January 18, 2024 – “Getting into Opera”
GBH Music will introduce new listeners to opera in a video series produced in collaboration with Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) and New England Conservatory (NEC). Designed for newcomers and seasoned enthusiasts, “Getting into Opera” aims to ignite a passion for the genre by showcasing how powerful performances are shaped by vocal coaching and stage direction. The innovative multi-platform video series will be filmed in front of a live audience in GBH’s acoustically acclaimed Fraser Performance Studio.
The first episode features renowned soprano Patricia Racette leading a masterclass for BLO Emerging Artists and New England Conservatory students. By pulling back the curtain on how great vocal performances are made, the masterclass will draw in new opera lovers while delighting fans of the genre. Selections include works from more than 150 years of opera in four different styles and languages, including Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” Puccini’s “La bohème,” Bizet’s “Les pêcheurs de perles,” and Floyd’s “Susannah.”
“Getting into Opera” will be hosted by Anthony Rudel, General Manager of GBH Music and author of “Tales from the Opera,” “Classical Music Top 40,” and “Imagining Don Giovanni.” Joshua Major, Chair of Opera Studies at NEC and Bradley Vernatter, BLO’s Stanford Calderwood General Director & CEO, will also share perspectives on producing operas as part of the series.
“Getting into Opera” will be available free of charge on YouTube and other platforms. The production is made possible by a generous donation from David and Janet McCue.
Image credit: GBH Creative
Patricia Racette is a New England native and had a career making performance in Boston Lyric Opera’s production of The Tales of Hoffmann in 1992.
Photo Credit: Boston Lyric Opera presents Les contes d’Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann) March 13, 15, 17, 1992. John Fowler as Hoffmann and Patricia Racette as Antonia.