As opera continues to evolve in response to cultural, technological, and societal shifts, BLO remains at the forefront, reimagining classic repertoire, integrating bold contemporary works, and making opera more accessible to everyone in our community. We love opera for where it’s been and where it’s going.
We’re just over one week away from presenting an exciting operatic mashup in the form of Ride of the Valkyries! Look forward to a gleeful romp through showstopping arias, unexpected twists, and musical spectacle, with delightful performances from soprano Christine Goerke, bass Morris Robinson, and current and former members of BLO’s Jane & Steven Akin Emerging Artists Initiative. Conducted by David Angus and directed by James Blaszko, this concert presents a lighthearted, endearing tribute to opera at large!
About James Blaszko
James Blaszko is a first-generation American director who made his BLO debut in 2022 as Revival Director of La bohème. Blaszko has directed/co-created several concert works and special events, including Soundcake: Aural Confections by Sapphira Cristál & Monét X Change, Lincoln Center; We Count, Harare International Festival of the Arts; and Puccini and Verdi Play Ball, Tulsa Opera. His fully staged opera credits include Il trittico, Daegu International Opera Festival, Korea; Xerxes, Detroit Opera; and La liberazione di Ruggiero…, Manhattan School of Music. Swann, a Catapult digital opera short directed by Blaszko and composed by Tamar-kali, was a finalist for Opera America’s 2024 Digital Excellence in Opera Award, and his short documentary Zenon was an official selection of the New Haven Documentary Film Festival. After staging and translating Sapphira Cristál’s maxi challenge-winning performance of “O mio babbino caro” for RuPaul’s Drag Race on MTV, he directed and produced a music video of the same aria, which has over 175,000 views on YouTube. Blaszko is a co-founder of Apotheculture Club, a new audience cultivation initiative that pairs the performing arts with the legal consumption of cannabis. The club has produced events nationwide, supporting companies such as Detroit Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and the Santa Fe Symphony. @apothecultureclub
This month, we sat down with Blaszko to hear about his vision and experiences as a director and opera creative, and why audiences should check out Ride of the Valkyries!
What was your first opera?
The iconic Willy Decker production of La traviata at The Metropolitan Opera.
What made you want to take on a creative role in opera?
Prior to working in opera I directed adaptations of classical Greek plays, which I always sound designed myself. A conductor attended my professional debut at the American Repertory Theater and was so complimentary of my musical awareness that he suggested I start staging the “sound designs” of Mozart, Wagner, and the rest.
In your experience as a director, what is one of the most interesting intersections you have seen between opera and another field?
Brilliant designers are always at the intersections of opera and other fields. Es Devlin in particular comes to mind, whose scenic designs you can see this season at The Metropolitan Opera in Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde orin arenas around the world at Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball.
What is your vision for the future of opera?
That all depends on the budget!
Why should audiences come to Ride of the Valkyries! on November 12?
In such paradoxical times as these, a Wagnerian romp on a Wednesday night could be just the right medicine.