Music has the power to bring family and friends together, especially this time of year. In this special holiday bonus episode of AT ITS (s)CORE, Boston Lyric Opera Stanford Calderwood General & Artistic Director Esther Nelson is joined by her daughter and husband to recount their seasonal family traditions centered around music.

Boston Lyric Opera's Director of Financial Operations Steve Atwater and former Artistic Associate Sydney Mukasa reunite to discuss BLO's 2019 immersive production of Pagliacci. They reflect upon their time in the artistic department and examine the importance of creating accessible opera.

This episode features musical excerpts from Boston Lyric Opera's 2019 production of Pagliacci.  

Boston Lyric Opera’s current Chorus Master Brett Hodgdon and former Chorus Master Michelle Alexander reunite to discuss their shared experience working together on BLO’s 2015 Production of La Bohème. They reflect on the joys and challenges of leading an opera chorus and provide a glimpse into the rehearsal process from their respective roles.

This episode features musical excerpts from Boston Lyric Opera’s 2015 production of La Bohème.

BLO’s Wardrobe Supervisor Dianna Reardon and Staging Staff member Bruno Baker dive into the intricacies of opera wardrobe coordination. They reflect upon the nuances of their roles in the rehearsal and performance process, and recall the joys and challenges of the wardrobe duties for BLO’s 2018 production of Tod Machover’s Schoenberg in Hollywood.

This episode includes musical excerpts from Boston Lyric Opera’s world premiere production of Tod Machover’s Schoenberg in Hollywood.

American Stage Director Matthew Ozawa and Santa Fe Opera's Director of Production Chelsea Antrim Dennis come together to reflect upon the start of their careers working together on a production of Richard Strauss' Salome. They discuss the unique process of score study from the perspective of an opera director and stage manager, and they share the importance of representation across all areas of opera production.

This episode includes musical excerpts of “Salome’s Dance” from Salome by Richard Strauss, performed by the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra (Zdenek Kosler), courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

American theater director Anne Bogart and Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano reconnect to discuss their experience working together on Poul Ruders' opera adaptation of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. They discuss the nuances of the score, their process in creating this world, and reflect upon the "impossibility" of the Boston Lyric Opera production. 

This episode includes musical excerpts from Boston Lyric Opera's 2019 production of Poul Ruder's The Handmaid's Tale.

Stage Director Sarna Lapine and Grammy Award-winning Mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor reunite for a discussion centered around their experience working together on BLO's 2019 production of Britten's The Rape of Lucretia. They discuss their process and reflect on the opera's parallels in today's society, especially pertaining to the #MeToo movement.

This episode includes musical excerpts from Boston Lyric Opera's 2019 production of Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia. 

2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Reid joins Boston Lyric Opera Music Director David Angus in a conversation around their love for Maurice Ravel's symphony/ballet Daphnis et Chloé. Reid shares her compositional influences, and they discuss the importance of new, innovative works in today's society.

 This episode includes musical excerpts from the London Symphony Orchestra's 1957 recording of Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé.

Boston Lyric Opera Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artists Brianna J. Robinson and Zaray Rodriguez share their passion for music-making through discussing "Mira, O Norma" from Bellini's Norma. They recount their career beginnings, reflect on their experiences in the opera industry as young women of color, and share their hopes for the future of the art form.

This episode includes musical excerpts from Boston Lyric Opera's 2020 recording of Norma.

Boston Lyric Opera Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist Alumni Simon Dyer and Vincent Turregano reflect on their time with the company and working together for the first time during BLO's 2019 production of Fellow Travelers. From discussions of Fellow Travelers's difficult, yet melodic score to representation in opera for the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities, these conversations continue to make ripples throughout the industry and the nation.

This episode features musical excerpts from Boston Lyric Opera's 2019 production of Fellow Travelers.