As opera companies worldwide move to virtual content, Canadian librettist Royce Vavrek (Jacqueline, Proving Up) will see two of his works presented online next month. Starting May 1, Los Angeles Opera was supposed to put up Angel’s Bone, the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera by Vavrek and composer Du Yun, in collaboration with Beth Morrison Projects; instead of the run of live performances, LAO will stream an October 2019 performance of Angel’s Bone on its LAO at Home page on May 1 starting at 8pm PDT. The production from the Beijing Music Festival will remain viewable throughout the following week.
And as part of Opera Philadelphia‘s Digital Festival, Vavrek and Missy Mazzoli’s Breaking the Waves, the critically-acclaimed operatic adaptation of Lars von Trier’s 1996 film, starts May 29 at 8pm EDT. Breaking the Waves joins the line-up of five Opera Philadelphia productions, four of which are recent world premieres, as they are presented digitally on YouTube and at operaphila.org. The operas begin their roll-out on May 1 with Philip Venables and Ted Huffman’s Denis & Katya (September 2019), and the productions remain viewable online for varying lengths of time through August 31. Each opera’s opening night stream will include special pre-show interviews, designed to enhance the home viewer’s experience.
Soprano Kiera Duffy as Bess in Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s Breaking the Waves, which will be streamed beginning on May 29 as part of Opera Philadelphia’s Digital Festival. Photo by Dominic M. Mercier.
Our upcoming Summer 2020 print issue features an exclusive profile on Grande Prairie, AB native, Royce Vavrek. These streams are a great chance to know his work before reading.
Jenna is the editor and co-creator of Schmopera. She also writes for The Globe and Mail and Opera Canada. She’s a pianist and vocal coach, and working with singers is how she fell in love with opera.
