American Lyric Theater Announces National Expansion of Composer Librettist Development Program

Lawrence Edelson, Producing Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater, announced today the national expansion of the company's core initiative, The Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP). Through the use of newly acquired HD teleconferencing technology, gifted emerging artists with an interest in writing for the opera stage will be able to participate in the CLDP, regardless of where they live in the country.

Founded in 2007 and recognized for artistic excellence by both the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the CLDP is the only full-time professional mentorship initiative for operatic writers in the country. The CLDP is a tuition-free program that includes a core curriculum of classroom training and hands-on workshops with some of the country's leading working artists. The principal faculty for the 2013-2014 CLDP will include composer/librettist Mark Adamo, librettist Mark Campbell, composer Robert Beaser, dramaturg Cori Ellison, librettist Michael Korie, stage director Rhoda Levine, and composer Paul Moravec. Recent guest teachers and lecturers have included composers Kaija Saariaho, Ricky Ian Gordon, Nico Muhly, StewArt Wallace, Christopher Theofanidis, and John Musto, and librettists Stephen Karam, Donna DiNovelli, and Gene Scheer. The program is overseen by Mr. Edelson. Biographies of ALT's mentorship team and faculty may be found at:

http://www.altnyc.org/composer-librettist-development-program/faculty-and-mentorship-team/

Mr. Edelson stated, "To date, over 30 artists from the metropolitan New York City area have benefited from the intensive mentorship provided by American Lyric Theater's Composer Librettist Development Program. We are thrilled to announce the national expansion of this program, and to invite applications for the 2013-2014 program from composers and librettists from across the United States, who will be able to participate in the CLDP remotely through the use of HD video conferencing technology. The acquisition of this new, high speed, high-resolution technology will now enable ALT to invite artists from all over the country to participate in the CLDP and to collaborate with other artists, without geographic restriction."

Marc Scorca, President and CEO of OPERA America, commented on the program saying, "ALT's Composer Librettist Development Program has been an important contributing force to the flow of new American operas in recent years. The fact that ALT's exceptional program of training and support for composers and librettists will now be available to participants from across the country comes as very good news. Outstanding new works and strong new relationships among artists and producers have resulted from Edelson's visionary leadership of American Lyric Theater. I look forward to the expanded, national impact of this program."

Notable alumni of the CLDP include librettist Royce Vavrek (Dog Days with David T. Little; Song from the Uproar with Missy Mazzoli); librettist Tony Asaro and composer Christopher Cerrone (All Wounds Bleed at ALT, to be premiered by Tulsa Opera in March 2013); librettist Deborah Brevoort and composer Patrick Soluri (Embedded at ALT, to be featured as part of Fort Worth Opera's Frontiers showcase in May 2013); and composer Aleksandra Vrebablov (Mileva for the Serbian National Opera).

In addition to ongoing classes and workshops, composers and librettists in the program have the opportunity to take part in residency observerships at The Metropolitan Opera. Through this recently expanded partnership, ALT is able to provide artists the opportunity to explore the process of mounting fully staged operatic productions. ALT also provides opportunities for Resident Artists to meet opera company leaders from around the country so that they can showcase their work, and expand their professional network. Additional networking and membership resources are provided through ALT's partnership with OPERA America.

American Lyric Theater's 2013-2014 Composer Librettist Development Program will run from September 15, 2013 to June 18, 2014. All artists accepted into the program will be required to be in New York City for two weeks during the program (September 15-22, 2013 and June 11-18, 2014). For those artists who do not live in the metropolitan New York City area, ALT will provide transportation and housing. Artists will be able to fully participate in the remainder of the program (over 70 classes and workshops) either in person or remotely.

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