Podcast appearances and mentions of Ricky Ian Gordon

Ricky Ian Gordon has written a cycle of songs about flowers. In this episode, we hear one of them. Rachmaninoff wrote a song called “Lilacs.” We hear that, too. Bach opens his Goldberg Variations with an aria (and closes the work with that same aria). Tchaikovsky's wrote a couple of blockbuster arias in The Queen of Spades. And on we go. Gordon, “We should not mind so small a flower” Rachmaninoff, “Lilacs” Bach, Goldberg Variations Tchaikovsky, Lisa's Aria from Act III of “The Queen of Spades” Tchaikovsky, Prince Yeletsky's Aria, Act II, “The Queen of Spades” Tchaikovsky, “It was in early spring” Shostakovich, Prelude in D-flat major Bach-Kempff, Siciliano

[@1 min] Alright, this week…Our regular recording day is Monday. Since that's Memorial Day, the team is taking a patriotic time-out and we bring you two Inside the Huddle features with great American artists: Ricky Ian Gordon and Sylvia McNair! GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

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.

More from renowned composer Ricky Ian Gordon, talking about his memoir "Seeing Through: A Chronicle of Sex, Drugs and Opera." In this part of the interview, Gordon talks about his creative process and shares stories about some of his most noteworthy works for the stage.

Renowned composer Ricky Ian Gordon discusses his remarkable new book "Seeing Through: A Chronicle of Sex, Drugs and Opera." (This is part one. Part two of the interview will be shared on Monday, the 28th.) The book has been hailed as an exceptionally candid and illuminating memoir. In today's interview, Gordon discusses his turbulent childhood, his complicated relationship with his parents and sisters, living through the AIDS epidemic, falling in love with opera, and much more.

Recently, Emily was invited to spend 2 weeks of uninterrupted time to conceptualise a show that will open at UCROSS Art Gallery in June, 2025. In this episode we go behind the scenes with Emily on the beautiful UCROSS Foundation ranch in Wyoming. Located on a 20,000-acre ranch in the wide open spaces of northeastern Wyoming, Ucross is a magical setting for individual creative work, reflection, innovation, and dreaming. Annie Proulx's The Shipping News, Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love, Adam Guettel's The Light in the Piazza, Ricky Ian Gordon's operatic adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath – these are just a few of the acclaimed works that have been created in part during Ucross residencies. The UCROSS renowned residency program has been around for more than 40 years. In that time, UCROSS has served 2,700+ artists, and approximately 1,000 of those artists are in the visual arts. These artists come from all over the country, as well as many pockets around the world. The talented artists, writers, and musicians that accompanied Emily at Ucross: Diana Marie Delgado - poetry Megan Culhane Galbraith - non-fiction  Nancy Y. Kim - mixed media Sarah Lass - Dance Linn Meyers - painting Nicky Sohn - music Tyler Stoll - mixed media Kate Sullivan - fiction Therese Workman - music Special thanks to: William Belcher, President Caitlin Addlesperger, Deputy Director ⁠Brittney Denham-Whisonant - ⁠Gallery Associate Tawni Shuler, Program Director Lacasa Michelena, Gallery & Events Associate Carl Largent, Program Coordinator Jackie Vitale, Chef

[@ 2 min] We go Inside the Huddle with Ricky Ian Gordon. The prolific American composer of operas such as "A Coffin in Egypt," "The Grapes of Wrath," and "Orpheus and Euridice" has another credit to add: author! Ricky will share anecdotes from his new memoir, Seeing Through: A Chronicle of Sex, Drugs, and Opera. [@ 35 min] And then…a field report from an advanced screening of Maria Callas biopic from the New York Film Festival. Will it be opera gloved thumbs down or opera gloved thumbs up? [@ 40 min] Dresden's rolling in cash, Berlin's broke, and Apple Classical has taken another tiny step towards world domination… GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 @operaboxscore IG operaboxscore

When an art song and opera composer writes a memoir, what does that process look like? Does mastery in one creative realm translate to another? How is an aria like a story?  I just loved this deep and passionate conversation with Ricky Ian Gordon, author of the new memoir SEEING THROUGH: A Chronicle of Sex, Drugs, and Opera.   Ricky Ian Gordon was born in Oceanside, NY and raised on Long Island. After studying piano, composition, and acting, at Carnegie Mellon University, he settled in New York City, where he quickly emerged as a leading writer of vocal music that spans art song, opera, and musical theater. Gordon's songs have been performed and recorded by Renée Fleming, Dawn Upshaw, Nathan Gunn, Judy Collins, Kelli O'Hara, Audra MacDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, and many others. His works include Dream True, Orpheus and Euridice, Green Sneakers for Baritone, String Quartet, Empty Chair, and Piano, The Grapes of Wrath, and Intimate Apparel. His memoir SEEING THROUGH: A Chronicle of Sex, Drugs, and Opera was published in July 2024. Check out the book here or follow Ricky at his website, or @rickyiangordon on X and Instagram.   Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical!  Theme music and audio editing by DreamVance. You can join my email list HERE, so you never miss an episode! I help people to lean into their creative careers and start or grow their income streams. You can read more or hop onto a short discovery call from my website. I'm your host, Jennet Ingle. I love you all. Stay safe out there!      

When Justin Austin isn't singing at the Metropolitan Opera, Kennedy Center, or Lincoln Center Theater, you're likely to find him shooting hoops on the basketball court. Sports have been a lifelong passion for the young baritone, but it's more than the game's physical benefits that keep him reaching for a basketball. To Austin, cultivating the mindset of an athlete has consistently helped him reach new heights as an artist. "A basketball coach once told me that discipline means doing all the things that are hard and that you don't like to do, but doing them as if you love it," he says on the latest episode of the Classical Post podcast.  "That's helped me in my work ethic and my discipline within my musical career. When I encounter any kind of discomfort or difficulty learning my music or translating or memorizing, I just try to fall in love with the process, the repetition, dancing the words and the music. I find different creative ways to get the score in my body, so that it lives within me and comes out of me organically." That approach to practice and role preparation has helped Austin land repeat engagements on some of classical music's biggest stages — including Carnegie Hall, where, on March 5, he's presenting a recital with pianist Howard Watkins. Part of Carnegie Hall's ongoing festival, Fall of the Weimar Republic: Dancing on the Precipice, this recital — titled "Don't Be Angry!" — presents music by five composers written over the course of a century, from selections from Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera to the New York premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's Marvin Gaye Songs, which Gordon composed for Austin.  In this episode, Austin and I talk more about his upcoming recital and how he hopes the program helps audience members become more comfortable with feelings of anger and hopelessness during turbulent times. Plus, he shares what it was like to return to the Metropolitan Opera stage after pandemic lockdowns, why opera singers should spend time honing their acting skills, and the OutKast album he would need with him if stranded on a desert island. — Classical Post® **is created and produced by Gold Sound Media® LLC, a New York-based marketing agency for the performing arts industry. Explore how we can grow your audience to make a lasting impact in your community.

Megan Ihnen is a “new music force of nature.” The act of live performance is integral to Megan's work and her performances thrive on elaborate sound worlds and fully-developed dramatic interpretations. Through narrative and non-narrative musical storytelling, she explores the subjects of memory, nostalgia, the perception of time, and relationships. Whether through chamber music, staged recitals, opera, or large ensemble soloist work, she emphasizes the full range of vocal sounds, timbres, colors, and uses that characterize the 21st century voice. Megan is a prolific new music vocalist who has appeared with the International Contemporary Ensemble, Fifth House Ensemble, Latitude49, Great Noise Ensemble, Stone Mason Projects, Rhymes With Opera, SONAR new music, and more. She has sung with many outstanding performers including Nadia Shpachenko, Michael Hall, Gregory Oakes, Nick Zoulek, Hillary LaBonte as well as premiered the work of Mara Gibson, Griffin Candey, Garrett Schumann, Christian Carey, Alan Theisen, Anna Brake, D. Edward Davis, and more. A gifted narrative and non-narrative musical storyteller, Megan's performance work explores the depths of memory, nostalgia, the perception of time, and complex relationships. Ihnen's interpretations of modern and contemporary repertoire have garnered growing acclaim. She is particularly recognized as an excellent recitalist. Her This World of Yes program of contemporary music for voice and saxophone with Alan Theisen explores the themes of pathways, choices, and duality through the work of contemporary composers such as Jessica Rudman, Michael Young, and Michelle McQuade Dewhirst. This World of Yes has been performed across the United States including appearances in Kansas City, New Orleans, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Detroit, and Baltimore. With performances in Washington D.C., Baltimore, Colorado Springs, and Kansas City, Ms. Ihnen has worked with violinist Martha Morrison Muehleisen and Rome Prize winner video artist Karen Yasinsky to take audiences on a profound journey through György Kurtág's Kafka Fragments through video and sound. Finally, Ihnen's Single Words She Once Loved is a performance that centers around the ideas and effects of memory, dementia, and time. It is a deeply personal exploration of the dueling forces of ‘eternal sunshine of the spotless mind' and ‘God gave us memories so that we may have roses in winter'. Single Words She Once Loved features compositions by David Smooke, Ryan Keebaugh, Daniel Felsenfeld, Jeffrey Mumford, and more. Megan has enjoyed performing as part of Tuesdays @ Monk Space, Access Contemporary Music Thirsty Ears Festival, NEXTET, Ethos NewSound, 6:30 Concert Series, International U.S. Navy Saxophone Symposium, SPLICE Festival, Oh My Ears, Second Sunday Concert Series at Boston Sculptors Gallery, Winifred M. Kelley Music Series at Salisbury House, and more. She has appeared with Zeitgeist New Music, ÆPEX Contemporary Performance, Detroit New Music “Strange Beautiful Music Marathon”, Omaha Under the Radar Festival, Works and Process at the Guggenheim Series, Notes on Fiction Series at the Center for Fiction, New Music Gathering, Contemporary Undercurrent of Song Project, American Opera Theatre, Vivre Musicale, UCCS Music/Peak Frequency Creative Arts Collective, Harford Community College Sunday Afternoon Concert Series, and Silver Finch Arts Collective. In the spring of 2017, Megan undertook a fundraising project for her first album, “Sleep Songs: Wordless Lullabies for the Sleepless.” She commissioned over 25 diverse composers from the United States and abroad to write brief, wordless lullabies for mezzo-soprano. Megan has also had recordings on Navona Records, Hoot/Wisdom Recordings, I CARE IF YOU LISTEN Fall 2015 Mixtape, and the CarpeDM Seize Des Moines “Music Mix: Volume III” which was featured at the 2016 SXSW Festival. As a chamber musician, Megan is proud to have trained at the following summer festivals: impuls International Ensemble and Composers Academy for Contemporary Music, Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice (SICPP), Fresh Inc Festival, Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival at MASS MoCA, and MusicX. Her devotion to the proliferation of new music extends beyond the commissioning and performing of music to teaching, workshopping, and mentoring of emerging artists in the field. She also works to increase the visibility and influence of new music through writing on the subject for multiple online and print publications. As a curator, she selected twenty songs for mezzo-soprano and piano for the NewMusicShelf Anthology of New Music. Mezzo-Soprano, Vol. 1 includes works by: Michael Betteridge, Mark Buller, Stephen DeCesare, Douglas Fisk, Matt Frey, Jodi Goble, Ricky Ian Gordon, Cara Haxo, Cameron Lam, Cecilia Livingston, Shona Mackay, Tony Manfredonia, Nicole Murphy, Eric Pazdziora, Frances Pollock, Julia Seeholzer, Alan Thiesen, Dennis Tobenski, Moe Touizrar, and Ed Windels. Megan was honored to receive a Phyllis Bryn-Julson Award for Commitment to and Performance of 20th/21st Century Music in 2009 and a Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award in Classical Music: Solo Performance in 2014. She was an accomplished violist and drama student before pursuing degrees in music and vocal performance from Augustana University and the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. Ihnen has been a board member for Baltimore Concert Opera and HOWL performing arts ensemble. Megan is a devoted teacher who recently shepherded studios at Drake University Community School of Music, Southwestern Community College School for Music Vocations, and Graceland University before taking on communications roles at Nief-Norf, Live Music Project, and New Music USA. She has also been a resident faculty artist for the UMKC Summer Composition Workshop and the Mostly Modern Festival. In addition to UMKC, Megan has presented her popular masterclasses, workshops, and lectures a Bowling Green State University, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Music Gathering, Iowa Thespian Festival, UNCG Greensboro, and Florida Atlantic University. She was also a Visiting Artist for Louisiana State University for the 2018-2019 academic year. In addition to being an avid podcast listener, Ihnen enjoys drinking good coffee, joking around with her sisters, tweeting about contemporary poetry, and watching Law & Order. She has grand dreams that one day her dog, Hunter, will be the best dog in the neighborhood. She lives in New Orleans, LA and out of her suitcase equally.

Ricky Ian Gordon is without a doubt one of our greatest living composers for the human voice. His songs have been performed and recorded by many star singers (including Renée Fleming and Audra McDonald); his musical theater works and operas have been heard on progressive stages across the country, and he's been consistently recognized for his unique musical style – which blends a lyric romanticism with dramatic modernism to brightly illuminate the texts and poems that inspire him. In his new opera Ellen West, Ricky sets the poem of that name by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Frank Bidart to effect a stunning portrayal of the woman who was the earliest documented case of anorexia nervosa (and who eventually committed suicide). The opera deals with loss and the devastating consequences of struggling with body image (both of which Ricky has experienced personally). It's a cathartic journey, and as Ricky tells us in this conversation, one that ultimately points to a direction of hope – a message that seems more and more important in today's world. Recorded at New York's PROTOTYPE Festival in January 2020, Ellen West features soprano Jennifer Zetlan in the title role, baritone Nathan Gunn in multiple roles, The Aeolus Quartet, bass player Evan Premo and pianist Djordje Nesic, conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya. The album can be found here: https://www.brightshiny.ninja/ellen-wes Visit Ricky Ian Gordon's website at https://www.rickyiangordon.com/

Baritone Stephen Powell is a revered veteran of the world's opera stages, but in his debut solo album American Composers At Play, he brings his powerful voice to the intimate medium of art song – performing works by four living American composers (William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, and John Musto, all of whom accompany Stephen on the piano). Joining Stephen and his eminent roster of composer/pianists are an equally eminent group of collaborators: guitarist Jason Vieaux, clarinetist Charles Neidich, and the Attacca Quartet. In this conversation with WGTE's Brad Cresswell, Stephen gives us a behind-the-scenes tour of this distinctly American album, and makes a compelling case for why art song remains such an important part of the musical literature. Photo credit: Sue Reno. Please note: due to copyright, musical selections have been truncated in this podcast version. You can find more info about the album and its music here: https://stephenpowell.us/recordings

Set in 1905 in turn of the century New York, Lynn Nottage's play, "Intimate Apparel," tells the story of Esther, an African-American woman who makes her living sewing beautiful corsets and ladies' undergarments. The Lincoln Center Theater opera features music by Ricky Ian Gordon, that forefronts voices ignored by history. Gordon, actress Kearstin Piper Brown (Esther), and director Bartlett Sher join us to talk about the show.

In the latest edition of NYTF Radio, we invite you to meet the creative team behind The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, opening in less than one week and running from Jan. 27 – Feb. 6.What makes a production happen? Who are the people that create a world-premiere opera where there never was one before? In this series of interviews with representatives from NYTF and the New York City Opera's latest production, get behind-the-scenes scoop on the creative process that brought The Garden of the Finzi-Continis to life over the past few years. For tickets to The Garden of the Finzi Continis please go to  nytf.org/finzi-continis

Jena Tesse Fox, James Marino, and Michael Portantiere talks with Ricky Ian Gordon. Michael gives us a preview of 54 Sings Liza coming this Friday at 54 Below. Jena talks about three streaming shows: Wit @ Seeing Place Theater, Teenage Dick @ The Huntington, and Clydes @ Second Stage. Peter read more The post This Week on Broadway for January 16, 2022: Ricky Ian Gordon appeared first on BroadwayRadio.

Works on the album include Gene Scheer's American Anthem; “Song of the Deathless Voice” from Arthur Farwell's Three Indian Songs; William Grant Still's Grief; “Beat! Beat! Drums!” from Kurt Weill's Four Walt Whitman Songs; “Litany” from John Musto's Shadow of the Blues with text by Langston Hughes; Richard Hageman's The Rich Man; Florence Price's Night; “That Moment On” from Jake Heggie's Pieces of 9/11, as we near the 20th anniversary of the attacks; Irina Meachem and Steve White's arrangement of Carrie Jacob-Bonds' A Perfect Day; traditional American folk song Oh, Shenandoah; Charles Ives' arrangement of In The Mornin'; Ricky Ian Gordon's We Will Always Walk Together; Stephen Foster's Hard Times Come Again No More; and “The Boatman's Dance” and “At The River” from Aaron Copland's Old American Songs.Purchase the music (without talk) at:http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p1397/Shall_We_Gather.htmlYour purchase helps to support our show! Classical Music Discoveries is sponsored by La Musica International Chamber Music Festival and Uber. @khedgecock#ClassicalMusicDiscoveries #KeepClassicalMusicAlive#LaMusicaFestival #CMDGrandOperaCompanyofVenice #CMDParisPhilharmonicinOrléans#CMDGermanOperaCompanyofBerlin#CMDGrandOperaCompanyofBarcelonaSpain#ClassicalMusicLivesOn#Uber Please consider supporting our show, thank you!http://www.classicalsavings.com/donate.html staff@classicalmusicdiscoveries.com This album is broadcasted with the permission of Katy Solomon from Morahana Arts and Media.

For the past 20 years, Ricky Ian Gordon has been creating works for the stage—operas, musicals, or one-of a-kind music/theater hybrids—and getting them produced one after another, seemingly without a pause. But 14 months ago, everything came to a screeching halt as the world went into lockdown due to the pandemic. Read a full transcript of this conversation over at NewMusicBox: https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/ricky-ian-gordon-my-way-of-enveloping-a-story

Keturah discusses two forms of adaptation in this episode.Her first conversation is with tenor, William Burden, who chats with her about Igor Stravinsky and W.H. Auden’s adaptation of William Hogarth’s paintings, The Rake’s Progress.  They go into detail about one aria in the piece, then speak about how text and music get to the heart of our emotional world.Next up is a conversation with two time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, Lynn Nottage, discussing adapting her award-winning play, Intimate Apparel, into an opera of the same name with Ricky Ian Gordon.  They go into what it was like to self-adapt, why the piece was tailor made for a musical adaptation, and what her experience of collaborating with Ricky Ian Gordon was like.Lynn Nottage - http://www.lynnnottage.com/William Burden - https://www.opus3artists.com/artists/william-burden/Igor Stravinsky - https://www.britannica.com/biography/Igor-StravinskyW.H. Auden - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/w-h-audenRicky Ian Gordon - https://www.rickyiangordon.com/The Rake’s Progress - https://www.opera-online.com/en/items/works/the-rakes-progress-auden-stravinsky-1951Intimate Apparel - https://www.lct.org/shows/intimate-apparel/William Hogarth - https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/william-hogarthA Rake’s Progress - https://www.artble.com/artists/william_hogarth/paintings/a_rake's_progress

Keturah speaks with Ricky Ian Gordon about how he collaborates with multiple composers, as well as compositions for which he has written the libretto.The episode begins with clips from last season: Michael Korie discussing how Ricky helped convince him to collaborate on The Grapes of Wrath (https://www.buzzsprout.com/1180661/5613223), and Leonard Foglia talking about Ricky’s phrase “Boil it down to stock,” and how it helped him as a writer. (https://www.buzzsprout.com/1180661/5280550). We also hear mezzo-soprano, Frederica Von Stade talking about how meaningful it was to work on A Coffin in Egypt. (http://www.fredericavonstade.com/)List of Ricky’s works in order they are mentioned:Orpheus & Euridice (https://www.rickyiangordon.com/project/orpheus-euridice/)Green Sneakers (https://www.rickyiangordon.com/project/green-sneakers/)Sycamore Trees (https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2010-05-27-bs-ae-arts-sycamore-trees-20100527-story.html)Ellen West (https://www.brightshiny.ninja/ellen-west)My Life with Albertine (https://www.rickyiangordon.com/project/my-life-with-albertine/)Intimate Apparel (https://www.lct.org/explore/blog/lemon-ia-ricky-ian-gordon-crafting-intimate-apparel/)Garden of the Finzi-Continis (https://nycopera.com/shows/finzi/)The House Without A Christmas Tree (https://www.rickyiangordon.com/christmas-tree-wsj2017/)The Tibetan Book of the Dead (https://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/interview-ricky-ian-gordon/Content?oid=8573366)The Grapes of Wrath (https://www.rickyiangordon.com/project/the-grapes-of-wrath/)Rappahannock County (https://www.rickyiangordon.com/project/rappahannock-county/)A Coffin in Egypt (https://www.rickyiangordon.com/project/a-coffin-in-egypt/)27 (https://www.rickyiangordon.com/project/27/)Other people/places mentioned:UCross Artists’s Colony - https://www.ucrossfoundation.org/Richard Nelson - https://www.broadwayplaypub.com/play-authors/richard-nelson/Lynn Nottage - http://www.lynnnottage.com/Frank Bidart - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/frank-bidartAriel by Sylvia Plath - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/395090.ArielBravo! Vail Valley Music Festival - https://www.bravovail.org/Godard’s Vivre Sa Vie - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056663/

Director Jennifer Williams interviews composer Ricky Ian Gordon. A leading writer of vocal music that spans art song, opera and musical theater, the GRAMMY-nominated and OBIE Award-winning composer’s work has been performed and recorded by such internationally renowned singers as Renée Fleming, Dawn Upshaw, Nathan Gunn, Stephanie Blythe, Denyce Graves, Judy Collins, Kelli O’Hara, Audra MacDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, and the late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, among many others. We discuss the role art plays in healing a community, composing authentic voices, and the relationship between musical theater and opera. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Conversation with Ricky Ian Gordon

Ricky Ian Gordon is without a doubt one of our greatest living composers for the human voice. His songs have been performed and recorded by many star singers (including Renée Fleming and Audra McDonald); his musical theater works and operas have been heard on progressive stages across the country, and he's been consistently recognized for his unique musical style – which blends a lyric romanticism with dramatic modernism to brightly illuminate the texts and poems that inspire him.In his new opera Ellen West, Ricky sets the poem of that name by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Frank Bidart to effect a stunning portrayal of the woman who was the earliest documented case of anorexia nervosa (and who eventually committed suicide). The opera deals with loss and the devastating consequences of struggling with body image (both of which Ricky has experienced personally). It's a cathartic journey, and as Ricky tells us in this conversation, one that ultimately points to a direction of hope – a message that seems more and more important in today's world.Recorded at New York's PROTOTYPE Festival in January 2020, Ellen West features soprano Jennifer Zetlan in the title role, baritone Nathan Gunn in multiple roles, The Aeolus Quartet, bass player Evan Premo and pianist Djordje Nesic, conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya. The album can be found here: https://www.brightshiny.ninja/ellen-wesVisit Ricky Ian Gordon's website at https://www.rickyiangordon.com/

Ricky Ian Gordon is without a doubt one of our greatest living composers for the human voice. His songs have been performed and recorded by many star singers (including Renée Fleming and Audra McDonald); his musical theater works and operas have been heard on progressive stages across the country, and he's been consistently recognized for his unique musical style – which blends a lyric romanticism with dramatic modernism to brightly illuminate the texts and poems that inspire him. In his new opera Ellen West, Ricky sets the poem of that name by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Frank Bidart to effect a stunning portrayal of the woman who was the earliest documented case of anorexia nervosa (and who eventually committed suicide). The opera deals with loss and the devastating consequences of struggling with body image (both of which Ricky has experienced personally). It's a cathartic journey, and as Ricky tells us in this conversation, one that ultimately points to a direction of hope – a message that seems more and more important in today's world. Recorded at New York's PROTOTYPE Festival in January 2020, Ellen West features soprano Jennifer Zetlan in the title role, baritone Nathan Gunn in multiple roles, The Aeolus Quartet, bass player Evan Premo and pianist Djordje Nesic, conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya. The album can be found here: https://www.brightshiny.ninja/ellen-wes Visit Ricky Ian Gordon's website at https://www.rickyiangordon.com/

Baritone Stephen Powell is a revered veteran of the world's opera stages, but in his debut solo album American Composers At Play, he brings his powerful voice to the intimate medium of art song – performing works by four living American composers (William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, and John Musto, all of whom accompany Stephen on the piano). Joining Stephen and his eminent roster of composer/pianists are an equally eminent group of collaborators: guitarist Jason Vieaux, clarinetist Charles Neidich, and the Attacca Quartet. In this conversation with WGTE's Brad Cresswell, Stephen gives us a behind-the-scenes tour of this distinctly American album, and makes a compelling case for why art song remains such an important part of the musical literature. Photo credit: Sue Reno. Please note: due to copyright, musical selections have been truncated in this podcast version. You can find more info about the album and its music here: https://stephenpowell.us/recordings

Baritone Stephen Powell is a revered veteran of the world's opera stages, but in his debut solo album American Composers At Play, he brings his powerful voice to the intimate medium of art song – performing works by four living American composers (William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, and John Musto, all of whom accompany Stephen on the piano). Joining Stephen and his eminent roster of composer/pianists are an equally eminent group of collaborators: guitarist Jason Vieaux, clarinetist Charles Neidich, and the Attacca Quartet. In this conversation with WGTE's Brad Cresswell, Stephen gives us a behind-the-scenes tour of this distinctly American album, and makes a compelling case for why art song remains such an important part of the musical literature. Photo credit: Sue Reno. Please note: due to copyright, musical selections have been truncated in this podcast version. You can find more info about the album and its music here: https://stephenpowell.us/recordings

Keturah speaks with Lyricist and Librettist, Michael Korie, about his musicals and operas over the years, his thoughts on politics and art, and writing about real people.

Keturah speaks with librettist and director, Leonard Foglia about directing new work, working with Ricky Ian Gordon, Jake Heggie, Gene Scheer, and Horton Foote, working as a dramaturge on Moby-Dick, and writing/creating the genre of the Mariachi Opera.

Birgit Nillson was a 20th-century Swedish dramatic soprano famous for her renditions of the works of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss.Rudolph Bing was an Austrian opera impresario (producer) who worked around the world. He notably served as the General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.The first (old) Metropolitan Opera House in New York was located on Broadway but was demolished in 1967. The current (new) Metropolitan Opera House is located in Lincoln Center in the Upper West Side.La fanciulla del West (1910) is an opera by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini.Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg (Hamburg College for Music and Theatre) is a large public university of music in Hamburg, Germany.Rolf Liebermann was a Swiss composer and music administrator who served as the Artistic Director of the Hamburg State Opera and Paris Opera.Judith Blegen is an American operatic soprano.La voix humaine (1959) is a one-act opera by 20th-century French composer Francis Poulenc.In July 1980, a 30-year-old violinist named Helen Mintiks was murdered during the intermission of a performance at the Metropolitan Opera. Read more here.Guarino refers to “Jimmy,” or James Levine, a Cincinnati-born opera conductor who became the Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera. He was notably terminated from this position in 2018 over sexual assault allegations that he denies.John Dexter was an English theatre, opera, and film director. Guarino mentions his production of French composer Francis Poulenc’s opera Dialogues des Carmélites (1956).Franco Zeffirelli was an Italian director and producer of opera, films, and television. Many of his opera productions are still in use today around the world.Margarete Wallmann was a German ballerina, choreographer, set designer, and opera director.Rhoda Levine is an American opera director, choreographer, and professor.Francesca Zambello is an American opera and theatre director who currently serves as director of the Glimmerglass Festival and Washington National Opera.Ricky Ian Gordon is a contemporary American composer.Fiora Contino was an American opera conductor and teacher.Jean-Pierre Ponnelle was a 20th-century French opera director and scenic designer.Dawn Upshaw is an American operatic soprano.Robert Wilson is an American experimental theatre director and playwright.The 19th-century Viennese composer W.A. Mozart frequently collaborated with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, such as for their opera The Marriage of Figaro (1786).Blind Injustice was an opera by composer *** and librettist *** which premiered at Cincinnati Opera in 2019.Patricia (“Patty”) K. Beggs was the General Director of Cincinnati Opera from 1997 to 2019.Opera Fusion: New Works (OF:NW) is a partnership between Cincinnati Opera and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music focused on fostering contemporary American opera.In 2011, Doubt by composer Douglas J Cuomo and librettist John Patrick Shirley became the first project workshopped by OF:NW. The opera premiered at Minnesota Opera in 2013.Fellow Travelers by composer Gregory Spears and librettist Gregory Pierce is another opera that participated in OF:NW in 2013. Cincinnati Opera premiered the work in 2015. Hear Fellow Travelers composer Gregory Spears talk about the work on a previous episode of Inside Opera.Castor and Patience by composer Gregory Spears and librettist Tracy K. Smith participated in OF:NW in 2019. Cincinnati Opera will premiere the work as part of its 2021 Summer Festival. Hear Castor and Patience composer Gregory Spears talk about the work on a previous episode of Inside Opera.Rachel Maddow is an American television program host and political commentator, known for the nightly Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC.Joni Mitchell is a critically acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter.Bob Dylan is a Nobel Prize-winning American singer-songwriter.

Keturah interviews librettist, Royce Vavrek, about how he came to write opera libretti, his work with David T. Little and Missy Mazzoli, and how he collaborates on new opera.

Hosted by Coni Koepfinger and Christy Donahue: Nancy Rhodes (Stage Director, writer, and educator) stages a wide range of musicals, operas and plays in the U.S.A, Europe and Asia. She directed The Astronaut’s Tale at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, BAM Fisher; staged the world premiere of Tartuffe for San Francisco Opera, and Virgil Thomson’s opera Lord Byron at Alice Tully Hall.As Artistic Director & co-founder of Encompass Theatre, specializing in new music drama & American opera, she staged over 65 works including Gertrude Stein/Virgil Thomson’s The Mother of Us All, (about Susan B. Anthony), Blitzstein’s Regina, Britten’s Phaedra, and Only Heaven by Ricky Ian Gordon and Langston Hughes. Her production of The Diary of Anne Frank was nominated for an Artistic Achievement Award and played to over four thousand people on tour at Cleveland Opera. She recently directed the world premiere of Anna Christie, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Eugene O'Neill; and the Cast Album was released by Broadway Records in 2019, and reached #6 on the Billboard charts.Internationally, she directed Death In Venice (Stockholm), Carmen (Oslo), Happy End (Finland), Kiss Me Kate (Ankara, filmed for TV), West Side Story (Istanbul), and Eccentrics, Outcasts and Visionaries for the Holland Festival (Amsterdam), and the first American musicals ever staged in the country of Albania. At Encompass, she launched Paradigm Shifts, Music and Film Festival, to celebrate courageous people around the world protecting our planet, oceans, and wildlife, and in 2017, Paradigm Shifts was presented in Seoul, Korea.As Vice President/U.S. Delegate to the International Theatre Institute, Rhodes conducted workshops and served as a guest speaker in Italy, Sweden, Germany, Venezuela, Argentina, Korea, Holland, Russia, the Czech Republic, and Estonia. She taught Acting for Singers at Manhattan School of Music for 12 years and is the commissioned librettist of The Theory of Everything, inspired by physics’ string theory of multiple dimensions and alternate universes.

Hosted by Coni Koepfinger and Christy Donahue: Nancy Rhodes (Stage Director, writer, and educator) stages a wide range of musicals, operas and plays in the U.S.A, Europe and Asia. She directed The Astronaut’s Tale at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, BAM Fisher; staged the world premiere of Tartuffe for San Francisco Opera, and Virgil Thomson’s opera Lord Byron at Alice Tully Hall.As Artistic Director & co-founder of Encompass Theatre, specializing in new music drama & American opera, she staged over 65 works including Gertrude Stein/Virgil Thomson’s The Mother of Us All, (about Susan B. Anthony), Blitzstein’s Regina, Britten’s Phaedra, and Only Heaven by Ricky Ian Gordon and Langston Hughes. Her production of The Diary of Anne Frank was nominated for an Artistic Achievement Award and played to over four thousand people on tour at Cleveland Opera. She recently directed the world premiere of Anna Christie, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Eugene O'Neill; and the Cast Album was released by Broadway Records in 2019, and reached #6 on the Billboard charts.Internationally, she directed Death In Venice (Stockholm), Carmen (Oslo), Happy End (Finland), Kiss Me Kate (Ankara, filmed for TV), West Side Story (Istanbul), and Eccentrics, Outcasts and Visionaries for the Holland Festival (Amsterdam), and the first American musicals ever staged in the country of Albania. At Encompass, she launched Paradigm Shifts, Music and Film Festival, to celebrate courageous people around the world protecting our planet, oceans, and wildlife, and in 2017, Paradigm Shifts was presented in Seoul, Korea.As Vice President/U.S. Delegate to the International Theatre Institute, Rhodes conducted workshops and served as a guest speaker in Italy, Sweden, Germany, Venezuela, Argentina, Korea, Holland, Russia, the Czech Republic, and Estonia. She taught Acting for Singers at Manhattan School of Music for 12 years and is the commissioned librettist of The Theory of Everything, inspired by physics’ string theory of multiple dimensions and alternate universes.

In this episode, Ben and Daniel talk to actor and director Michael Arden about Joni Mitchell's 1971 album, Blue. They also discuss Audra McDonald, Ricky Ian Gordon, Follies, Imelda Staunton, Alexandra Silber, Indigo Girls, Sara McLachlan, Shawn Colvin, The Phantom of the Opera, Gillian Lynne, Ben Folds, Maggie Rogers, Lestat, Robyn, and Jan Maxwell. Michael talks about discovering Joni and how her storytelling abilities influenced his own artistic career. Michael has appeared on Broadway in shows such as Big River and Bare, A Pop Opera. He also directed the hit revivals of Spring Awakening and Once On This Island.

This edition of State of the Arts NYC we have Juecheng Chen (singer) and Garrett Fisher (composer) for the opera Blood Moon and then Ricky Ian Gordon (composer) and Emma Griffin (director) for the opera Ellen West on our show. Both operas are apart of the Prototype Festival which starts tonight.

This edition of State of the Arts NYC we have Juecheng Chen (singer) and Garrett Fisher (composer) for the opera Blood Moon and then Ricky Ian Gordon (composer) and Emma Griffin (director) for the opera Ellen West on our show. Both operas are apart of the Prototype Festival which starts tonight.

This episode is a special interview with outgoing Executive Director Mario Garcia Durham. State of the Arts NYC has covered this industry festival for three years. We talk with Durham about this year's focus and his feelings about the organization he helped build.

This edition of State of the Arts NYC we have Juecheng Chen (singer) and Garrett Fisher (composer) for the opera Blood Moon and then Ricky Ian Gordon (composer) and Emma Griffin (director) for the opera Ellen West on our show. Both operas are apart of the Prototype Festival which starts tonight.

Dr. Rick Hoffenberg, Co-Chair of the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance, at Marywood University in Scranton, speaking about composer Ricky Ian Gordon and his visit to campus to present a master class and oversee a recital of his music on November 3, 2019. The master class at 2:00 pm, and the recital at 7:00 pm, will be held on the main stage of the Sette LaVerghetta Center. Admission is free and open to the public. www.marywood.edu

In this episode, Susan talks with composer Ricky Ian Gordon about how life’s struggles, heartaches, and curiosities have shaped and affected his creative process throughout the years, and how he uses those experiences to distill the truth of our shared humanity into profound works of musical artistry.

Ricky Ian Gordon’s opera The Grapes of Wrath tells the iconic American story by John Steinbeck and premieres at Michigan Opera Theatre this Saturday. WRCJ’s Peter Whorf speaks with Gordon about the adaptation of the literary classic, his work with librettist Michael Korie and creating the piece in cooperation with the Steinbeck estate…

L'actualité vue par les livres avec Nicolas Tittley; la crise de l’eau. L'actualité culturelle à Paris avec Olivia de Lamberterie. Luis Clavis et Éric Dupont ont vu l'opéra Twenty-Seven, du compositeur Ricky Ian Gordon & du librettiste Royce Vavrek. Le mot à définir avec Renaud Manuguerra-Gagné; homéopathie. Une entrevue avec Myriam Beaudoin pour son roman Épiphanie. Qu’écoutent les Colombiens? Au club de lecture, Ludmila Proujanskaïa, Geneviève Guérard et Émilie Dubreuil ont lu Le sport des rois, de C,E. Morgan.

Chris Felcyn brings you a one-hour feature with Ricky Ian Gordon, the composer of “27” brought to you by the Michigan Opera Theatre. “27” is about the American writer Gertrude Stein and her partner Alice B. Toklas. It follows the salons hosted by Gertrude and Alice in their home at 27 rue de Fleurus in Paris.

Travel back in time to the inspired gatherings at 27 rue de Fleurus in Paris, where American expatriates Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas hosted luminaries of art and literature such as Pablo Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henri Matisse and Ernest Hemingway. In 27, composer Ricky Ian Gordon and librettist Royce Vavrek explore themes of love, loss, change and art set throughout two world wars. March 2-3 at Arthur Miller Theatre, Ann Arbor March 10-11 at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts For more info: http://www.michiganopera.org/opera/ricky-gordons-27/ Music from "27: An Opera In Five Acts", recorded in performance at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in June 2014. Performed by Stephanie Blythe, Elizabeth Futral, Theo Lebow, Tobias Greenhalgh, Daniel Brevik, members of the St. Louis Symphony, conducted by Michael Christie. Michigan Opera Theatre’s OperaHERE Podcast is your introduction to the performances seen onstage at the Detroit Opera House. Dive into the tragedy, comedy, and beautiful music of opera with host Austin Stewart and special guests, and prepare yourself for a dazzling night at the opera. The OperaHERE Podcast is produced by Jake Neher in the studios of WDET, and is supported by OPERA America’s Building Opera Audiences grant program, made possible through the generosity of the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and underappreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This Week: James Lipton writes a musical & Kevin extols the virtues of having three names!

Judy Kuhn has been nominated for four Tony Awards most recently for her starring role in the Tony award winning musical Fun Home. Also on Broadway she starred in the Roundabout’s hit revival of She Loves Me (Tony Nomination), Chess (Tony & Drama Desk Nomination), Les Miserables (Tony & Drama Desk Nomination), Rags (Drama Desk Nomination), Two Shakespearean Actors (Lincoln Center Theatre), Alan Menken & Tim Rice's King David, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (original cast). Recent appearances incude: The Visit by John Kander, Fred Ebb & Terrance McNally at The Williamstown Theater Festival;  the orginal production of Fun Home Public Theater (Lucille Lortell Award); Fosca in the much lauded production of Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine’s Passion directed by John Doyle at the Classic Stage Co. (Drama League Award nomination) and and she appeared in the inaugural season of Encores! Off-Center in The Cradle Will Rock directed by Sam Gold. Other theater includes: Three Sistersadapted by Craig Lucas and directed by Bartlett Sher (Intiman), Passion (Kennedy Center’s Sondheim Celebration); U.S. premiere of Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles; Ricky Ian Gordon’sSycamore Trees (Helen Hayes Award/Signature Theater); Michael John LaChiusa’s The Highest Yellow, Eli’s Comin’  (Vineyard Theatre/Obie Award); The Ballad of Little Jo  (Steppenwolf Theatre Co./Jeff Award Nomination); As Thousand's Cheer (Drama Dept.); Tina Landau and Ricky Ian Gordon’s Dream True (Vineyard Theatre); The Glass Menagerie (McCarter Theatre), Martin Guerre(Hartford Stage), and Martha Clarke's Endangered Species (BAM). In London's West End she starred in Metropolis (Olivier Award Nomination). Judy sang the title role in Disney's Pocahontas as well as the in the sequel Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World. Other film and television appearances include:  Enchanted, Elementary (CBS) Hope & Faith (ABC), Law & Order (NBC), All My Children (ABC), The Secret Life of Mary Margaret...(HBO), My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies (PBS), The Kennedy Center Honors (CBS), The Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Concert (PBS), In Performance At The White House (PBS), and the independent feature Day on Fire in which she costarred and performed the soundtrack with John Medeski. Judy has performed on concert stages around the world including appearances at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Feinstein’s at The Regency, The Hollywood Bowl, The Philly Pops Orchestra and , The Royal Albert Hall and The Hippodrome in London. She can be heard on numerous original cast recordings as well as her solo CD’s: All This Happiness (PS Classics); Serious Playground: The Songs of Laura Nyro (Sh-K-Boom) and Just In Time: Judy Kuhn Sings Jule Styne.  

Bob Wilcox and Gerry Kowarsky review (1) 27, by Ricky Ian Gordon & Royce Vavrek, at Opera Theatre of St. Louis; (2) LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!, by Terrence McNally, at Stray Dog Theatre; (3) DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES, by Francis Poulenc, at Opera Theatre of St. Louis; (4) SOMEONE WHO'LL WATCH OVER ME, by Frank McGuinness, at R-S Theatrics; (5) BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL, by Lee Hall & Elton John, at The Muny; and (6) DISNEY'S SLEEPING BEAUTY, by Marcy Heisler, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, et al., at Stages St. Louis.

The Virginia Arts festival opens its 15th season with an exciting world premiere. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, the Festival co-commissioned a new music theater piece titled "Rappahannock County." Renowned composer Ricky Ian Gordon set words by lyricist Mark Campbell in the form of 20 stories of the lives of Virginians at war, vignettes that are by turns poignant, powerful, humorous and ultimately very human. WHRO-FM’s Dwight Davis spoke Ricky Ian Gordon about "Rappahannock County."

Bonus Episode #5: If Yo Yo Ma is the cello star of the classical world, I'm going to say that Peter Sachon is the cello star of the musical theatre world. Not only has he played on such wonderful shows (and recordings) as the recent Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof, Off Broadway's A Man of No Importance and The Thing About Men, and the magically delicious The Light in the Piazza, but he's an entrepreneur as well.Peter hatched the idea to approach a handful of composers/orchestrators/musical directors and ask them each to contribute an original cello piece to a program he called The Cello Project, which he performed in March 2005 at Symphony Space, courtesy of The New Voices Collective. (Some of the composers represented on that bill were Stephen Schwartz, Michael John La Chiusa, Bruce Coughlin, Steve Marzullo, and myself.)The evening was such a success that he followed it up with The Cello Project II roughly a year later, adding Stephen Flaherty, Ricky Ian Gordon, Jeff Marx, Andrew Lippa and Ted Sperling (among others) to the list of contributors. The music was wonderful, and the playing was virtuosic. (Not to mention, he's pretty easy on the eyes.)On today's bonus episode (and just to be clear, bonus episode means that the featured song does NOT appear in my published songbook), Peter plays my contribution to The Cello Project, "Vouloir," written for cello and piano. Recorded 5/5/06.