(New York, NY) - We recently had the pleasure of experiencing Festival Opera’s artist showcase at the Point Richmond, CA home of General Director Zachary Gordin. The occasion was for East Bay-based for Festival Opera’s new production of “La voix humaine” and “Dido & Aeneas” at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center on July 12th and 14th; these operas will be paired in a one-of-a-kind way. From FestivalOpera.org: “A double-bill of short operas written 270 years apart, yet similar in themes of love and betrayal. Both Elle and Dido suffer the devastating consequences of heartbreak. Their stories resonate across time, bringing the audience in-close as they share these deeply human experiences.” Susie Hanson, Festival Opera Board of Directors, noted that these operas are linked by the common theme of women making powerful decisions for themselves…

The first time I met Ian Burns, he was a 2019 Santa Fe Opera Apprentice. He and his colleagues had just given a stirring concert performance at Four Seasons Santa Fe, an annual event that generally kicks off the Company’s summer season. It was wonderful to see him excel across four (4) different productions..