New York City Opera Announces 2012 VOX Line-Up

New York City Opera is proud to announce the six selections that will appear in this year's VOX Festival, the company's workshop for new American operas. This year, VOX will be presented in conjunction with OPERA America's New Works Forum for New York City Opera's 2012-13 season. The festival will be performed at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in the heart of Greenwich Village on November 8, 7:30PM.

VOX, described by the New York Times as an "invaluable showcase," gives American composers and audiences the opportunity to hear professional performances of excerpts of new operatic works, un-staged and read by members of the New York City Opera orchestra and soloists. As the only program in the country that gives composers the opportunity to hear their new works and works-in progress with full instrumental ensembles and professional soloists, VOX continues to be a vital part of the fabric of American opera. Since 1999, composers Mark Adamo, Charles Wuorinen, Richard Danielpour and Stephen Schwartz are among those who have had pieces presented in VOX that have gone on to redefine the American opera genre.

The six operas selected this year highlight the eclectic landscape of American contemporary opera. Featured works include The Holy Visions by returning composer John Zorn (2007's La Machine de l'être); Moto Osada's Four Nights of Dream; Christopher Weiss's In A Mirror, Darkly; Evan Meier's The Last Act of Revolution; James Stepleton's The Awakening; Osnat Netzer's The Wondrous Woman Within.

"VOX is central to NYC Opera's mission of accessibility and championing new American opera. I am thrilled that our new partner, OPERA America's New Works Forum, will add an important new dimension to this long-loved festival"

– George Steel
Artistic Director and General Manager
New York City Opera

OPERA America is the national service organization for the entire field, working with members to strengthen the creation, production and enjoyment of opera. Its New Works Forum will bring together up to 75 opera producers, publishers, composers and librettists from across the country to explore the dynamics of organizational and artistic collaboration, address specific barriers to success, and develop strategies to increase the number and quality of new operatic works in the field at large.

"We are delighted that New York City Opera's VOX program will continue in 2012 in conjunction with OPERA America's 2012 New Works Forum," said Marc A. Scorca, President and CEO of OPERA America. For the first time, this celebrated showcase of new works will take place in the context of a three-day meeting of leading opera producers, artists and publishers designed by OPERA America to address issues and build relationships that are central to the expansion of the American opera repertoire."

The New Works Forum is made possible by the generous support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

ABOUT THE OPERAS
THE HOLY VISIONS
John Zorn, composer/librettist

A Mystery Play in 11 strophes concerning the life, work and philosophy of 12th Century composer, healer, and visionary mystic Hildegard von Bingen with original texts in Latin.

FOUR NIGHTS OF DREAM
Moto Osada, composer/librettist

Four individual scenes of three dreams concerning a samurai seeking enlightenment, a young man facing his fears, and a father's treacherous scheme against his son.

IN A MIRROR, DARKLY
Christopher Weiss, composer; S. O'Duinn Magee, librettist

Three one-act operas dealing with three women in three different eras (medieval Camelot, 1890s Paris, and post WWII Manhattan) as they come to terms with love and mortality.

THE LAST ACT OF REVOLUTION
Evan Meier, composer; Luke Richmond, librettist

A chamber opera based on events surrounding the suicide of a left-wing journalist and key member of a terrorist group that rocked West Germany with violence in the early 1970s

THE AWAKENING
James Stepleton, composer; Andrew Joffe, librettist

Based on Kate Chopin's classic novella, the opera follows Edna Pontellier and her sexual awakening instigated by her oppressive marriage in 19th-Century New Orleans.

THE WONDROUS WOMAN WITHIN
Osnat Netzer, composer/librettist

A farcical romp based on Hanoch Levin's play about the lengths to which men will go to cling to the ideals of their fantasy woman.

TICKETS
Thursday, November 8, 2012
NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
7:30 PM
566 LaGuardia Place (at Washington Square South)
New York, NY 10012
Tickets: $25
www.nyuskirball.org

More Articles by This Author...