Podcasts about Portland Opera

[@3 min] Alright, this week...we go Inside the Huddle with Nathan Granner! The American tenor is set to star in a revised version of Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell's "The Shining" at Portland Opera, but we had to ask him about the opera "Balls." [@33 min] And then…In Home Team, Lyric Opera of Chicago announces their next season, which includes performances by former creative consultant Renee Fleming and…the Smashing Pumpkins?….but, sadly, not on the same concert. [@46 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill'…In 2025, conductor Marin Alsop says she is not looking forward to the 30's, and by that, she means the return of the 1930s. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 bsky @operaboxscore

[@3 min] Alright, this week...we go Inside the Huddle with Dr. Lucy Caplan, author of a recently published history of a Golden Age in American classical music called "Dreaming in Ensemble: How Black Artists Transformed America Opera." In addition to tantalizing us with all the operas by American composers that have never been heard in modern times, Lucy Caplan also has ideas about what we should do instead of performing Aida in blackface. [@31 min] And then…soprano Joelle Harvey takes a Free Throw on the female voice and how experiences only women have affect the instrument. Thank goodness we have Ashlee on hand for that one... [@52 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill'…Portland Opera is moving out of its mother's basement and into its own loft downtown, and, breaking news, no one likes America anymore! GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 bsky @operaboxscore

Portland Opera 2/23/25 full An interview with Alferlynn Roberts, Director of Artistic Planning and Operations at Portland Opera about their 60th anniversary, The Opera's programs, about diversity and inclusion, and the upcoming 2025/2026 season. 1497 Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:57 +0000 Rc3zh6EzVA0oLtH4OOtsQv0jdO8ludfn arts,performing arts Let's Talk Portland arts,performing arts Portland Opera 2/23/25 Audacy Portland's locally produced public affairs radio show. Our show is community focused and features timely topics of interest to the Portland Metro area. Let's Talk Portlandis hosted by Gary Bloxom. He interviews newsmakers and experts on topics ranging from business, health, education, and the environment, to science and technology and non-profit work happening in our community. Also featured are authors and artists with interesting discussions on the arts and popular culture. We thank you for listening to Let's Talk Portland.  2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Arts Performing Arts False https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?feed-link=https%3A%2F%2Frss.amp

Tami Tack & Kim Worrall graduated from the Hoffman Process in 1996. They took the Process a second time after it was rejuvenated from an 8-day Process to 7 days. Tami and Kim have been stewards of this work ever since. For over 15 years, Tami has been a graduate group leader in the Portland, Oregon area. Tami and Kim speak to the power of learning to trust in and live from the Spiritual Self and softening into its care. Kim first realized that his nature had a spiritual aspect during the Process. Tami and Kim share stories from their post-Process past to illuminate how vital this aspect of our Quadrinity has been to leading joyful lives. You'll hear Tami and Kim speak about how the Process work has been vital to their relationship. The Hoffman Process supports not only our internal transformation. It also transforms our relationships. When two partners have completed the Process and followed it up with the Hoffman Couples Retreat, the work can deepen the quality and power of your relationship. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Tami, Kim, and Hoffman host, Sharon Mor. More about Tami Tack & Kim Worrall: Married since 1987, Tami and Kim enjoy traveling and exploring the inner world of relationships and spirituality.  They host a monthly spiritual Living Circle and have participated in Thom Bond's Compassion Course for two years, an outgrowth of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). Tami and Kim sing together in local choirs and volunteer with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) to work with children in foster care. They live in Tami's childhood country home which they have named Harmony Hill. Enjoying an active life, they hike, bike, and kayak. They are deeply grateful for all that Life has brought them and look forward to the next adventure. More about Tami Tack: Tami first experienced the Hoffman Process in 1996, then again in 2015 after the Process was rejuvenated.  Passionate about Hoffman Graduate Groups, she led the Portland group from 2009 to 2023, mentoring other leaders beginning new groups. She is a retired school counselor and therapist and has always loved working with people of all ages. Another passion of hers is music, expressed both through piano and voice.  Classically trained in piano, she discovered in her 40s that she could compose music and recorded three CDs of her original piano solos. Singing with many choirs, she directs the Lower Columbia chapter of Threshold Choir whose mission is to sing at the bedside of the dying. The proud mother of two delightful adult children and grandmother to four, she prioritizes family and heart connections. More about Kim Worrall: Kim discovered the Hoffman Process in 1996. In 2014, he repeated the HQP, remembering that he is not his patterns—imagine that! A major takeaway was that he has a Spiritual Self. He is curious about how things work, from human thinking and behavior to galaxies and microbes.  He is a retired teacher and counselor, a former pilot and mountain climber, and a father and grandfather. Formerly singing in the Portland Opera chorus, he now sings with a local men's ensemble. Having been interested in magic since he was a kid, Kim has produced magic shows and always carries a bit of magic with him. He loves to travel for its broadening view of our world and people. He is learning the value and strength of vulnerability. As mentioned in this episode: Engulfment Bob Hoffman Hoffman Couples Retreat Hoffman tool: Embodied Recycling Graduate Groups Virtual (Zoom) Grad Meetings are held in four time zones - Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern. Hoffman Process Rejuvenation Neural Pathways Threshold Choir Religious Science Ed McClune: Listen to Ed on the Hoffman Podcast Prayer Wheel

Welcome to the Green Room Meditations Podcast, presented by the Indiana Repertory Theatre and hosted by Devon Ginn.  Today, we are in conversation with: Carey Wong. He is currently serving as Senic Designer for IRT's season opener, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Carey has worked for over 45 years as a stage designer and arts administrator in the United States, Canada, and abroad.  He has designed sets and/or costumes for over 300 productions of operas, plays, musicals, and ballets, as well as art installations and themed environments.  Currently a freelance designer and theatre consultant based in Gig Harbor, Washington, he began his career as General Production Manger and Resident Designer of Portland Opera for eight seasons.  This was followed by two seasons as Artistic Administrator and Resident Designer at Opera Memphis.  While at Portland Opera, Mr. Wong designed sets and costumes for 12 new productions including the American premiere of Ernst Krenek's LIFE OF ORESTES (in an English translation by the composer commissioned for the premiere), the world premiere of Bernard Herrmann's WUTHERING HEIGHTS, and a rare staging of Carl Maria von Weber's DER FREISCHÜTZ.  Three of his Portland productions were shared by Seattle Opera.   https://www.careywong.com/    About the Indiana Repertory Theatre: Founded in 1971, the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) is the largest professional not-for-profit theatre in the state and one of the leading regional theatres in the country. The mission of the Indiana Repertory Theatre is to produce top-quality, professional theatre and related activities, providing experiences that will engage, surprise, challenge, and entertain people throughout their lifetimes, helping us build a vital and vibrant community. Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA): The IRT strives to celebrate and serve the diverse people and cultures that make up our whole community. The IRT is committed to providing access for all; to creating and maintaining an antiracist theatre that is inclusive, safe, and respectful. https://www.irtlive.com/ 

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

Priti Gandhi came to take the helm as artistic director of Portland Opera during the fall of 2021. She inherited a dynamic season that began with one of her favorite operas Carmen and followed by newer operas Thumbprint and ABSENCE: … Read the rest The post Priti Gandhi & Thumbprint appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Priti Gandhi came to take the helm as artistic director of Portland Opera during the fall of 2021. She inherited a dynamic season that began with one of her favorite operas Carmen and followed by newer operas Thumbprint and ABSENCE: … Read the rest The post Priti Gandhi & Thumbprint appeared first on Stage&Studio.

When you hear the term opera, what comes to mind? Something that's exclusive, pretentious, maybe even boring? Keep listening because today's guest may surprise you about what an opera is, what it's about, and how it can help you be a better businesswoman. In this episode of the P.O.W.E.R. Plug Podcast Host, Mary Foley speaks with Clare Burovac, General and Artistic Director of the New Orleans Opera. Clare took on this role in September 2020 when the pandemic party was in full swing – a tough challenge. She's also the first woman to be General Director in New Orleans Opera history. Clare came to New Orleans from Portland, Oregon, where for the past eleven years she served as Director of Artistic Operations for Portland Opera. She's also professionally trained as a violinist.   Listen and Learn: How opera helps us get back to our humanity. Surprising facts about opera and the New Orleans Opera house. Does the operatic experience require a certain wardrobe? What other activities and events does the New Orleans opera offer? What is the world-famous opera Madame Butterfly about?  How to secure a ticket for Madame Butterfly in March at the New Orleans Opera house. The benefits of joining the New Orleans Opera for women in business. The type of positions available on the business side of the operatic performance.   NewOrleansOpera.org Madame Butterfly: March 24 & 26, 2023 Box Office: (504) 529-3000 Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/NewOrleansOperaAssociation/) @NewOrleansOpera on Twitter @NewOrleansOpera on Instagram OperaCreole.com

Portland Opera debuts it's multi-year project to commission new operas that feature the stories and histories of BIPOC Oregonians for their young audiences program for their Portland Opera to Go Program (POGO) and their first original work is the biographical … Read the rest The post “Beatrice”- A New Opera appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Portland Opera debuts it's multi-year project to commission new operas that feature the stories and histories of BIPOC Oregonians for their young audiences program for their Portland Opera to Go Program (POGO) and their first original work is the biographical … Read the rest The post “Beatrice”- A New Opera appeared first on Stage&Studio.

July is just around the corner! Who could've thought that six months of 2022 had gone by so quickly? I remember so many of my New Year's resolutions and I know I have to catch up with all of these goals. However, such “chasing-the-goal” action should not compromise one's mental health and happiness. It should not also sacrifice your life's purpose.In this episode of the Conductor's Podcast, conductor Maria Sensi Sellner shares with us how she navigated life despite experiencing burnout and how you can learn from her experience as well. Conductor Maria Sensi Sellner's artistry, versatility, and reputation for innovation are making her a sought-after collaborator and an impresario for the 21st century. She is a proud alum of The Dallas Opera's Hart Institute for Women Conductors. Maria is the Artistic & General Director of Resonance Works, the multi-modal performing arts company she founded in her native Pittsburgh in 2013; and a frequent cover conductor for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The 2021-22 season includes a growing number of company debuts - including Portland Opera, Opera Steamboat, Fargo-Moorhead Opera, Raylynmor Opera, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City - conducting her favorite mix of Verdi, bel canto, and contemporary opera repertoire.

As a veteran scenic designer, Carey Wong made magic happen in 300 productions throughout the Northwest and beyond for more than 45 years. He got his start professionally in the 1980s as the resident set designer at Portland Opera for … Read the rest The post Carey Wong & The World Transformed appeared first on Stage&Studio.

As a veteran scenic designer, Carey Wong made magic happen in 300 productions throughout the Northwest and beyond for more than 45 years. He got his start professionally in the 1980s as the resident set designer at Portland Opera for … Read the rest The post Carey Wong & The World Transformed appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Keith Martin has been involved with the collector car hobby for more than 30 years. As a writer, publisher, television commentator and enthusiast, he is constantly on the go, meeting collectors and getting involved in their activities throughout the world. He founded the monthly Sports Car Market magazine 32 years ago, and it has developed into the authoritative voice of the collector car hobby. Martin's columns on collecting and reviews of exotic cars, including the Ford GT and the Bentley Continental GT, have appeared in the New York Times. Noted for his onstage wit, warmth and deep knowledge of collectible cars, Martin has been an emcee at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the Concours of America, Concorso Italiano, Legends of the Autobahn, the La Jolla Concours d'Elegance, the Atlanta Concours, Keels and Wheels and many other events. He has been honored as a recipient of two of the most prestigious awards in the collector car hobby – The Lee Iacocca Award and the Edward Herrmann Award. He has also been inducted into the Concorso Italiano Hall of Fame. He has hosted numerous television specials, and was the co-host of “What's My Car Worth” shown on the Velocity channel. He served as Chairman of the Meguiar's Collector Car Person of the Year Award, is on the Board of Trustees of the LeMay Museum and has served on the faculty of the Collier Museum symposium on Connoisseurship. Martin brings an eclectic background to his passion for cars. His academic background includes the study of Intellectual History at Reed College, in Portland, Oregon, and study as a Dance Major at the Juilliard School in New York City. He founded the first professional ballet company in Oregon, Ballet Oregon, was awarded an Oregon Art's Commission Individual Artist's Fellowship for new choreography, and was director of dance for the Portland Opera. He is currently on the Board of Directors of Oregon Ballet Theater and a patron of the Portland Art Museum. Martin lives in Portland with his son Bradley, a budding teenage car collector who already has had his first car, a 1960 Bugeye Sprite. His daughter, an enthusiast herself, Alexandra, graduated from Oregon State University and is a support specialist for Daimler Trucks North America. She can be seen driving her 2006 Lotus Elise, and blogs occasionally for SCM.

The Two Gay Geeks

Today we welcome conductor Tiffany Chang to our podcast. Originally trained in the world of music education, Chang holds positions at both Oberlin Conservatory and Berklee College of Music, and previously served as interim director of orchestras at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory and Boston University. Lately, her focus has been geared more toward the professional realm, particularly the world of opera, where she serves as director of the North End Music and Performing Arts Center's Opera Project in Boston and has major engagements this season with Opera Columbus here in Ohio, as well as the Portland Opera in Oregon. She also runs the blog Conductor as CEO, which examines job satisfaction issues in the orchestral industry, and the role of the conductor in creating a healthy workplace culture. Orchestrating Change is available wherever you get your podcasts. We also have a new website! Go to www.orchestratingchange.com to sign-up for email reminders, view past episodes, and see the various channels where you can view our content. For more information about everything else we are offering at this time, please visit www.cantonsymphony.org.

Happy belated new year I hope it is starting off to be great. Today's episode it's about well and you start a reset whatever you wanna call it I hope you enjoy this new format. By the way did anyone happen to see the world premiere Opera at Portland Opera? You can contact me at Harbor for the arts@gmail.com follow me on Instagram and Facebook  @BriCooperMezzo  Don't forget to check out my website bricooper.net

Damien grew up with his mom singing around the house, and Diana Ross and The Pointer Sisters on the record player, with a bit of Bach and Tchaikovsky thrown in for good measure. Although he went on to study music education and conducting, he didn't really think of performance as a viable career, and became a high school teacher – and stayed teaching for over 15 years. However, he was always composing and performing on the side, and when he was cast as the Undertaker in The Met's production of Porgy and Bess, Damien realised it was time he gave the opera world his full attention. His composition work includes deeply moving chamber, vocal, and orchestral works, and his work often infuses classical music with styles from the black diaspora to create music that furthers the cause for social justice He was recently commissioned by Washington National Opera alongside the Librettist Lila Palmer for their opera American Apollo, a story forged at the crossroads of celebrity, class, race, and power in America. Alongside his thriving career as a singer and composer, Damien has recently been announced as the interim Music Director at Portland Opera, where he's currently in rehearsals for the role of Angelotti in Tosca. Find out more about Damien on his website here Find out more about Portland Opera here and his new role here

Greetings, Scorekeepers! We're back from our vacation with a very special new episode of THE SCORE! And why is it so special, you ask? Because for the very first time ever, Paige, Rocky and Lee are actually recording the show in person in the same room at the same time! What a treat! And on this week's episode, after a brief lamentation on the state of the world, we celebrate some of the incredible POC making huge strides in the opera world, like MN Opera's very own Priti Gandhi who will take the reins as the amazing new Artistic Director at Portland Opera this fall! (Yay, Priti!) Then we're joined by artist, educator and MN Opera Creative Programs Manager, Rebecca Blackwell, who gives us some frank and frankly beautiful insights into what it's like to live and work at the intersection of education and EDI, as well as the immeasurable ways equity-focused arts education programs can change kids' lives for the better. Then it's time for another round of America's favorite new game show, Fire That Canon! This time around we discuss Aida and Porgy and Bess. Can either be presented responsibly in 2021? And finally, as always, we've found more than a few reasons to be joyful this week, so we'll send you out into the weekend with a little PB&J! Let's do it to it! And please note, we'll be switching our release day to Monday starting with our next episode! See you then! Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds Guest: Rebecca Blackwell Producer: Rocky Jones Timestamps: Welcome & Current Events - 0:00:33 Big BIPOC News in Opera - 0:19:58 In Conversation w/Rebecca Blackwell - 0:28:00 Fire That Canon! - 1:00:10 PB&J - 1:17:44 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

Portland Opera's “Journeys To Justice” features a variety of compositions focused on the Black experience. Damien Geter is an artistic advisor to Portland Opera and the curator of the program. He selected pieces that connect the civil rights movement of the 1960s to current events and explore both joys and pain specific to Black Americans. The organization also asked Geter to include his own composition, “The Talk: Instructions for Black Children When They Interact with the Police.” The 75 minute show is streaming now through May 31. We hear from Geter and Chip Miller, director of “Journeys To Justice” and the associate artistic director for Portland Center Stage.

Christine A. Richardson is master Costume Manager and Designer with 30+ years of experience in film, TV, Opera and Theatre.  She currently is the Costume Director and Designer at Portland Opera, where Cindy had the pleasure to do "Faust " with.  In her spare time she is a member of the Cultural Arts and Heritage Commission in Vancouver, WA  so she can support and advocate for all arts in her city. To learn more about Christine, please visit her web page at  https://christinearichardson.viewbook.com     Attribution: ----more---- Logo: Ritzy Remix font by Nick Curtis - www.nicksfonts.com Music and Soundcello_tuning by flcellogrl / Licence: CC BY 3.0freesound.org/people/flcellogrl/sounds/195138/ Flute Play C - 08 by cms4f / Licence: CC0 1.0freesound.org/people/cms4f/sounds/159123/ "Danse Macabre - Violin Hook" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) / Licence: CC BY 3.0 LicensesCC BY 3.0 - creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/CC0 1.0 - http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/  

Judi Croft with SAIF checks in with the latest on keeping people safe in the workplace during the pandemic - she says everything has changed for employers; Pandemic fatigue is being felt by front line workers who are struggling to hang on - Mental Health America CEO; Festa Italiana President Ed Ferrero on the festival and online event Christmas in Italy featuring the Portland Opera

Today on The Local: Your Quick 6 news headlines. Jason Lamb joins with Damien Geter and Karen Slack, new artistic advisors to the Portland Opera.And, we have an interview with Narain Dubey, recent Grant HS graduate and NY Times editorial contest winner, on his vision for policing.

On this episode of Minority Retort, host Jason Lamb speaks with Damien Geter & Karen Slack of the Portland Opera.

In 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.

In 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.

New episode of the ‘Something (rather than nothing)’ podcast with Opera Singer Mackenzie RogersI had a most stimulating conversation with Mackenzie about art’s role in a pandemic, art's role in challenging white supremacy, opera, van Gogh, painting, Cabaret, philosophy and what it feels like to be painted into a painting.Ms. Rogers is a talented actress and performer whose recent credits include Nancy in Albert Herring, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, the Forrester's Wife in The Cunning Little Vixen, Betty in Over Here!, and the Announcer in Gallantry, A Soap Opera. In 2017, she also joined the ensembles of Portland Opera's production of La Bohème and Broadway Rose Theatre's rendition of the popular musical The Addams Family, the latter of which received the Drammy Award for Best Ensemble and the PAMTA Awards for Outstanding Ensemble and Outstanding Revival. 

Philip Glass’s In the Penal Colony is a chilling thriller and we imagine no-one will do it better than visionary director Jerry Mouawad and conductor Nicholas Fox. A visitor is invited to a penal colony to observe the execution of a prisoner at the hands of a nightmarish machine. The New York Times calls Glass' piece a “surreal exploration of injustice.” Intimately performed in the round, don't miss this thrilling evening of theatre at Portland Opera. Jerry and Nicholas share insight into this one of kind production.

Portland Opera's Resident Artist Program is one of the finest in the nation. Find out why Portland Opera attracts the world's top burgeoning singing talent, and don't miss the upcoming La Finta Giardienera!

Susannah chats with the brilliant and charming George Manahan, Portland Opera’s Music Director and the conductor of The Barber of Seville, and the lovely and talented Aleksandra Romano, who will be our city’s own Rosina. Their wide-ranging conversation covers Rossini, mischief and fun in opera, and what’s up in Portland!

On this Episode of Marti’s Music Kitchen, the fun music and food podcast where anything can happen, it’s a Liberace 100th Birthday Celebration! With costumes, music and the glamor of show business, Liberace tribute artist and extravagant performer, David Saffert is with me today. David is a classically trained pianist and has partnerships with the Oregon Ballet Theatre, the Portland Opera, the Oregon Symphony and the Interlochen Arts Camp. He’s received RAVE reviews for his blinged-out tribute to Liberace from Oregon Arts Watch, the Deluth News Tribune and the San Francisco Chronicle. Not only was Liberace was famous for his over-the-top performance style and his slightly naughty humor, but did you also know he also liked to cook? He loved his sticky buns, so to speak! “Before I get on stage and I’m in sequins from head to toe, and the hair, a wig and the makeup and the rings, and I hear Bo and the band will start playing the Liberace Hilton-Vegas intro, it just puts you in the mindset to be him.” Crashing the party is Mr. Bo Ayars, who has worked with Bob Hope, Elvis, Barbara Streisand and who just happened to be Liberace’s music director for 13 years. How cool is this interview going to be? And just how deliciously sticky will Liberace’s sticky buns really be? Come with me into this great kitchen to get a sparkling, glamorous glimpse of musical history and lets find out! https://www.facebook.com/DavidSaffertPiano/ http://insequinspdx.com/bio https://www.ax2music.com/ MartiMendenhall.com Patreon.com/MartiMendenhall OregonMusicNews.com Liberace’s Sticky Buns Ingredients - As Best Bo can remember and David can infer! 1.5 cups brown sugar 2 sticks unsalted butter (or salted for a little zing) Basically add pumpkin pie spices to taste….. about 1.5 tsp. Or break down the spices: @.5 teaspoon cinnamon @.25 teaspoon each-ish nutmeg, cloves, allspice and cloves @.25 ginger if you want to add a little bite 3 packages refrigerated unbaked rolls (crescent, cinnamon, or other. The spice/butter mixture flavors it up.) 1 cup roughly chopped pecans 1.25 cups golden raisins (or what you have on hand) .50 cup rum (whatever smells good) Preheat oven to 325°. Soak raisins in rum until soft. Microwave 15-35 seconds if necessary to soften. Melt butter, spices and brown sugar in a small pot. Stir until is bubbling and at a thick sauce consistency. Use bigger chunks of pecans to line two non-stick baking pans (use non-stick spray on pan first), and add about 1 tablespoon of the butter mix to each cup. Prepare whatever dough you have chosen, making it into one big, single sheet of dough. Brush the butter mixture on to the dough (maybe about ¼ of the pot.) Put on raisins and more chopped pecans on top of the dough. Roll dough into a log, then slice off 1-1.25 inch sections and place into cups in the baking pan. Bake 13-15 minutes, or until the muffins just start to brown on top. Right out of the oven, place a plate over the baking pan and flip to pop-out the muffins on to the plate. Eat them warm! Use first batch to determine how much butter mixture to put muffin cups in the second batch. #liberace #lizaminnelli #tributeact #musicdirector #cabaret #Liberace100thbirthday #oshgoshbgosh #DavidSaffert #BoAyars #MartiMendenhall #MartisMusicKit #Cooking #StickyBuns

Frequently praised for the timbre of her voice, Hannah Penn stars in Portland Opera’s As One, a stunning coming-of-age story in which two voices—a mezzo-soprano and a baritone—share the role of transgender heroine Hannah. Discover behind-the-scenes details and more as Hannah talks about this “one woman show played by two people.” Opens at Newmark Theatre on March 22.

In this episode, I'm really excited to speak with cellist David Eby and to dive deeper with him in a topic that we've only mentioned a few times on the show so far and that I feel is so important and can be extremely powerful in our experience as musicians!  I'm talking about pure mindfulness! We discuss the positive effects meditation and consciousness tools can have on our practice and performance.  Among many things, you will hear about the importance of adopting unprejudiced mindsets, how you can bring more flow and joy in your playing,  develop and effective automatic response mode when facing challenges in performance, and create inspired connection in your playing by accessing a higher consciousness using David's 4-step process. We expand on: Mindfulness and consciousness in our practice - how to use these powerful tools How he got to experience that state of oneness with music in his youth The transition to college and how difficult it was to keep that magic state of being while negotiating the demands and pressures of university How harsh judgment of self and others influenced him and eventually led him to a crisis The pivotal moment that led him to pursue meditation and how it changed his life and brought him back to experience pure joy and love of music again How he studied and explored different consciousness techniques and started incorporating them in concerts, reaching a state of flow in his performance How meditation and consciousness can help us reconnect with the joy and bliss in performance (and, as a result, improve our results) Different methods of meditation How training the mind to return to the breath in meditation is training our brain to focus The automatic response mode that can help us overcome challenges in performance Hush/Heart/Lift/Flow Technique for more inspired connection in performance: o   Hush: create dynamic stillness (inner and outer silence) to better hear and feel subtleties of music o   Heart: deepen intuitive perception - open chest and heart o   Lift: engage energy - creating upward moving energy o   Flow: focus with effortless pleasure     More about David: Website: http://www.davidebymusic.com/ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/davidceby Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheInspiredMusician/   Biography Cellist, Director, Teacher and Author “Inspiration and music came into my life at age 6 when I announced to my parents that I was going to play the cello. By 16, I was drinking up inspiration from the Tanglewood and Aspen Music Festivals and sharing inspiration onstage as soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony. I attuned my skills at the Eastman School of Music where I received the Performer's Certificate and BM under the tutelage of Paul Katz of the Cleveland Quartet. By the time I received my MM at Indiana University under the esteemed Janos Starker, my life was resonating unconditionally with the joy of music. My first position as Principal Cellist of the Evansville Philharmonic and the Owensboro Symphony Orchestras taught me about how to share this joy in the context of leadership. As the founding cellist for the musical storytelling troupe Tales & Scales, I helped inspire the imaginations of young audiences across the nation. An introduction to the West Coast awakened within me a profound yearning for the ocean and the mountains, and I arrived in Portland in 1996 to become the founding cellist for the internationally acclaimed band Pink Martini, as well as a cellist for the Portland Opera. By 2001 an inward calling had grown so strong within me that I left everything to become Music Director at the Ananda Village in Northern California, with the singular opportunity to teach and direct a remarkable group of meditators. Each week we explored more deeply the realms of music, consciousness, inspiration, discovering the steps for achieving a consistently inspired performance. We were able to duplicate extraordinary experiences of flow in performance—where time stands still and all that exists is the joy of the music. Hollywood made a dramatic entrance into my life in 2012 when I was asked to musically direct and produce the soundtrack for the film Finding Happiness featuring Elisabeth Rohm (LA Law, American Hustle). Soon thereafter, I arrived back in Portland, where I am currently teaching Workshops for the Inspired Musician, sharing what I have learned through this 18-year journey into music and inspiration. I've sought to capture my experiences of inspiration on recordings, and my discography includes Sympathique with Pink Martini, Mystic Harp 2, Secrets of Love, Relax: Meditations for Flute and Cello, and Song of the Nightingale for Crystal Clarity Publishers, and the Finding Happiness soundtrack for Hansa Productions. I currently perform with The Bodhi Trio, the Oregon Symphony, and Portland Cello Project, teach at Lewis and Clark College, direct the Advanced Strings at Oregon Episcopal School and am a Teaching Artist for the BRAVO Youth Orchestra. I live in Southwest Portland with my wife Madhavi, daughter Caitlin and our Manx cat, Maggie.   If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice.   THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme!  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a huge thank you to my producer, Bella Kelly!   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/   Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/

Ciao! What a joyful chat with Christopher Mattaliano, General Director of Portland Opera, and Andrea Bartoloni, Honorary Consul of Italy for the State of Oregon, about Verdi's La Traviata, coming up at The Keller Auditorium. We talk all things Italian, including a pre show restaurant recommendation. Ciao!

This week we interview Technical Director Johnathan Bearclaw Hart. Cindy worked with Bearclaw​ on "Faust" at Portland Opera​. Portland Opera is the first opera he has worked at, in any capacity and he tells us some of the differences and challenges he faces switching from Musical Theatre to Opera. A big one being that operas rent a lot more sets, that then need to fit into a space they were not originally designed for. But he loves puzzles! So it worked out great for him.Enjoy the show!  Attribution: ----more---- Logo:Theater Masks by Nikita Kozin / Licence: CC BY 3.0thenounproject.com/term/theater-masks/516808/ Ritzy Remix font by Nick Curtis - www.nicksfonts.com/index.html Music and Soundcello_tuning by flcellogrl / Licence: CC BY 3.0freesound.org/people/flcellogrl/sounds/195138/ Flute Play C - 08 by cms4f / Licence: CC0 1.0freesound.org/people/cms4f/sounds/159123/ "Danse Macabre - Violin Hook" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) / Licence: CC BY 3.0 LicensesCC BY 3.0 - creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/CC0 1.0 - creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/  

Today we had the pleasure of talking to David Adam Moore. Cindy worked with David at Portland Opera where David was the Video Designer for "Faust". Though the first time she met him, he was doing a slightly different role. He was rehearsing the part of The Count for the "Marriage of Figaro" at Palm Beach Opera. David grew up in South East Texas and is a 6th generation musician. His father was a back up singer and bass player for County singer Tracy Byrd and David still considers his father a superior musician. David has come a long way from performing in his church easter service. You can see him perform on the Metropolitan Opera stage or catch his amazing production and video design through his company, GLMMR with is partner Vita Tzykun. www.glmmr.orgwww.davidadammoore.com Attribution:   ----more---- Logo:Theater Masks by Nikita Kozin / Licence: CC BY 3.0thenounproject.com/term/theater-masks/516808/ Ritzy Remix font by Nick Curtis - www.nicksfonts.com/index.html Music and Soundcello_tuning by flcellogrl / Licence: CC BY 3.0freesound.org/people/flcellogrl/sounds/195138/ Flute Play C - 08 by cms4f / Licence: CC0 1.0freesound.org/people/cms4f/sounds/159123/ "Danse Macabre - Violin Hook" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) / Licence: CC BY 3.0 LicensesCC BY 3.0 - creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/CC0 1.0 - creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/  

Bask in the glow of the beauty of the voice and person that is Lindsay Ohse, star of Portland Opera's Orfeo and Euridice. Shining opera light, Lindsay Ohse talks about Orfeo ed Euridice at Portland Opera. How is opera relevant to YOU?

This week we had the pleasure to interview Elise Sandell who worked as the Assistant Director with Cindy on Portland Opera's "Faust".  Elise started at Barrington High School  wanting to be an actor but soon found her love of back stage.  She received her BFA from Webster University in Stage Management and soon after got a fellowship with Opera America.  There has been no stopping her since then!  UNTIL NOW!  Her traveling life of an Opera Director is coming to an end as she has announced this is her #farewelltour.  Don't worry, there is a still a chance to see her amazing work as she will be headed back to Portland Opera to do La Traviata then to Florida Grand Opera to do Motzart's "The Marriage of Figaro".   See more at elisesandell.com   Enjoy the show!  Attribution:   ----more---- Logo:Theater Masks by Nikita Kozin / Licence: CC BY 3.0thenounproject.com/term/theater-masks/516808/ Ritzy Remix font by Nick Curtis - www.nicksfonts.com/index.html Music and Soundcello_tuning by flcellogrl / Licence: CC BY 3.0freesound.org/people/flcellogrl/sounds/195138/ Flute Play C - 08 by cms4f / Licence: CC0 1.0freesound.org/people/cms4f/sounds/159123/ "Danse Macabre - Violin Hook" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) / Licence: CC BY 3.0 LicensesCC BY 3.0 - creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/CC0 1.0 - creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/  

Portland Opera's Manager of Education and Outreach, Alexis Hamilton, delivers a spellbinding presentation on Rossini's opera "La Cenerentola" (Cinderella). She is joined by Portland Opera's new rehearsal pianist, Joel Ayau, and additionally the singing talents of mezzo-soprano Kate Farrar, tenor Alasdair Kent and baritone Ryan Thorn. Description of the opera from the Portland Opera website, "A storybook tale that is sure to charm audience members who are young, and young at heart, this new production of Rossini’s classic opera will glitter as brightly as Cinderella’s royal ball gown." Recorded Live at Central Library: July 8, 2018.

  Today we have the amazing Vita Tzkun who Cindy met during Faust at Portland Opera. Vita was the set and costume designer for the stunning opera. She finds that often she is mistaken for the costume designer simply because of her gender. As well as finds herself in rooms with nothing but men on a regular basis. She does not let that slow her down at all! She and David Adam Moore started an NYC-based multimedia art collective called Glmmr. Its body of work includes design for opera, dance and theater, concert visuals, film, commercial design, and gallery installations. You can learn more about Glmmr at https://www.glmmr.org/aboutVita's web site is https://www.vitavision.net/aboutEnjoy the show!Attribution:Logo:Theater Masks by Nikita Kozin / Licence: CC BY 3.0thenounproject.com/term/theater-masks/516808/Ritzy Remix font by Nick Curtis - www.nicksfonts.com/index.htmlMusic and Soundcello_tuning by flcellogrl / Licence: CC BY 3.0freesound.org/people/flcellogrl/sounds/195138/Flute Play C - 08 by cms4f / Licence: CC0 1.0freesound.org/people/cms4f/sounds/159123/"Danse Macabre - Violin Hook" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) / Licence: CC BY 3.0LicensesCC BY 3.0 - creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/CC0 1.0 - creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/  

Strength Level: Aqua Man! Holy moly. I’m getting tired of people coming up to me on the street and saying, “good job dude…but we ALL know you’re out of bad ass guests now.” You know WHY, I’m getting tired of it? BECAUSE I’M NOT EVEN CLOSE TO OUT OF THEM AT ALL. And to help prove that this week, I brought on the timpanist for the Portland Opera, an all around gentleman, and one of my dear friends: WILL RENO. Will and I have been friends for years, and he has LONG supported the RISS podcast and everything we do here on this show. It’s been a long time coming, but sit down, relax, and enjoy as we sit down for a one-on-one interview where we talk about EVERY HARD ISSUE YOU CAN IMAGINE. Obviously, not really, but you guys know what I mean! Just listen to hear an auditory reminder of what friendship sounds like. After that, go check out Will in ANY WAY you can imagine! He’s the best, does cool stuff, and does cool stuff in very good ways. GO CHECK HIM OUT! OUR PERSONAL THOUGHTS FOR YOU TODAY: If you like “Get Your Dang Butt out of My Face” and/or have taken it as a personal mantra through life as we have, you are gonna LOVE this episode. If you hate cussing a lot, you’re gonna REALLY dislike this one.

Portland opera previews their production of Charles Gounod's opera "Faust" with the sets designed by John Frame. This 50-minute program is hosted by Chorus Master & Assistant Conductor Nicholas Fox with musical highlights by singers Thomas Cilluffo, Kate Farrar and Shi Li. Description the opera from the Portland Opera website, "Lyricism and legend converge in Gounod’s unforgettable masterpiece. When the devil appears and offers Faust a second chance at youth in exchange for his soul, he makes the pact, and then uses his newfound powers to seduce the youthful and innocent Marguerite—with tragic consequences." Recorded Live at Central Library: June 3, 2018  

This week, Susannah sat down with Kevin Newbury, the innovative director of Faust for Portland Opera to talk about art, hope, opera, and everything in between!

Hi Friend, welcome to the blog and show notes for Episode 41 of Sally’s Performing Arts Lab Podcast. On Episode 41, my awesome guest is Stage Manager Cynthia Hennon Marino.  Her work with the ground-breaking immersive-devised opera, The Wreck, is just one of the things we discuss.   I’m your SallyPAL podcast host, Sally Adams. And every week I talk to people about creating original work for a live audience. Send an email anytime to Sally@sallypal.com. Because your ideas keep great conversations coming every week.   Check out sallypal.com/join for a cool free theatre resource called the Creator’s Notebook. You can also be a Sally ‘pal’ just by joining. There are other good reasons to join. Members get theatre cartoons, inside scoop on fresh productions, and entry into a larger creator community.   Stage Manager Cynthia Hennon Marino hit the ground running after getting an MFA in Stage Management from the College-Conservatory of Music. She went to New York and got hired almost immediately. She became a production assistant on the Broadway production of Equus starring Richard Griffiths and Daniel Radcliffe in 2008.   Cindy's journey started when she and her identical twin, Stacy Hennon Stone, did props for the musical Anything Goes their freshmen year of high school. The two now host a podcast called Twins Talk Theatre. The show is a series of great convos about working backstage.   Sister Stacy is a professional technical director in Long Beach, California. But neither twin planned on becoming a theatre professional. Cindy started by pursuing a degree in math. Stacy started in the business school. But theatre has powerful magnetic pull.   Each Hennon sister graduated from a different college with a theatre degree. Cindy’s sister headed to Southern California. Cindy followed when she found work with Palos Verdes Performing Arts.   Cindy and I talk about Long Beach Opera, the opera, Nixon in China, the LA opera, Hopscotch, and Portland Opera. She currently stage manages the opera, Faust, with the Oregon company. This latest venture features 3-D projections based on the work of sculptor John Frame.   The projections and projection mapping are a collaboration among designers Frame, Vita Tzykun, David Adam Moore, and Duane Schuler. It’s received a lot of attention from a previous reveal with Lyric opera in Chicago. Opera Wire called this production “a visual feast for the ages.”   But Portland’s production isn’t the most progressive thing Cindy’s done this year. In March, she and a small contingent with Opera Omaha embarked on a rare journey. The work they created is unique.   The Wreck is an immersive devised opera created in only 10 days. The Wreck borrows music and other bits from Slavik mythology and mermaid folklore. It features the writings of Anne Sexton, Alice Walker, and Adrienne Rich. It also floats on the music of Donizetti, Schubert, and Von Bingen. Ukrainian composer Mariana Sadovska adds new music creating an eclectic, otherwordly piece set in Omaha… sort of.   I know you’re going to enjoy what Cynthia has to say about stage managing and opera. There’s plenty of fresh ideas in the world of live opera performance. I can’t wait to see what she does next. Be sure and listen until the end of the interview for Concise Advice from the Interview, and Words of Wisdom from George.   Concise Advice from the Interview 7) Stage manage a show as opposed to a genre of theatre 6) Help the designers make a safe working environment for the performers 5) Focus on the show and focus on the people and everything else will fall into place 4) Go see opera! 3) Use physical cues to show you are open to a conversation 2) Experiment and have fun! 1) Think outside of the box   Thank you for following, sharing, subscribing, reviewing and joining. And thank you for listening. Download the SallyPAL podcast and listen on your drive to work. Or fall asleep to my recitatives like my sister does. Just be sure to let me know you’re out there.   Storytelling through plays, dances, opera, and other types of performances is the most important thing we do as a culture. That’s why I encourage you to share your stories. You’re the only one with your particular point of view. And SallyPAL is here with resources, encouragement, and a growing community of storytellers.   I want to help you tell your stories. All the stories ever expressed once lived only in someone’s imagination. Now… Think outside the box!

Join us for a special preview of Portland Opera’s upcoming production of Verdi’s Rigoletto. This 50-minute program is hosted by Chorus Master & Assistant Conductor Nicholas Fox with musical highlights performed by Thomas Cilluffo, Helen Huang, Shi Li and Kate Farrar. Recorded Live at Central Library: April 29, 2018 For more information, visit Portland Opera.

This week, Susannah sits down with Katrina Galka and George Manahan to chat about the Portland Opera's upcoming production of Rigoletto. 

This week on 'State of Wonder,' the writer behind 'Angels in America' and the movies 'Lincoln' and 'Munich' on writing for today, the head of Portland Center Stage on the hit musical 'Fun Home' and more.Tony Kushner Finds the Humanity in the Epic - 1:05Playwright Tony Kushner is a fearless explorer of spaces where the personal meets the political. His two-part masterpiece, "Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes," kicked down the door to a discussion of the AIDS epidemic, and his screenwriting work on films like "Lincoln" and "Munich" manage to find the most internal, human stories in mammoth historical events. Kushner is headed to Oregon to deliver the keynote speech at the Oregon Arts Summit on Oct. 6, and we got him on the phone to talk about what he's working on now, including a play about President Trump (maybe) and a new take on "West Side Story" with his regular collaborator, Steven Spielberg.Painter Arvie Smith Wins the Governor's Art Award for Lifetime Achievement - 8:53To celebrate the Oregon Arts Summit and the 50th anniversary of the Oregon Arts Commission, Governor Kate Brown has resurrected the Governor’s Art Awards after a 10-year hiatus. The big winners of the Lifetime Achievement Awards are Portland painter Arvie Smith and the Kalapuya and Coos storyteller Esther Stutzman. Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts, Portland Opera and The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation are also taking home awards. We sat down with Smith last year before his solo show at the Portland Art Museum to discuss his vivid, explosive paintings rich with political overtones, humor, and heartbreak.opbmusic Session in the Woods with Folk Singer Joan Shelley - 16:07This year, folk singer Joan Shelley released her fifth solo album with some big-name help. Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy produced and recorded the album in his Chicago studio. With those massive resources at her fingertips, Shelley could have gone big with a fuller sound and plenty of bells and whistles; instead, she doubled down on a minimalist sound that has made her stand out in an increasingly grandiose music industry. Recently, Shelley and guitarist Nathan Salsburg performed two songs for OPB on a hiking trail in Portland’s Marquam Nature Park. You can find videos at opbmusic. Chris Coleman on Directing the Tony-Winning Musical 'Fun Home' and Portland Center Stage's Upcoming Season - 24:15Portland Center State, the city’s biggest theater company, opened its 30th season this month with a most unlikely musical: the Tony-award-winning, coming-of-age story “Fun Home,” based on the graphic novel by cartoonist Alison Bechdel. It's the story of Bechdel's own coming out in contrast to the closeted, repressed life her father lived, and the title refers to a nickname she and her siblings had for the family house, which also happened to be the town's funeral home. You will never laugh so hard at kids making up a musical commercial about embalming. We talk with artistic director Chris Coleman about the production, which is the first by a local theater on the West Coast, as well as the rest of the season.

Join us for a special preview of Portland Opera's upcoming production of Cosi Fan Tutte. The preview is hosted by Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor Nicholas Fox with musical highlights performed by singers Antonia Tamer, Kate Farrar, Aaron Short and Ryan Thorn --in a total of seven arias from the opera. For more information, visit Portland Opera. Recorded Live at Central Library: July 9, 2017  

Join us for a special preview of Portland Opera's upcoming production of Puccini's La Bohème. The preview is hosted by Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor Nicholas Fox with musical highlights performed by Portland Opera's Resident Artists. For more information, visit Portland Opera. Recorded Live at Central Library: April 30, 2017

Episode 42: Musical Fluency-A conversation with Brian McWhorter Brian McWhorter is associate professor of music at the University of Oregon. Previously, he held positions at Manhattan School of Music, Louisiana State University, East Carolina University, and Princeton University. He earned the Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Oregon and the Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School. While living in New York City, McWhorter’s performing career gravitated toward contemporary classical and improvised music. He has worked with many of the United States’ best-known modern music ensembles including Third Angle, Sequitur, Ensemble Sospeso, counter(induction, Ne(x)tworks, Tilt Brass, Elliott Sharp’s Orchestra Carbon, Continuum and Meridian Arts Ensemble. Now, as co-artistic director of Beta Collide, a new music group whose debut album was described as one of the top classical albums of 2010 by the Willamette Week, he is engaged in some of the most diverse projects of his career. Hailed as a “terrific trumpeter” by The New York Times, McWhorter has been a featured soloist at the Festival of New Trumpet (New York City), Church of Beethoven (Albuquerque), Jornados de Creación Musica (Mexico City), and at Bargemusic (Brooklyn). He worked extensively with brass chamber groups including the Oregon Brass Quintet, Extension Ensemble, Manhattan Brass Quintet and the American Brass Quintet. As a member of the brass and percussion sextet Meridian Arts Ensemble from 2001-2010, McWhorter performed, commissioned and recorded some of the most demanding and progressive music ever written for brass. Meridian’s album Timbrando – a collection of Latin American contemporary works – was recently profiled on NPR’s All Things Considered. McWhorter was appointed principal trumpet of the Eugene Symphony by Giancarlo Guerrero for the 2008-2009 season. Additionally, he has performed as principal trumpet with the Portland Opera, Oregon Ballet Theatre Orchestra, Quartz Mountain Music Festival Orchestra, American Sinfonietta and Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra. He has also performed with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and many others.

 McWhorter’s discography spans many genres from contemporary chamber to orchestral, improvised music to pop and rock. He has worked with Dave Douglas, John Zorn, John Cale (The Velvet Underground), Natalie Merchant, Anne Heaton, Nini Camps, Hugh Blumenfeld, and The Sharp Things.

  

This week on State of Wonder, Maurice Sendak goes to the opera, retro-tinged indie pop with Radiation City, darkness and light with photographer Holly Andres, and Snohetta's big plans for Portland's James Beard Market and Willamette Falls, and the Portland Ballet.Mauric Sendak Goes to the Opera - 0:00Maurice Sendak is beloved for his emotionally stormy and distinctive children’s books like "Where the Wild Things Are" and "In the Night Kitchen," but the Portland Opera is giving us a chance to appreciate his lesser-known work — as a passionate fan of and set designer for opera. The Portland Opera's general director, Christopher Mattaliano, worked with Sendak on his first opera, "The Magic Flute," in 1981 and is restaging it May 6-14 for the first time in over a decade. Mattaliano tells us about his friendship with Sendak and how the great artist simply loved opera.Radiation City - 7:30Local indie-pop band Radiation City's lineup was famous for featuring two couples...and infamous for its in-fighting. So when co-founders Lizzy Ellison and Cameron Spies finally split, it was an open question: could the show go on? Their new album, Synesthetica, charts calamity and a path out of it, adding a new level of polish and maturity to the band's signature take on retro-pop. Holly Andres - 15:08Photographer Holly Andres — who has shot for "Vanity Fair," the "New York Times," and other A-list clients — captures scenes packed with emotion, intrigue, and mystery. She has a show on view at Charles Hartman Fine Art in Portland called “The Fallen Fawn” (through May 28) about two young girls who discover an unexpected treasure. We dive into it with Tricia Hoffman, executive director of The Newspace Gallery (which currently has a show up featuring photography shot inside prisons), for another review in our "What Are You Looking At?" series.Snøhetta - 21:00Columnist-in-residence Randy Gragg takes us into the world of Snøhetta, an internationally-renowned architecture firm (think Times Square, the new SF Museum of Modern Art, and the Library of Alexandria) about to embark on two projects in Oregon: the James Beard Public Market in Portland, and the Willamette Falls Riverwalk in Oregon City. The first ever U.S. retrospective of the firm's work, "Snøhetta: People, Process, Projects," is on-view at the AIA Center for Architecture through June 30.The Portland Ballet - 31:10Oregon Art Beat recently profiled some big changes at the Portland Ballet, a ballet school in Hillsdale that seeks to bridge the gap between Balanchine and Queen (yes, as in "Bohemian Rhapsody") in their quest to train professional dancers. Their spring concert (May 6–7) features the Portland premiere of Trey McIntyre's Queen-fueled ballet, "Mercury Half-Life," alongside Balanchine and a world premiere from Portland's own Gregg Bielemeier.

Portland Opera is re-imagining Rossini's famous comedy “The Barber of Seville” as a bi-lingual play for the company's Opera To Go program, which performs dozens of shows around Oregon and Southwest Washington, mostly for schoolkids.In director Kristine McIntyre's adaptation, there are still two young lovers, Almaviva and Rosina. There's Bartolo, Rosina's cranky old guardian, and one of the most famous characters in opera: wiseguy manservant-turned-barber Figaro. But McIntyre condensed a lot of action, wrote out some characters, and transplanted the story from Spain to colonial Alta California. And that, she said, paved the way for the show's biggest departure — a twist on the language of the libretto."One of the great themes of 'Barber' is Almaviva and Rosina are constantly trying to communicate using various notes, but something always gets in the way," said McIntyre. "I thought, what if we took it one step further: what if she only speaks Spanish at the beginning of the show, and he only speaks English? And what if even if they get a note passed, they can't read it? And what if, throughout the course of the show, they teach each other their language?"

This week, works in translation, from printmakers to Rossini. Things get flipped on their head with surprising results....1:04 - The Pander Brothers talk to Oregon Art Beat about their eye-popping visual style, and crossing genres to follow the action.5:30 - opbmusic brings us music and conversation with husband-and-wife indie pop duo Tennis.8:40 - Documentary filmmaker Brian Lindstrom's new film, “Mothering Inside,” follows women incarcerated at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville.11:10 - Madonna Comix is a series of arresting prints based off poems with names like "Madonna Bomb" and "Madonna of the Cigarettes" at Augen Gallery.16:24 - At Start-Up Week, Natives Who Code seeks to help Native youth break into the tech industry.20:56 - We listen back to poet Nikky Finney at Portland Arts and Lectures.27:26 - Portland Opera takes the show on the road with an ambitious, bi-lingual production of Barber of Seville.

With a steamy combination of biblical themes, sexual tension and murder, Richard Strauss' Salome surprised opera audiences when it appeared in 1905. Virginia Opera's upcoming Salome, co-produced with Portland Opera in Oregon, brings those themes to the modern-day Middle East. The timing is impeccable, and showcases the power of the arts to create a new lens through which we view our existence and place in the world. We're joined today by the creative minds behind the Virginia Opera's production of Salome for a look at the ever-changing role the arts play in shaping our understanding of major cultural, religious and current events.

0:00: Intro1:00: Revolution Hall will open in February1:40: Portland Opera becomes a summer festival with smaller shows.6:30: Cellist-in-residence Nancy Ives brings Oregon Symphony pals Greg Ewer and Joe Berger along for a conversation about innovation and classicism in music. 18:45: Iranian comics author Marjane Satrapi remembers her path to her chosen medium.25:50: Portland musician Laura Gibson moves east to try her hand at short fiction.29:30: Native American design is featured by Native(X).33:30: The Confluence Project searches for sounds of Celilo Falls.36:55: Artists Repertory Theatre helps build a musical from scratch.42:30: Elizabeth Pitcairn walks us through adventures with The Red Violin.45:55: Lowriders in Space brings lowrider culture to young adult literature.

1:05: New Decemberists music. Plus the band's keyboardist Jenny Conlee talks about her struggle with cancer, and an effort to help others who are diagnosed young.11:00: Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche from the Literary Arts archives.20:30: Ben Killen Rosenberg, inspired by a devastating short story his wife wrote, curates a group show in Astoria with Holly Andress, Hickory Mertsching, Christine Lahti and others. 26:05: David Wolman on Pipino, Gentleman Thief, and the heist of a lifetime.34:10: Art Beat tracks the progression of Portland Opera’s productions.36:50: Vin Shambry tells a story at Backfence, remembering friend and colleague Benjamin Buckley, who took his own life in September.44:00: Charles D’Ambrosio reflects on his family’s influence on his stories.

This is an extended conversation with Bill Rauch, Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Director of "All the Way" on Broadway, Director of the "Pirates of Penzance" at the Portland Opera.

State of Wonder's second segment this week talks with Oregon Shakespeare Festival's artistic director Bill Rauch about the Tony nominated play "All the Way" staring Bryan Cranston of "Breaking Bad" fame. Bill Rauch is also directing a revival of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Pirate's of Penzance" with the Portland Opera. We profile video installation artist Laura Fritz as she creates sculpture with light and video.00:00 – Bill Rauch Directs All The Way on Broadway 05:30 – Bill Rauch collaborates on Pirates of Penzance at Portland Opera08:25 – Laura Fritz video installation

2nd segment - we check out Portland Opera's CD release of a Phillip Glass work they staged last year. Also the Blow talks about their first record in 7 years.

Colin Marshall sits down in northwest Portland with comic artist and film critic Mike Russell, co-host on the Cort and Fatboy podcast, creator of Culturepulp, Mr. Do and Mr. Don't, The Sabertooth Vampire, and more. They discuss the excruciating process of drawing an interview; his adaptation of a page of David Foster Wallace's "Up, Simba"; what it's like to artistically live-blog the Portland Opera; the unusual robustness of the Portland comics industry, and its incentivization of "putting comics where they shouldn't be"; his current task of drawing a comic for a set of European finance ministers; the origins of Portland podcasting, and how he became a part; how Star Wars formed at least part of his cinematic consciousness, and what it takes to grow up into an astute genre fan; the worrisome effects of nostalgia and "remix culture"; the Portland "put it out there, what the hell" attitude; Portlandia's proper title of Southeast Portlandia, and how Los Angeles still sees the dream of the nineties as alive in the city; Portland as an undrying source of drawable weirdness; and the quintessentially Portland sport of "hashing," or taking runs from bar to bar, drinking beer at each.

Reviews:  DC Universe Online Legends #1, Devil's Trail #1, Transformers Infestation #1, Uncle Scrooge #400 Jimmy is down in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida for the week. So, he recruits his old highschool/college best pal Ted Carruba to sit in the rotating co-host chair. The boys discuss the Super Bowl, ads, comic film trailers, and reveal some of the antics they used to get up to in their younger days. In honor of the upcoming Toy Fair, Ted discusses his big toy collection and walks us through the old Mego toys he collected and still owns. Also, while shopping at the local Hot Topic, Jimmy gets recognized! News includes: San Diego Comic-Con sells out in 7 hours, Chew goes Scratch n' Sniff, Stan Lee & Eagle award nominations, Beavis & Butt-Head return, Smallville gets 2 hour finale, Cobie Smulders in Avengers film, Wednesday Comics returns, and Portland Opera and cartoonists.