Washington National Opera’s American Opera Initiative is coming to the Kaufman Music Center in New York on Jan. 23, 2024. This is the first time the program is presented outside of Washington D.
C. The showcase features three world premieres of 20-minute chamber operas including “Tati” by Kyle Brenn and Lex Brown, Cry, “Wolf” by JL Marlor and Clare Fuyuko Bierman, and “Mud Girl” by Omar Najmi and Christine Evans. “From my own experience as a director, I firmly believe that hands-on learning is the best way to be successful in the opera field,” said Artistic Director Francesca Zambello in an official press release.
“This is why I created this program. Together with the program Director Christopher Cano and Artistic Advisor Kelley Rourke, we strive to foster an environment in which composers and librettists who have an interest in writing opera but do not have much experience can gain that knowledge by doing it, from collaborating on libretto and score to workshopping, rehearsing, and presenting the world premiere—all under the guidance of experienced mentors. The results are their own testament to the value of this program: many of the operas we have premiered as part of AOI have been taken up by other companies, and more than half of the teams who gained experience through AOI have continued working together.
I am very excited about the three brand-new works we are presenting this season. They demonstrate that opera is an ever-evolving art form.” “Tat.
