Opera Box Score

This week, Oliver talks to Catherine O’Shaughnessy, founder of Windy City Opera, to give you an inside look at Chicago's storefront opera scene... But first, we investigate a story hot off the presses. The Floating Opera Company, a small outfit in Chicago, recently posted an audition notice for its upcoming production of Sondheim’s ‘Sweeney Todd’, and invited musical theater singers to audition. Many of them took umbrage at the $15 audition fee, and then took to social media to voice their displeasure. It got ugly, and fast... Plus we’ve got this week’s opera headlines and our TKO segment which pits Nathan Gunn and Simon Keenlyside head-to-head in Britten's 'Billy Budd'...

On tonight’s show, George, Oliver and Giovanna talk you the through ten contemporary composers who have just been added to the “most-performed” list in The Opera Guide, the world’s definitive list of who’s who in opera. But will we agree on who should be on the list and how they should be ranked...? Plus we have all your opera headlines, Oliver’s performance review potpourri and Giovanna's all-new lighting-round format for our opera Pop Quiz...

This week, George and Oliver talk with conductor Anthony Barrese. He’s also the artistic director of Opera Southwest. We get his take on what pieces opera companies should be programming in order to survive. Anthony’s a smart guy and the opera references come fast and furious in this interview, so keep your wits about you and enjoy this bonus-length interview... Co-host Giovanna is back on the show, and she helps us break down what to look forward to -- and what to avoid -- in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2016-2017 season... Plus we’ve got this week’s opera headlines and our TKO segment which pits two singers head-to-head in the finale of Rossini’s opera 'Zelmira'. Don't miss who we’ve chosen to fight to the death to become the star of Naples...

On tonight’s show, George takes you through the crisis brewing at English National Opera (ENO), London’s major opera house dedicated to performing opera in English. The Artistic Director has quit, the budget has been cut and the chorus is protesting. Is this the end of the road for ENO? Also, Oliver rants about performance etiquette: audiences are clapping less, singers are bowing more. What's up with that? And we've got all your opera headlines, and plus our Monday Evening Quarterback tackles the current production of Strauss’s “Der Rosenkavalier” at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

This week, it's a special hour-plus show! We talk with soprano Emily Birsan, who is currently in Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi" at Chicago Opera Theater. Our team reviews the show, as well as its prelude in the double-bill: Poulenc's "La Voix Humaine", featuring Patricia Racette. Oliver sets up a new battle royale in our TKO segment, and George gives you the week's opera headlines. Wow!

Opera and musical theater librettist Matt Boresi is our guest co-host this week. We get his hot takes on how to write libretti, on the best new American librettists and on whether producing musical theater is helping or hurting opera companies. Plus, the Two Minute Drill, giving you all your need-to-know opera headlines!

We hang out with Harry Rose, a.k.a Opera Teen, to get his insights about the next generation of opera-goers. Read more about Harry at https://operateen.wordpress.com. Also, we talk about whether or not rewriting the end of a unsatisfying opera creates more problems that it solves. Plus, our TKO segment returns to pit Janet Baker against Susan Graham in Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas'.

The Usual Gang of Idiots (George, Oliver and Giovanna) fight over the merits of Lyric Opera of Chicago's 2016-2017 season, and go on to shred a recent article about elitism in opera: http://harvardpolitics.com/culture/tonight-opera-identity-politics-inequality-opera/ You also get The Two-Minute Drill, Monday Evening Quarterback and Pop Quiz. All for free!

In addition to our live radio show (every other Monday at 9 pm Central on WNUR 89.3 FM Chicago and wnur.org/popup), we now tape a podcast on the OTHER Mondays. And this is the first! On this episode we interview Patrick Hockberger, the composer behind "Synesthesia", a world premiere podcast opera about children and gun violence. Plus, Giovanna and I discuss the legacy of Pierre Boulez in our 'Chalk Talk' segment and review "Wozzeck" in 'Monday Evening Quarterback'.

Season 2 of the OBS begins with a bang! Oliver talks you through the Metropolitan Opera's new production of "The Pearl Fishers", while Giovanna tips you off to the best events at the Prototype Festival opening in New York City this week. Plus, we baptize two new segments: "The Two Minute Drill" and "Monday Evening Quarterback"! And we announce details about our podcast series which starts next week...

Happy Holidays! With Giovanna out with the "stomach flu" (read: hung over), Oliver steps up to join George and Tobias with their Christmas lists for opera... Plus, a multiple choice Pop Quiz, and a TKO with music clips!

Tobias is back from Florida! He joins George and Giovanna as they each talk about what they're thankful for in opera... Plus, Giovanna schools everyone in Pop Quiz and Tobias gets to host TKO!

Special guest Oliver Camacho joins us to talk about micro-opera and the Alban Berg trend... but almost makes us lose our FCC license... Plus, our Pop Quiz and TKO segments!

We celebrate National Opera Week by not celebrating National Opera Week... Giovanna takes off all her clothes (on a radio show)... Plus, Instant Replay, TKO and more!

George investigates the death of Gotham Chamber Opera... Giovanna wonders if opera companies are finding new ways to tell old stories... Plus, George gets to ask the questions for Pop Quiz, and we compare an opera aria with a contemporary cover in our Instant Replay segment.

After three pilot episodes, Opera Box Score goes live... Your host George Cederquist, along with co-hosts Tobias Wright and Giovanna Jacques, all talk you through what you need to know about the Fall opera season... Plus, test your opera knowledge in our Pop Quiz, and witness the horrors of our TKO segment, where two opera singers battle in a steel-cage death match.