Soprano Sara Heaton is a semi-finalist in this year’s Competizione dell’opera in Dresden, was a finalist in the 2010 Giulio Gari competition, and a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera competition in 2008. She had her professional opera debut as Despina in Così fan tutte with the Boston Baroque orchestra, led by conductor Martin Pearlman. …
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Here are some snapshots Tod sent yesterday. I'm getting a lump in my throat seeing that crazy chandelier getting installed in the Salle Garnier...
Choreographer Karole Armitage's role in Death and the Powers was to create the human and technologic gestures and movements that would embody the story and emotion of the opera. Although Karole has worked with as diverse a range of performers as any choreographer - from elite classical ballet dancers to pop stars like Madonna and …
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Just to give you an idea of what else Tod is up to, as though he weren't busy enough already with Death and the Powers premiering in (gulp!) two weeks!
Death and the Powers premieres on September 24 at l’Opéra de Monte-Carlo. Buy tickets here. Shows run on September 24th (invitation only), September 25th (8pm), and September 26th (3pm and 8pm). Ticket prices begin at 80 euros. Scroll down to choose the date from the event calendar (below the fold). See more information about the …
Tod Machover’s Death and the Powers, which features robots as performers, premieres this month. Is this the future of opera? There's a great feature story from the M.I.T. news office today about Death and the Powers. The story provides an excellent overview of the opera and goes into some depth on Tod Machover's vision to …
Prologue Obscurité. Les robots roulent, oscillent, and glissent sur la scène en groupe puis se dispersent en différentes unités. Quatre robots émergent du pack et commencent à parler. Dans leur dialogue, les robots essaient de comprendre le sens du mot « mort , » un concept étrange auquel ils sont confrontés dans un drame qui …
Prologue Darkness. Robots roll, lurch, and glide onstage as a group and then disassemble into separate units. Four robots emerge from the pack and begin to speak. In their dialogue, each robot tries to understand the meaning of the word “death,” a strange concept they encounter in a drama left behind by their human creators. …
Alex McDowell is one of the most innovative and influential designers working in narrative media, with the impact of his ideas extending far beyond his background in cinema. Alex advocates an immersive design process that acknowledges the key world-building role of design in storytelling. He currently serves as adjunct professor at the Interactive Media Department/School …
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Here's a breathtaking video of Evvy's "Touch Me" aria from Scene 4 of Death and the Powers. Mezzo soprano Patricia Risley sings the role here during rehearsal at the Cutler Majestic Theater in Boston, MA, August 2010. She will perform the role of Evvy in the world premiere of Death and the Powers on September …
Opera of the Future 