Opera Philadelphia, Gotham Chamber Opera & Music-Theatre Group Name David T. Little as Composer in Residence

Opera Philadelphia, in collaboration with Gotham Chamber Opera and Music-Theatre Group in New York, is proud to announce that composer David T. Little has been selected as its fourth Composer in Residence (CIR). Little was chosen from over 100 applicants for the position and now has the opportunity to follow a personalized development track focused on the advancement of his skills as an operatic composer.

Funded by a $1.7 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the program fosters tomorrow's American operatic masterpieces through personalized creative development and intensive, hands-on composition opportunities for today's most promising opera composers. The Composer in Residence position combines its individualized plan of study with a living stipend and health benefits.

"I could not be more excited to join the roster of this esteemed and innovative program," said Little, who holds a PhD from Princeton University and has studied under composers Osvaldo Golijov and William Bolcom. "Writing for the stage is one of my greatest joys as a composer, and I am excited to work with Opera Philadelphia, Gotham Chamber Opera, Music-Theatre Group and my fellow Composers in Residence to explore the wide range of possible musico-dramatic forms available to us today, and to continuing to hone my compositional and dramatic craft."

An accomplished rock drummer and the founding artistic director for the amplified chamber ensemble Newspeak, Little fuses classical and popular idioms to powerful effect. The New Yorker has called him, "one of the most imaginative young composers on the music-theatre scene." His multi-media music theatre work, Soldier Songs, based on interviews with veterans of five wars, received its New York City premiere in January 2013 at the inaugural PROTOTYPE Festival. The Wall Street Journal called Little's first full-length opera, Dog Days, "one of the most exciting new operas of recent years," and The New York Times cited Dog Days as one of two highlights of the season, stating that the work "proved beyond any doubt that opera has both a relevant present and a bright future."

"David T. Little is a true 21st century composer with a unique voice. We were immediately taken with his musical insight, melodic textures, and unorthodox operatic structure," said David B. Devan, General Director & President of Opera Philadelphia. "We believe his artistry will serve the opera world for years to come and we are excited to grant him this time and opportunity to develop his operatic voice even further."

"David T. Little is among the greatest talents in opera today, as well as being a supremely nice guy," said Neal Goren, Artistic Director of Gotham Chamber Opera. "It will be a joy and an honor to help him achieve his full artistic potential."

"David T. Little's writing for the music theatre already demands and ultimately commands our attention," said Diane Wondisford, Producing Director of Music-Theatre Group. "I am very excited to accompany him on this three-year journey in the opera world."

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