Opera Box Score

[@ 13 min] Alright, this week…Carlo Rizzi goes Inside the Huddle. One of the world’s foremost opera conductors and Artistic Director of Opera Rara, the latest volume of his Donizetti Song Project (featuring Friend of the Show soprano Ermonela Jaho) just dropped, as the Maestro concludes a run ofTurandot at the Met. The Italian conductor joins OBS to share his passion for Puccini and to offer a few choice words about the situation at La Fenice. [@ 35 min] Plus, in the Two Minute Drill...Rabblerouser and warrior of the resistance Kathryn Needleman is profiled in WashPo, and engaged-to-be married baritone Huw Montague Rendall wins a Gram..…..ophone. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD Stream new episodes every Saturday at 10 AM CT on amplisoundsradio.com operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 4 min] Alright, this week…Annie Burridge goes Inside the Huddle. General Director of Austin Opera, Annie Burridge is marking her 10th anniversary with the company that is also kicking off its 40th birthday season with a Spectacular Birthday Concert. 40 is the new 30…so that makes Oliver…what, 60? [@ 36 min] Plus, in the Two Minute Drill...Performances of Wozzeck have been cancelled at La Fenice. Okay, NOW it's getting personal. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD Stream new episodes every Saturday at 10 AM CT on amplisoundsradio.com operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 2 min] Alright, this week…Joshua Collier, artistic director of Opera Vermont, goes Inside the Huddle to share his company’s vision for presenting a multi-year cycle of the operas of William Grant Still. [@ 33 min] Plus, in the Two Minute Drill...is classical music criticism dead, or is it just in charge of the obituary section at the New York Times? GET YOUR VOICE HEARD Stream new episodes every Saturday at 10 AM CT on amplisoundsradio.com operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 3 min] Alright, this week…Sun-Ly Pierce goes Inside the Huddle. Currently starring in the Met’s premiere production of the Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, the Chinese American mezzo-soprano looks back at her break-out season, which included a leading role at Des Moines Metro Opera, being an Operalia finalist, and jumping into her Met debut. [@ 40 min] Plus, in the Two Minute Drill...Grace Bumbry gets the posthumous PBS bump, and everyone hates the new music director at La Fenice. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD Stream new episodes every Saturday at 10 AM CT on amplisoundsradio.com operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 2 min] Alright, this week…Matthew Polenzani goes Inside the Huddle! The internationally acclaimed, Evanston, Illinois-native superstar tenor returns to his home stadium as Giasone in Medea. [@ 19 min] Then…What’s YOUR favorite season? We’ll break down the nominations for the International Opera Awards, and put a thumb on the scale for the audience choice Reader’s Award….you know there’s gotta be some advantage to being a friend of the show. [@ 38 min] Plus, in the Two Minute Drill...opera for Veterans, Dr. Cristina Yang makes her Met debut, and some *good* news in Philly and the UK! GET YOUR VOICE HEARD Stream new episodes every Saturday at 10 AM CT on amplisoundsradio.com operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 4 min] Alright, this week…a listener encourages us to give you our picks for operas around the US this fall. INCLUDING San Francisco, dear listener... [@ 23 min] Then…Musicologist, conductor, and vocal coach Will Crutchfield takes a Free Throw on ornamenting Bellini! [@ 34 min] Plus, a friend of the show shares her story about the stigma of vocal injury. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD Stream new episodes every Saturday at 10 AM CT on amplisoundsradio.com operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 4 min] Alright, this week…OBS Season Eleven starts with a kickoff return touchdown! The legendary German countertenor Andreas Scholl goes Inside the Huddle to share advice for a long career, and to tell the story of making THAT recording. You’ll know which one. [@ 31 min] Plus, we add a few extra minutes to the Two Minute Drill to catch you up on all the stories you missed, including the Met…in Saudi Arabia? GET YOUR VOICE HEARD Stream new episodes every Saturday at 10 AM CT on amplisoundsradio.com operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 1 min] Alright, this week…as the team gears up for OBS Season 11, we bring you some of the best of season 10, starting with a Free Throw from Sondra Radvanovsky on singing one of her quote unquote “EASIEST” roles. [@ 12 min] Then, it’s George’s pick for his favorite interview of 2025. We go Inside the Huddle with stage director, author, and Detroit Opera Artistic Director Yuval Sharon. [@ 32 min] And to round-out this All-Replays episode, we revisit our conversation with tenor Jordan Pitts, the creator of drag diva Creatine Price. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD Stream new episodes every Saturday at 10 AM CT on amplisoundsradio.com operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 4 min] Alright, this week…Friend of the Show Kerriann Otaño goes Inside the Huddle...again! Vice President of Engagement for Opera Delaware, Otaño returns to share news about Delaware’s revolutionary studio artists program. [@ 32 min] And as it’s our season finale, we’ll take a break from the Two-Minute Drill as all the news seems to be men behaving badly, or MAN bickering with a Russian soprano. Instead, we've brought back THE George Cederquist to mercilessly criticize OBS Season Ten. [@ 45 min] Plus…we continue the classic OBS callback streak with a Listener Mailbag from Anthony. You know, Anthony. From the Bronx. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 5 min] Alright, this week…music critic Anne Midgette goes Inside the Huddle. As the co-author of the article that launched Classical Music’s #metoo movement in 2018 AND as the former music critic of the Washington Post, today’s guest is uniquely qualified to comment on just about everything we care about on this podcast. Next month, Anne Midgette is a guest speaker for the Jussi Bjorling Society’s webinar “The Myth of Park and Bark,” so in addition to asking her about the Kennedy Center and what we should do with all of our Domingo recordings, we’ll talk about acting for singers too! [@ 47 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…Tom Cruise has to wash his hair, Ben Folds is not really into North Korea vibes, and we warned you, Peter Gelb. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 3 min] Alright, this week…Grammy-winning tenor Nicholas Phan takes a Free Throw on finally winning that Grammy on his fifth nomination, for his performance in OBS Hall of Famer Kaija Saariaho’s 'Adriana Mater.' [@ 15 min] ...which gets us thinking about Grammy winning opera recordings. In Chalk Talk, we take a look at the history of the only Grammys category that matters, Best Opera Recordings. Which winners have stood the test of time and which recordings are the equivalent of Oscar winners like Crash or Green Book? [@ 44 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…Renee Fleming calls out conservatories for predatory pricing, and the PR disaster surrounding the New York Philharmonic sex abuse scandal continues. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 6 min] Alright, this week…it’s a Santa Fe Spectacular! First, we go Inside the Huddle with THEIR hometown hero, Kevin Burdette. The American bass, dubbed the “Robin Williams of Opera,” recently gave his 100th performance at Santa Fe Opera in his 15th role for the company. [@ 43 min] And then…Florian Sempey takes a Free Throw on his time at Santa Fe Opera. The French baritone is wrapping up his American debut in one of his signature roles: Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro. [@ 58 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…aa fake philanthropist swindles the Met; Melania, the Opera, is set to premiere in September; and our own George Cederquist pays tribute to the late Robert WIlson. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 2 min] Alright, this week…Maestro Enrique Mazzola goes Inside the Huddle! The Italian conductor just wrapped up performances of Massenet’s "Werther" in Berlin, but his summer season continues stateside with debuts at the Grand Teton and Aspen Music Festivals before returning to Chicago for his *other* little gig. [@ 28 min] And then…in 'Listener Mailbag,' a vocal coach and a sound tech walk into a bar…I mean opera. Let’s see what happens as someone experiences their first opera EVER at Santa Fe! [@ 41 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…Peter Gelb puts his foot in his mouth (legally speaking), and a famous soprano’s foundation is being evicted for not paying rent...you have to wait for the drill to find out which soprano. Or scrub through the episode if you’re impatient, I’m not your dad. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 6 min] Alright, this week…We go Inside the Huddle with Elizabeth DeShong, who has entered the She Can Sing Anything stage of her career. Set to return to Chicago next month for Alcina, Haymarket Opera’s debut at Ravinia Festival, the American mezzo and bel canto boss reveals The Role She is Dying to Sing. [@ 25 min] And then…they say We Had No Idea…which, to us, means they haven’t been listening to Opera Box Score. Yes, Classical Music DOES have a sexual abuse problem, and in other news, Serena Williams is good at tennis. [@ 34 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…Zachary Woolfe’s being booted from the classical music section at the New York Times. And, I mean, we DO need another co-host… GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 4 min] Alright, this week…We go Inside the Huddle with Joshua Winograde, one of opera’s leading administrators and now-director of opera studies at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music. Is this the interview that finally lands the OBS team a tenure track position in Opera Bantering? [@ 35 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…sweating employment at the Kennedy Center, sweating a conductor at Caserta, and straight up sweating and fainting in Verona. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 5 min] Alright, this week…Jacquelyn Stucker goes Inside the Huddle. The American soprano joins us from Santa Fe Opera where she is set to make her role debut as the Governess in The Turn of the Screw. Will the Governess overcome her biggest fear? (having to withstand being questioned by Oliver Camacho?) Stay tuned to find out! [@ 35 min] And then..a message in the Listener Mailbag gets us thinking about what we should call our OBS fans... [@ 39 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…are opera singers are being force fed Ozempic like a goose gavage? Also...no shirt, no shoes, no Scala! 'La' Scala, that is… GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 4 min] Alright, this week…live (on tape) from Opera Theatre of St Louis, Anthony León goes Inside the Huddle to tell the story of his career acceleration after winning Operalia in 2022. The American born Cuban-Columbian tenor makes his debut with Lyric Opera of Chicago this season. [@ 38 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…Bavarian State Opera joins the streaming community, and our friends at OperaWire join the podcast community. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 2 min] Alright, this week...former countertenor, now baritone and stage director Drew Minter goes Inside the Huddle to preview Haymarket Opera’s upcoming production of Vinci’s Artaserse. [@ 30 min] And then…in 'Chalk Talk,' new data suggests that the problem with opera attendance isn’t actually price after all! Nobody tell Anthony Roth Costanzo. [@ 46 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…is it possible to have ethical AI usage in the arts? Opera Baltimore is on the case... GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 3 min] Alright, this week, it's Monday Evening Quarterback on the 2025 Boston Early Music Festival, and we’ll be joined by Amanda Forsythe with a scoop on the 2027 centerpiece opera! We promise this is the only opera podcast talking Telemann. [@ 21 min] And then...the centenary of Dietrich Fischer Dieskau’s birth was last month, and we have a Free Throw from one of his last pupils, Benjamin Appl. Considered to be one of the all-time great Lieder interpreters, WE will consider Dieskau’s notable opera roles. [@ 43 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…a decline in tourism coupled with the rise in deportations may be adversely affecting ticket sales at the Met...but that’s not stopping the Laffont competition from scouting in South America. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 5 min] Alright, this week…we go Inside the Huddle with Julia Bullock (!!!). The distinctive soprano and muse of John Adams just wrapped the Met premiere production of Antony and Cleopatra and is sticking around Lincoln Center with her collaborators at American Modern Opera Company for the upcoming Run AMOC Festival. Somehow, she agreed to spend her only 30 minutes of downtime with us! [@ 29 min] And then, in “Home Team,” we bring you a second exclusive interview with Elijah McCormack. The male soprano, who is set to star in Haymarket Opera’s production of Artaserse, helps us celebrate Pride Month and the totally queer excesses of Italian opera seria during the high Baroque! [@ 52 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…Donald Trump earns rave reviews in a Cantonese Opera, but his ticket sales at home are tanking at the Kennedy Center… GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social