul Ruders says he saw "huge operatic potential" when he first read the book back in 1992. The original production in Copenhagen was sung in Danish, but Ruders says he conceived the work in English. The opera was staged in that language first in London at the English National Opera, and subsequently, at the opera's American premiere, in St. Paul by The Minnesota Opera, to great critical acclaim. Music Played in Today's Program Poul Ruders (b. 1949) — The Handmaid's Tale (Royal Danish Orchestra; Michael Schonwandt, cond.) DaCapo 9.224165-66 On This Day Births 1844 - Russian composer Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Gregorian date: Mar. 18); 1870 - Austrian operetta composer Oscar Straus, in Vienna; Deaths 1932 - American composer and bandleader John Philip Sousa, age 77, in Reading, Pa.; 1967 - Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály, age 84, in Budapest; Premieres 1791 - Beethoven: "Ritterballett" (Knightly Ballet), in Bonn; 1825 - Beethoven: String Quartet in Eb, Op. 127, in Vienna, the Schuppanzigh Quartet; This premiere was under-rehearsed and poorly performed (the Quartet had only received the music two weeks earlier), and Beethoven arranged for a second performance by a quartet led by violinist Joseph Boehm on March 26, which was better rehearsed and better received; 1831 - Bellini: opera "La Sonnambula" (The Sleepwalker), in Milan at the Teatro Carcano; 1853 - Verdi: opera "La Traviata" (The Lost One), in Venice at the Teatro La Fenice; 1896 - Arthur Foote: Suite in d, by the Boston Symphony, Emil Paur conducting; 1917 - Rachmaninoff: "Etudes-tableaux," Op. 39 (first complete performance of the set of nine), in Petrograd (St. Petersburg), by the composer (Julian date: Feb. 21); 1926 - Hindemith: "Concerto for Orchestra," by the Boston Symphony with Serge Koussevitzky conducting; 1927 - Prokofiev: Quintet for winds and strings, Op. 39, in Moscow; 1933 - Varèse: "Ionisation," in New York City, with Nicholas Slonimsky conducting; 1934 - Piston: "Concerto for Orchestra," in Cambridge, Mass.; 1947 - Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 25, at the Moscow Conservatory by the USSR State Symphony, Alexander Gauk conducting; 1984 - John Harbison: "Ulysses' Raft," by the New Haven Symphony, Murray Sidlin conducting; 2000 - Poul Ruders: opera "The Handmaid's Tale," in Copenhagen, by the Royal Danish Theater, Mark Schönwandt conducting; 2003 - John Harbison: "Requiem," by vocal soloists Christine Brewer, Margaret Lattimore, Paul Groves, and Jonathan Lemalu, with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and the Boston Symphony conducted by Bernard Haitink. Links and Resources On Poul Ruders More on "The Handmaid's Tale"
A native of Dayton, Ohio, Mary Ann Bradley trained at the Dayton Ballet School and performed with Dance Theatre Dayton and Dayton Contemporary Dance II. She graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Dance from Point Park University in 1997. Since moving to the Twin Cities, Mary Ann has performed with numerous companies and choreographers including Dancing People Company, TU Dance, Minnesota Dance Theater, Ragamala Music and Dance, and the Minnesota Opera. She was a member of JAZZDANCE! By Danny Buraczeski for four years, two of which she acted as the choreographer's assistant. She spent twelve seasons performing and touring with Zenon Dance Company. With Zenon, Mary Ann performed original works by many artists including Faye Driscoll, Netta Yerushalmy, Andrea Miller, Doug Varone, luciana achugar, Tere O'Connor, and Morgan Thorson. She has been a dance faculty member for Zenon Dance School and TU Dance School. In 2005, Mary Ann received an honorable mention from the Minneapolis Star Tribune for Artist of the Year. Mary Ann is a 2001 and 2008 recipient of the McKnight Fellowship for dancers. She was named as one of “25 to watch” by Dance Magazine in 2014. She completed her master's degree in education at the University of Minnesota in 2018 and served on the faculty of the Performing Institute of Minnesota for three years.
Stephanie Fellner's Minneapolis career now spans 3 decades. She recently said goodbye to her old hips in “Zhauna Franks ‘ SwanSong Studies, a two women show.' No surprise to anyone, she wore them completely out!They produced many high leg moments and served her well!They will be missed. The new hips had their grand debut this past summer in Berit Ahlgren and Helen Hatch's production of ‘LDV'!A member of The Ballet of the Dolls for25yrs., Ms.Stephanie originated numerous roles. Favorites to include: Rat Queen in "Nutcracker...Not so Suite”; “Cinderella” title role; Vicky in “The Red Shoes; Coquette in "King of Hearts"; and Grey In her solo show "Shades of Lady Grey." All choreographed by the infamous Myron Johnson.Company work to include: TU Dance (founding member,) James Sewell Ballet, The Children's Theatre Co., The Minnesota Opera, The Minnesota Orchestra, NorthStar Opera(Skylark,) and The City Children's Nutcracker.In addition, she has danced in a variety of pieces choreographed by our treasure trove of Mpls. freelance artists.The two time Sage Awarded "Test Pilot" choreographed by Penelope Freeh. "Kom Hit" a collaboration w/Sally Rousse and Noah Bremer at The Swedish Institute. Other favorite credits to include: Katerina in Live Action Sets, Ivy Award winning "Crime and Punishment" and original production of "A Fiddlers Tale" produced in conjunction with The Mpls. Music Company. In 2005, Ms.Fellner was awarded the McKnight Fellowship for Dancers and received "Best Dancer in Mpls." from the City Pages Edition of "The Best Of..." And in 2008, was presented with the Sage Award for "Outstanding Performer."She is on staff at The Dance Warehouse . where she is joyfully passing on her passion for ballet and the art of performance to her lovely students. She is grateful every day for each and every one of them!Having completed the full comprehensive Pilates program thru Paragon Pilates and Physical Therapy does teach a bit of Pilates and firmly believes integrating core and balance work to be an invaluable piece in keeping our dancers pain and injury free.
Tom talks with Lee Bynum, consultant with The Inclusion Firm and the Vice President of Impact for the Minnesota Opera. They talk about what his role entails and his vision for how change happens in organizations as they seek to serve their whole communities, and how the work we do today can ripple out for the long term. They also talk about managing expectations within organizations as we address the systems of exclusion that have been in place over generations, and how to build momentum and continue to grow our circle of true believers as we push forward. For more the Inclusion Firm, visit www.theinclusionfirm.com. For more on Minnesota Opera, visit www.mnopera.org. For more on Tom O'Connor Consulting Group, visit www.tomocgroup.com.
It was an honor to host Dr. Jennifer Higdon earlier this year. Since her episode, she's continued composing, and presenting. In this show she discusses life as a composer, music she finds inspiration from, and what it was like to win one of the biggest awards for musicians.Jennifer Higdon, a Pulitzer Prize and three-time Grammy winner, is one of the most performed living American composers working today. She is the recent recipient of Northwestern University's Nemmers Prize and the UT Austin EM King Award. Previous honors include the Guggenheim, Koussevitzky, and Pew Fellowships, as well as two awards from the American Academy of Arts & Letters. Commissions have come from a wide range of performers: from the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony, to The President's Own Marine Band; from the Tokyo String Quartet to Eighth Blackbird, as well as individual artists such as singer Thomas Hampson, violinist Hilary Hahn and pianist, Yuja Wang. Her first opera on Charles Frazier's book, “Cold Mountain”, was commissioned by Santa Fe Opera, Opera Philadelphia, NC Opera, and Minnesota Opera, selling out all of its runs and winning the International Opera Award. She makes her living from commissions. Her works are recorded on over 70 CDs. The recording of her “Percussion Concerto” with Colin Currie and the London Philharmonic was recently inducted into The Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. Jennifer holds the Rock Chair in Composition at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.For more information about Dr. Jennifer Higdon, visit her official website here.Visit Creative Peacemeal Podcast on social media, browse podcast swag, and continue the creative conversations via the blog!Website https://tstakaishi.wixsite.com/musicInstagram @creative_peacemeal_podcastFacebook https://www.facebook.com/creativepeacemealpod/***To make a donation to Dachshund Rescue of Houston click here!As always, THANK YOU for listening and if you have a moment, share an episode with a friend, or leave a review on Apple by clicking here and scrolling to "Ratings and Reviews" Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/creativepeacemeal)
Christine Toy Johnson is an award-winning writer, actor, director, filmmaker, and advocate for inclusion based in New York City. As a performer, she has been breaking the color barrier for over 35 years, and has been featured extensively on Broadway, off-Broadway, in regional theatres across the country, in film, television, and concerts worldwide. She currently plays “Diane and others” on the First National/North American tour of Come From Away. Other highlights include the New York revivals of The Music Man, Merrily We Rollalong, Pacific Overtures, Falsettol And and Grease!, the national tours of Cats, Flower Drum Song and Bombay Dreams, and other leading roles at some of the most well-respected theatres across the country including the Guthrie Theater, New York Shakespeare Festival, the Mint Theatre, the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Huntington Theatre, Yale Rep, Syracuse Stage, The Denver Center Theatre Company, The Minnesota Opera and New York City Opera. Over 100 film and television appearances include playing “Sherry Yang” on Season 2 of the Netflix/Marvel TV series Iron Fist, recurring roles on Bull, The Americans, You and Law And Order: SVU, NCIS New Orleans, Madam Secretary, Mr. Robot, The Good Fight, Braindead, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Mozart In The Jungle, The Blacklist, Smash, 666 Park Avenue, 30 Rock, Ugly Betty, The Big C, Fringe, Royal Pains, Crossing Jordan, many episodes in the Law And Order franchise, and two years as “Lisa West” on One Life To Live. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Dramatists Guild podcast “The Dramatists Guild Presents Talkback” and shifting perceptions about AAPI artists and the relationship to stopping anti-Asian hate crimes
Jocelyn Hagen joins us for episode 13 of the Composer Happy Hour. Jocelyn is a prolific composer with many fabulous works, but what I think I admire most about her are her passion and enthusiasm for poetry, and her strong interest in collaboration. Her collaborations with hip-hop artist Dessa and electronic musician Spearfisher bring unexpected voices to choral music, and she performs together with her husband (choral composer Tim Takach) as Nation, an a cappella duo that often performs "pop" music. Her love of poetry is readily apparent just by seeing the poets she has illuminated in her choral music, but hearing her talk about the poems (or even read them aloud) reveals sincere admiration for the work of these other artists. On this episode, we discuss poetry, pop music, and whether or not Frasier is suitable binging material. Jocelyn Hagen composes music that has been described as “simply magical” (Fanfare Magazine) and “dramatic and deeply moving” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis/St. Paul). She is a pioneer in the field of composition, pushing the expectations of musicians and audiences with large-scale multimedia works, electro-acoustic music, dance, opera, and publishing. Her first forays into composition were via songwriting, still very evident in her work. The majority of her compositions are for the voice: solo, chamber and choral. Her melodic music is rhythmically driven and texturally complex, rich in color and deeply heartfelt. In 2019 and 2020, choirs and orchestras across the country premiered her multimedia symphony The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci that includes video projections created by a team of visual artists, highlighting da Vinci's spectacular drawings, inventions, and texts. Hagen describes her process of composing for choir, orchestra and film simultaneously in a Tedx Talk given at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, now available on YouTube. Her dance opera collaboration with choreographer Penelope Freeh,Test Pilot, received the 2017 American Prize in the musical theater/opera division as well as a Sage Award for “Outstanding Design.” The panel declared the work “a tour de force of originality.” In 2013 Hagen released an EP entitled MASHUP, in which she performs Debussy's “Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum” while singing Ed Sheeran's “The A Team.” She is also one half of the band Nation, an a cappella duo with composer/performer Timothy C. Takach, and together they perform and serve as clinicians for choirs from all over the world. Hagen's commissions include Conspirare, the Minnesota Opera, the Minnesota Orchestra, the International Federation of Choral Music, the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota, Georgia, Connecticut and Texas, the North Dakota Music Teachers Association, Cantus, the Boston Brass, the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and the St. Olaf Band, among many others. Her work is independently published through JH Music, as well as through Graphite Publishing, G. Schirmer, ECS Publishing, Fred Bock Music Publishing, Santa Barbara Music Publishing, and Boosey and Hawkes. www.jocelynhagen.com All Recordings Used by Permission of the Composer: "I Started Out Singing" University of Toledo Rocket Choristers "Look Out Above" Macalester College "Load Poems Like Guns" Conspirare
Landscape architect Joan MacLeod loves the outdoors, and she recommends What's Out There Weekend this Saturday and Sunday as a chance for everyone to explore public spaces with design in mind. A series of expert-led, free walking and biking tours offer a way to learn about the architecture, design and cultural history of various parks, plazas, gardens and buildings across the Twin Cities. Some tours focus on the cultural and historical significance of outdoor spaces to Native people and European immigrants. Most walks last around 90 minutes through Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible public areas. MacLeod says this is the first year that the national Cultural Landscape Foundation has held an event in Minnesota. You can peruse its digital guide to the Twin Cities and register for tours. Dancer Alanna Morris-Van Tassel wants everyone to know about Saturday's show, “Solo: Six World Premiere Solo Dance Films,” performed by winners of the McKnight fellowship for dance. Each dancer was given the opportunity to commission a solo from a choreographer for a dance video. “It is a real crowning achievement to master or to practice the solo art medium,” said Morris-Van Tassell, who herself was a McKnight dance fellow in 2015. “These are the best at the height of their careers right now,” performing in styles including hip hop, modern, classical and experimental. “You're not going to see that anywhere else.” The screenings are Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Cowles Center in Minneapolis. They also are livestreamed that evening, or available on-demand Sept. 19-26. The Cowles Center requires masks and proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test. Opera singer and former Minnesota Opera resident Mia Athey is looking forward to Opera Afuera, or Opera Outdoors, on Wednesday. The 90-minute show will feature exclusively Latino vocal music, subtitled in both English and Spanish. Last year, the Minnesota Opera adapted to pandemic conditions by presenting Opera in the Outfield. This year's event takes place at the Allianz Field soccer stadium in St. Paul. Minnesota Opera requires masks at this event, and all attendees 12 and over are required to present proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.
Deirdre grew up in Los Angeles, CA where she studied ballet from her mother, Eva Ralf and Tania Lichine. She moved to Minnesota to dance at Minnesota Dance Theater and then became a founding member of Zenon Dance Comapany where she danced for six years. She then found her home with Myron Johnson at Ballet of the Dolls where she danced for six more years and married her husband, Michael Murnane. Deirdre has also danced with Minnesota Opera, Sons of Winter Theater, Shawn Mcconneloug and her Orchestra, Children's Theater Company, and Macy's Glamorama. Deirdre taught dance in the Twin Cities from 1984 to 2017 and yoga since 2009. She has a 500-hour yoga teacher certification from Yoga Center Minneapolis, and is certified in Simonson Jazz Technique. Deirdre will be leaving Reif Dance in January to move back to the Twin Cities to teach there once again!
Welcome to episode 8 of Minnesota Opera's podcast THE SCORE! On this week's episode, it's June and we're all vaxxed up and ready see our people again. So we think it's high time for a little bit of celebration after such a long, dreadful year! First up, it's Pride Month all over the world, so it's time to give it up for all of our precious, beautiful LGBTQIA+ siblings! This week we're having a good old-fashioned kiki at the top of the show with a chat about what Pride means to those of us sitting here at the intersection of Black and queer. Next, we turn the show over to Lee, who recently moderated a panel conversation, presented by The Dream Unfinished and The Harlem Chamber Players, called "Remembrance and Restitution." Lee talks with history professors Ashley Jackson, Ashleigh Lawrence-Sanders, and Jasmin A. Young all about the Tulsa Race Massacre as well as another upcoming celebration - Juneteenth - and their impacts on the past, present and future of Black Americans everywhere. And then, of course, as always we'll send you into the weekend with a PB&J. This week we've got some local Black artists and a mighty engine for social justice that could use your support! Thanks for joining us and HAPPY PRIDE!!!
The East Side Freedom Library and the Ramsey County Historical Society invite you to our monthly “History Revealed” program, featuring Kao Kalia Yang. As the country's doors were closing and nativism was on the rise, Kao Kalia Yang—herself a refugee from Laos—set out to tell the stories of the refugees to whom University Avenue is now home. Here are people who have summoned the energy and determination to make a new life even as they carry an extraordinary burden of hardship, loss, and emotional damage. In Yang's exquisite, poetic, and necessary telling, the voices of refugees from all over the world restore humanity to America's strangers and redeem its long history of welcome. KAO KALIA YANG is a Hmong-American writer. She holds degrees from Carleton College and Columbia University. Yang is the author of The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir winner of the 2009 Minnesota Book Awards in Creative Nonfiction/Memoir and Readers' Choice, a finalist for the PEN USA Award in Creative Nonfiction, and the Asian Literary Award in Nonfiction. Her second book, The Song Poet won the 2016 Minnesota Book Award in Creative Nonfiction Memoir, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Chautauqua Prize, a PEN USA Award in Nonfiction, and the Dayton's Literary Peace Prize. The story has been commissioned as a youth opera by the Minnesota Opera and will premiere in the spring of 2021. She is now writing a series of children's books. For this event, before we open the virtual floor for questions and comments from audience members, Yang will be joined in conversation by four readers of her book: Saymoukda Duanphouxay Vongsay is an award-winning Lao American poet, playwright, cultural producer, and social practice artist. She is the author of the children's book WHEN EVERYTHING WAS EVERYTHING (Full Circle Publishing) and is currently the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Playwright in Residence at Theater Mu. Visit her at www.SaymoukdaTheRefugenius.com and follow her @refugenius. Thet-Htar Thet (she/her/hers) is a writer, educator and activist originally from Yangon Myanmar. Now based in her home country, Thet-Htar is focused on education reform and identity-driven writing as a consultant for UNESCO and a freelance creative nonfiction writer. Sangay Taythi is a Tibetan refugee born in India who with his family immigrated to the United States in 1998. He has been a community and labor organizer, including the Students for a Free Tibet chapter at the University of Minnesota, the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of Minnesota, the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota, the Tibetan National Congress and Tibetans for Black Lives and SEIU Healthcare Minnesota. Najaha Musse is a 4th year medical student pursuing a doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine. Her family fled rural Ethiopia for a refugee camp in Nairobi Kenya, and then settled in Minnesota where she began formal education in the 3rd grade. As the oldest in a family of 8 children, she became the first in her family to graduate from high school and receive a college degree. While attending medical school, Najaha has focused on social justice issues pertaining to educational access for disadvantaged students and social medicine. To view the video: https://youtu.be/c_p7Nx_SmD8
Soprano, Katrina Galka talks about spending time getting to know her instrument with mindful practice, creating her practice process, and training her whistle register.
Baritone, Gabriel Preisser, discusses baritone technique for navigating the passaggio. He goes deep into the dangers of muscling the sound as a young baritone, and explaining the voice turning over. Gabe has sung over 40 operatic and musical theatre roles in companies like Minnesota Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Opera Philadelphia, and Michigan Opera Theatre, in roles such as Danillo, Figaro, Billy Bigelow, and Dandini. In 2020 he sang with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project which won the Grammy-Award for best new opera recording. WATCH Gabe in action: https://youtu.be/q1B4WUA6jAU Voice with Julia's #techniquetalks is where we demystify conversations surrounding vocal technique with behind-the-scenes access to great singers of today. Forget what you thought you knew about singing from your pedagogy textbook. In this series, singers get real about what works, and what doesn't. Get inspired. Try these tips. Use your judgement. Show Notes: 6:20 Gabe discusses how he gets his voice working all-day-everyday – Technique + consistent skills 10:00 Difference between head voice, falsetto, and chest voice 12:30 Turning over the voice (what/how) 15:30 Gabe discusses the vowels that help turn over the passaggio 18:12 Gabe discusses tongue position when turning over 19:50 Gabe discusses exercises to build up breath system 24:30 Gabe discusses body alignment/posture (alexander technique, yoga) 29:50 Gabe discusses how to sing Largo as a baritone (high notes and patter/articulation) 33:23 Gabe discusses high notes and vowels 38:40 Gabe discusses low notes 41:35 Gabe discusses whistle tone vs. Falsetto 43:47 Gabe discusses coloratura 46:50 Gabe discusses contemporary vocal technique Repertoire, and cross-over 50:54 Gabe discusses hooking 52:07 Gabe discuses his most challenging cross-over role 53:30 Gabe discusses his favorite baritone vocally ❤️ JOIN my FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/techniquetalksforsingers/ ❤️ Subscribe to never miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGibxkvaN8KVff0ztzYznMg ❤️ More at https://www.voicewithjulia.com ❤️ To stay in the know, and gain behind-the-scenes access to upcoming guests: https://www.voicewithjulia.com/techniquetalks/ ❤️ More at https://www.voicewithjulia.com ❤️ Instagram: @voicewithjulia ❤️ Facebook: Voice With Julia
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