OPERA America to Present Music and Words with Tobias Picker, 10/8

American composer Tobias Picker is presented in OPERA America's Creators in Concert series this season on Wednesday, October 8 at 7 p.m. at the National Opera Center. The hour-long presentation includes a discussion with the composer, moderated by OPERA America President and CEO Marc Scorca, and performances of select arias from each of the composer's five operas by sopranos Kristin Sampson and Ashley Emerson, mezzo-soprano Deborah Nansteel, tenor Daniel Durran, and baritones John Brancy and Christian Bowers. For tickets, priced at $25, or access to a livestream of the event, visit operaamerica.org/CreatorsInConcert.

The presentation features soloists who have worked closely with Mr. Picker in productions of his operas. Performing an aria from Fantastic Mr. Fox is Mr. Brancy, who stars in the title role of that opera this month in a new production presented by Opera San Antonio, where Mr. Picker is Artistic Director. Ms. Sampson, singing an aria from Emmeline, performed the title role of Dicapo Opera Theatre's production of Emmeline in 2009. Mr. Bowers and Ms. Nansteel are performing arias from their lead roles as Clyde and Elvira Griffiths, respectively, in the Glimmerglass production of An American Tragedy this past summer. Mr. Curran, who also sang in the cast of An American Tragedy as Gilbert Griffiths, performs the Ghost Aria from Thérèse Raquin and Ms. Emerson sings "There Should Not Be Stars" from Dolores Claiborne. Full program details are available below.

Four operas by Mr. Picker, including Fantastic Mr. Fox at Opera San Antonio, receive new productions between July 2014 and June 2015 during his 60th birthday season. The other new productions are An American Tragedy at the 2014 Glimmerglass Festival, Thérèse Raquin in its LA and Chicago premieres in a co-presentation by Long Beach Opera and Chicago Opera Theater in January and February 2015, and Emmeline in its St. Louis premiere at Opera Theater St. Louis in June 2015. This event is presented by OPERA America in its Creators in Concert series as part of Onstage at the Opera Center.

Tobias Picker, called "our finest composer for the lyric stage" by The Wall Street Journal, has composed numerous works for nearly every genre including opera, orchestra, chamber ensemble, solo instrument, and voice. He has had works commissioned and performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Opera, Helsinki Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Munich Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Opéra de Montréal, Philadelphia Orchestra, Rambert Dance Company, San Diego Opera, and San Francisco Symphony, among others. His scores have been described as both theatrical and thrilling with a keen intuition for narrative and sturdy melodic architecture. By employing themes that often personify live events and resonate with audiences of every age, Mr. Picker has become one of America's most sought-after composers.

San Francisco Opera gave the world premiere of Mr. Picker's fifth opera Dolores Claiborne in September 2013. In March 2014, Tzadik Records released Mr. Picker's Invisible Lilacs, a collection of four original chamber works that spans over four decades.

The 2014-15 season marks Mr. Picker's first full season as Artistic Director of Opera San Antonio during its inaugural year as resident opera company of the new Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. He is currently composing an orchestral work for Christoph Eschenbach and the National Symphony Orchestra to be given its world premiere performance during the 2015-16 season.

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