New Opera in New York: How to keep opera moving and exciting

By Jason Cady, 15 October 2019

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“Art forms are like sharks. They have to keep moving forward or they die”

David Grundy, 29th May

A leading composer and conductor of opera in Germany, Manfred Gurlitt’s Jewish ancestry led to his music being banned. Emigrating to Japan, Gurlitt became a pioneer of opera and Western classical music in Japan, a legacy still felt today.

New romance: the music of Nathan Henninger

Bachtrack, 26th May

The Toronto-born composer talks about new work Romanza for piano and orchestra, theatricality in music, taking influences from psychology, and the effect on his music of working for the United Nations.

Kith and kin: Brett Dean and family prepare Of One Blood

Lawrence Dunn, 1st May

Brett Dean, Heather Betts and Lotte Betts-Dean sit down to discuss their work on Of One Blood, a new opera dramatising the lives of Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots – affairs of the family all round.

Training opera’s next generation at the RCM

Jessica Duchen, 6th April

The Royal College of Music offers an enviable nurturing ground for the next generation of operatic talent. Audrey Hyland, head of the Vocal and Opera faculty, talks about what makes the department special.

Opera in the blood: Speranza Scappucci

Mark Pullinger, 17th March

The Royal Opera’s Principal Guest Conductor explains her passion for opera, her journey into the pit and how good conductors share the attributes of football managers.

Pure agilità: Aya Wakizono returns to Tokyo

Nahoko Gotoh, 13th March

The Japanese mezzo soprano is returning to the New National Theatre, Tokyo for her role debut in Massenet’s Werther. We talk about her love for Rossini, and expansions into later Romantic opera.

Jason Cady

Jason Cady is a composer and librettist. He performs on pedal steel and modular synthesizer. Pitchfork called him a "mod-synth mastermind…funny and engaging." The New York Times, described his video opera, "I Screwed Up the Future", as “charming fantasy...drably comic and spacey.” His opera, "Candy Corn", was called "hilarious" by The Wire Magazine, and “radically enjoyable” by I Care If You Listen. He is the Artistic Director of Experiments in Opera, and the Director of Music Programming at The Flea Theater. He was born in Flint, Michigan and now lives in New York City.