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For opera to remain vibrant, its stories must reflect a multitude of experiences, and its productions must adapt to unconventional spaces. Both characteristics were in full effect on October 10, 2020, when OFAV (Opera for All Voices), in association with Portside New York, staged a performance of Is This America? on the deck of an oil tanker docked in Brooklyn.  This workshop of an adaptation of This Little Light of Mine, by composer Chandler Carter and librettist Diana Solomon-Glover, is a celebration of American voting and civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer’s inspiring legacy.  In this episode, Andrea speaks with LaToya Ratlieff, Ms. Hamer’s grand-niece who is a voting and civil rights activist, and Diana, who transformed Hamer’s voice into this transcendent work of art. It’s a piece that connects history to current events, ancestor to descendent. In 1964, police boarded a bus in an attempt to intimidate Black citizens on their way to register to vote. In the midst of an uncomfortable silence, a lone voice broke into song. Fannie Lou Hamer’s courage bolstered the resolve of her fellow passengers that day, and strengthened a movement for generations to come. Today, LaToya shares her story of injury by police during a well-intentioned demonstration for George Floyd, but more importantly how strangers risked their own safety to come to her aid in a time of need. “I want people to understand that they stand on her head and shoulders; that before Breonna Taylor, before Sandra Bland, there was Fannie Lou Hamer. She was Black Lives Matter, and I want people to know that.” -Diana Solomon-Glover “For me, she’s a constant inspiration in a day and or that, anything can be achieved. And that we as humans, specifically us in America, that we have the ability to change lives for, not only ourselves, but for those around us.” -LaToya Ratlieff “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” -Fannie Lou Hamer *This episode contains two musical excerpts from Is This America? Additional music licensing by PodcastMusic.com.   WATCH CLIPS FROM IS THIS AMERICA?Is This America?   ALSO MENTIONED IN EPISODE:The Singing Neanderthals by Steven Mithen ***  If you are new to Key Change, go back and listen to season 2, episode 7: Mother of a Movement. It's an introduction to the commission of This Little Light of Mine with Diana and composer Chandler Carter. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera for All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Andrea Fellows Fineberg Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello. Cover art by David Tousley Special thanks to PortSide NewYork and Carolina Salguero. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

"There's a multi-layered contract from creator to interpreter to audience, and everybody has to actively participate to make a work come to life." ~Laura Kaminsky, composer of Hometown to the World One of the hallmarks of the Opera for All Voices commissioning process is workshopping the new operas with a team of dedicated artists and a live audience to see what's working and and what needs work.  In this stage of the development of Hometown to the World (previously known in season 1, episode 6 as Postville), Andrea traveled to San Francisco Opera for a workshop with composer Laura Kaminsky and librettist Kimberly Reed.  OFAV partners Kip Cranna and Ruth Nott joined the conversation with insights into story, structure, music, and what it means to be American, regardless of where you're from. Hometown to the World will premiere in San Francisco, CA in the fall of 2020. ***  If you are new to Key Change, season 1, episode 6 is a first introduction to Hometown to the World. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera for All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello. Cover art by David Tousley Special music licensing from PodcastMusic.com, curated by Brandon Neal. Special thanks to Uwe Willenbacher, sound engineer at San Francisco Opera for recording this interview session. OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

"Relationships are infrastructure." ~Andrea Fellows Walters Of the 100 busiest conductors in classical music only for are female. A list of the 150 composers whose work is most often performed includes only one woman, and women comprise approximately 35% of soloists in opera. Of the 10 productions on the list of the most performed operas in 2017-2018, three are comedies and of the seven dramas, six end with a dead female protagonist. Women's bodies underwrite a staggering proportion of the action in the operatic canon. These numbers are taken from a recent panel called Times Up Opera, hosted by the Santa Fe Opera. In this episode, Andrea and Brandon explore the issues of representation, intersectionality, and content as relates to women in opera. They look at the importance of finding mentors, forming alliances with peers, and paying it forward.   Special thanks to our guests: Chelsea Dennis, production stage manager Anh Le, Opera Theatre of St. Louis Madalyn Mentor, Opera Theatre of St. Louis Susanne Sheston, conductor & chorus master Nicole Weigelt, artistic services manager Mo Zhou, stage director   And the Times Up Opera panelists: Julia Bullock, singer Chelsea Dennis Jennifer Rhodes, seminar presenter Mo Zhou   *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera for All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by David Tousley Special music licensing from PodcastMusic.com, curated by Brandon Neal OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org    

"There is no distinction between art and life. Art is the way we express life and life is the way we express art. " ~Diana Solomon-Glover, librettist Fannie Lou Hamer rose from humble beginnings in the Mississippi Delta to become one of the most important, passionate and powerful voices of the civil and voting rights movement. She became a leader in the efforts for greater economic opportunities for African-Americans. Brandon talks with composer Chandler Carter and librettist Diana Solomon-Glover about translating the truth of Fannie Lou Hamer's life into opera.  "If we can attach ourselves to her story, hear her voice, and kind of vicariously feel what she was feeling, I think we make a connection -- or at least of the possibility of a connection." ~Chandler Carter, composer This Little Light of Mine is slated to premiere in Fall of 2021. Special music in this episode provided with permission by Chandler Carter. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera for All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello. Cover art by David Tousley Music curated by Brandon Neal with licensing from PodcastMusic.com Special thanks to The Relic Room for recording this session in New York. OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

"Every single thing in the world is made of stories, and the story creates the moral energy of the universe where the question of right and wrong you learned from a story.  And in this period, particularly when we're living in a world so polarized and people are so extreme and so vicious in their reaction to stuff, you can't tell anyone anything. But you CAN tell them a story." ~Peter Sellars Andrea and Brandon had a rare opportunity to sit with stage director, librettist, professor Peter Sellars when he was in Santa Fe for the 2018 production of Doctor Atomic. This conversation looks deeply at the responsibility and opportunity of operatic storytelling to bring diverse communities with opposing points of view together, to talk publicly about things that cannot easily be discussed, and to shed light on the beauty of things we often miss. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera for All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by David Tousley Special music licensing from PodcastMusic.com, curated by Brandon Neal OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

"The more we get to know one another through our stories, the closer we come together as a community, as a nation, as a world... and as you start to dissect many operas, you're really telling the story of the delicacy and strength of the human condition." ~Dr. Estevan Rael-Gálvez We invited some of our favorite storytellers to talk to us about the role of story in opera. They each share their unique perspectives on the big question: Why are we even bothering to tell stories? Not only that, but also how do we choose the stories we tell; what challenges do we face with diversifying the storytelling landscape; how do we better represent, attract, and reflect broader audiences; and what are the risks of creating new works in opera of creating new works? In this episode, we are honored to feature interviews with:   Dr. Estevan Rael-Gálvez, Storyteller, Historian, CEO and President at Creative Strategies 360° Paige Hernandez, Performer, Director, Choreographer, Playwright, and Teaching Artist Carolyn Kuan, Conductor, Music Director of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra Jim Robinson, Artistic Director, Opera Theatre of St. Louis Cori Ellison, Dramaturg for the Santa Fe Opera and Opera for All Voices Judy Chicago, Visual Artist, Author, Educator Donald Woodman, Photographer *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera for All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by David Tousley Special thanks to Shannon Harris for recording our sessions in Chicago Special music licensing from PodcastMusic.com, curated by Brandon Neal OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

"Opera is like one of the transporting art forms... transporting you to these hidden secrets places like in yourself that are otherwise inaccessible." ~David Hanlon, composer Andrea takes a deep dive into the creative process behind creating a new opera with composer David Hanlon and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann. Fresh from the New York libretto reading for their Opera for All Voices commission, The Pigeon Keeper, they were ready to talk fables, families, and refugees.  A libretto reading is a rare opportunity early in the process of a new work to focus in on the story being told and see how it, according to Stephanie, "breathes and moves" in order to provide the structure of the music. Their hope is to create an opera that is truly transporting for a contemporary audience, that will still resonate 50+ years from now. The Pigeon Keeper is slated to premiere in Spring of 2021. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera for All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello. Cover art by David Tousley Music curated by Brandon Neal with licensing from PodcastMusic.com Special thanks to Sheri Barclay for recording this session in New York. OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

"If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” ~Shirley Chisholm We take a moment to dream with members of the opera community across departments about what a more equitable, diverse and inclusive opera industry will look, feel, and sound like. Beyond that, we take a practical look at things that are working and things that perhaps still slow to change, and why. This conversation is at the heart of Opera for All Voices. This episode is part 2 of a 2-part exploration. If you haven't already go back one episode to 202: A Seat at the Table to meet the amazing members of our opera community who are part of this candid and intimate conversation: Cayenne Harris, Vice President, Lyric Unlimited Ben Taylor, Baritone Terrence Chin-Loy, Tenor Monique Gaffney, Wig & Makeup Artist Melanie Bacaling, Stage Manager Jason Lynch, Lighting Designer Michael Ortiz, Assistant Technical Dir. at Santa Fe Opera Madalyn Mentor, Artistic Coordinator at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Anh Le, Acting Director of Marketing & Public Relations at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis June Kim, Development Associate at Santa Fe Opera Thank you all for your openness, generosity, and everything you contribute to our industry. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera for All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by David Tousley Special thanks to Shannon Harris for recording our interview in Chicago Special music licensing from PodcastMusic.com, curated by Brandon Neal OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

Equity, diversity, and inclusion: it's a phrase that's at the forefront of many industries at the moment, and opera is no different. What do those words really mean and how do they relate to the forward momentum of our art form? This conversation is at the heart of what Opera for All Voices is about and we're going deep into the struggles, the uphill battles, and the opportunities that lie ahead. This episode is part 1 of a 2-part exploration featuring stories from a series of candid interviews we had with the following members of our opera community: Ben Taylor, Baritone Terrence Chin-Loy, Tenor Monique Gaffney, Wig & Makeup Artist Melanie Bacaling, Stage Manager Jason Lynch, Lighting Designer Michael Ortiz, Assistant Technical Dir. at Santa Fe Opera Madalyn Mentor, Artistic Coordinator at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Anh Le, Acting Director of Marketing & Public Relations at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis June Kim, Development Associate at Santa Fe Opera Thank you all for your openness, generosity, and everything you contribute to our industry. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera for All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by David Tousley Special music licensing from PodcastMusic.com, curated by Brandon Neal OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal are back with Season 2! Sweet Potato Kicks the Sun, our first commission for Opera for All Voices, gets a closer listen with a live audience. Hopping back in our OFAV time machine, we travel to September 2018 Chicago. Sweet Potato had a live workshop with invited audience and we had a rare opportunity to find out both what audience members were anticipating before the workshop, and what they thought afterward. Andrea and our dramaturg Cori Ellison sat down with composer Augusta Read Thomas and librettist Leslie Dunton Downer to learn more about their alchemical process of working together on a new opera, influences and nuances of story, and what happens next with this new opera. Sweet Potato Kicks the Sun will premiere in Santa Fe, NM in October 2019. ***  If you are new to Key Change, we recommend going back to listen to the first 8 episodes of Season 1 for even more OFAV context. Episode 3 is a first introduction to Sweet Potato Kicks the Sun with composer Augusta Read Thomas and beatbox artist Nicole Paris. If you can’t right this minute, don’t worry! We’ll catch you up. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera for All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello. Cover art by David Tousley Special music licensing from PodcastMusic.com Special thanks to the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago, Reba Cafarelli, Cori Ellison, Andrea Klunder and Aliyah Rich for recording our audience reactions and Shannon Harris for recording our interviews in Chicago. OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

This season, it's time to dig a little deeper. Exploring the future of opera in America and telling new stories with Opera for All Voices. Season 2 drops April 10th, 2019. Subscribe now to be the first to listen!   *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera for All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello. Cover art by David Tousley   OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for All Voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

7 American opera companies, 4 new commissions, 2 workshops... Opera for All Voices is back with Season 2 of Key Change! Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal take you on a journey behind the scenes of commissioning new opera, reaching new audiences and supporting emerging artists. This season, we're digging even deeper into the most compelling topics and questions that are shaping the future of opera in America. Season 2 drops April 10th, 2019. Subscribe now to be the first to listen!   *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera for All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello. Cover art by David Tousley   OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for All Voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

Where you begin and where you end up are often two very different things.  While this final episode of the season is definitely NOT the end, we thought it was a good time to pause, check in with our consortium members and commissioned artists, and speculate on what lies ahead for Opera For All Voices. And for that matter, we hear some interesting thoughts from our community about what lies ahead for opera -- the art form and the industry. If you're new to Key Change, we recommend going back and listening to the beginning of the season (at the very least, episodes 1 and 2) before you jump into this one.   *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera for All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello. Cover art by David Tousley Special thanks to: The Relic Room in New York, Bad Animals in Seattle, and Halfway to Hell Studios in Albuquerque.  OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for All Voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

All the way back in episode 01, we began this season in New York City, celebrating the career of Charles MacKay, who has been the General Director of the Santa Fe Opera since 2008. Charles is a known visionary in the opera industry who has given opportunities to countless new artists, musicians, and administrators during his 50-year tenure. His artistic leadership has furthered The Santa Fe Opera’s tradition of bold and innovative repertory with the commission of five mainstage world premieres – including Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain in 2015 and Mason Bates’ The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs in 2017.   In this episode, Brandon has an exclusive and thoughtful conversation with Charles as they explore the state of the industry and the future of the art form through the unique lens of opera company leadership. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera For All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello. Cover art by David Tousley OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

"Postville: Hometown to the World" almost didn't happen -- at least not as part of Opera for All Voices.  The true  and timely story of immigrant workers in a Kosher slaughterhouse and meat packing plant that was raided by ICE in 2008 in the town of Postville, Iowa felt too large in scope for the OFAV framework -- 3 singers, small pit orchestra, 90-minutes or less with no intermission, to be scaleable for different sized opera companies and venues... But, composer Laura Kaminsky's passionate personal connection to the story and librettist Kimberly Reed's track record as an adept documentarian and filmmaker inspired the OFAV team to defy the odds and take a chance. The second Opera for All Voices (OFAV) commission, "Postville: Hometown to the World", is scheduled to premiere in the Fall of 2020 at the San Francisco Opera.  *** Special music in this episode used with permission by Laura Kaminsky. Wave Hill – III. Arbores Venerabiles. Ensemble Pi, Idith Meshulam, piano Wappinger Creek, Hudson River Valley, from Horizon Lines, for oboe, bassoon and piano. Live performance from Seattle Chamber Music Festival. Duo for Flute and Piano: Mvt. I. – Tara Helen O'Connor, flute, Margaret Kampmeier, piano To know, from As One, multi-media chamber opera. Taylor Raven, mezzo soprano and Brian Vu, baritone. Live performance from Pittsburgh Opera. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera For All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello. Cover art by David Tousley Special thanks to The Relic Room, NYC. OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

Andrea always says, "our best education program is what happens on the main stage," and it's true, but how do we get new audience members TO the main stage? Education, outreach, programs and partnerships... these departments are not just about programming for children and schools, but even more so about building relationships on and off stage an sparking interest through storytelling that connects with new and diverse audiences. In this episode, Andrea takes a deep dive with Barbara Lynne Jamison, who at the time of recording was Director of Programs and Partnerships at Seattle Opera, and at the time of release has been named the new General Director of Kentucky Opera, as we explore the expanding role of education departments as the lifeblood of opera companies in the United States.  *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera For All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello. Cover art by David Tousley Special thanks to Bad Animals in Seattle. OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

For such an ambitious undertaking as Opera for All Voices (OFAV) -- balancing the needs of multiple companies, production budgets planned years in advance, the commission of new works with very little to go on up front, hiring musicians and singers, the changing landscapes of main stage vs workshop premieres, leaps of faith from funders, administrators, artists and collaborators alike all with the hope of JUST BREAKING EVEN… how does this all work financially? And what is it worth? Are there other ways to measure success besides financial returns? In this episode, Brandon talks candidly with Heather Kemp, Director of Finance & Accounting at The Santa Fe Opera. We also hear from General Director Charles MacKay, Barbara Lynne Jamison from Seattle Opera, Ben Jewell-Plocher from Sarasota Opera, and Jamie Andrews from Minnesota Opera about fiscal responsibility, creative problem solving, and defining return on investment. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera For All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello. Cover art by David Tousley OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

What happens when the composer that you've commissioned to write a new opera says to you, "Sit down -- I have something to tell you," and that something is that she's fallen in love... with a beatbox artist? The first Opera for All Voices (OFAV) commission, Sweet Potato Kicks the Sun, is scheduled to premiere in the Fall of 2019 and this episode is a very early look at the creative process of Grammy Award winning composer, Augusta Read Thomas. We get a deep dive into how she "sculpts sound" to create magic, and how collaboration is such a crucial element in the way she composes new work. The collaboration gets even livelier as we meet renowned beat-box artist, founder of Drop The Beats, and actor Nicole Paris, who plays an integral role in the original soundscaping of this new opera. Listen in and fall in love for yourself. *** Special music in this episode used with permission by Augusta Read Thomas. Helix Spirals for String Quartet: Mvt. I. Loci, memory palace. Performed by the Spektral Quartet. Of Being is a Bird: Mvt. II. The most triumphant Bird I ever knew or met. Claire Booth, soprano, Aurora Orchestra, Nicholas Collon conductor. Love Twitters for solo piano. Nicola Melville, piano. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera For All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello. Cover art by David Tousley Special thanks to Halfway to Hell Studios in Albuquerque and C.W. Media in Chicago OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

Opera for All Voices (OFAV) wasn't always "Opera for All Voices."  Amidst endless brainstorming sessions, redefining family programming, seeking edgier content, aligning with social justice themes, addressing significant doubts, and drawing solutions on dinner meeting napkins...  ...Is it even possible for 7 opera companies to reach some kind of consensus? Get an inside look at the origins, naming, and specific parameters for new operatic commissions with the OFAV initiative.   *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera For All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by David Tousley Special thanks to The Relic Room NYC and Bad Animals in Seattle.  OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org

What do you think of when you think of opera? In January of 2016, opera companies from all over the United States started a conversation, trying to figure out how to create new works for smaller stages, alternative spaces, and major opera companies. Could we develop works that speak to a broader audience and how can we be the leaders in showing that diversity is a huge plus? What if we fail? What if we succeed? What if we keep imagining?  These and other questions guide us through the ups and downs of a new initiative called Opera for All Voices (OFAV.) Join us as we explore the commission and creation of new operas and their connection to our industry, our communities, and our future. In this episode, we meet Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal, our guides on this journey deep inside the OFAV initiative. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera For All Voices. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello. Cover art by David Tousley Special thanks to Gina Hays at Opera America and The Relic Room NYC.   OFAV Consortium Members:  Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.   To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org