Opera Programming: When is Representation At Odds With Cultural Sensitivity?

Do you remember the first time you went to go see a live production of an opera? Maybe it was during a school field trip, or for a date that you wanted to impress. I’ve met people whose first experience in an opera house was born out of a pure curiosity that led to the purchase of a ticket.

Everyone has a different story about their introduction to this art form, but what isn’t engaged as much is the residual emotional impact of said introduction. For me, the introduction came by way of performing on the stage, but I wasn’t able to measure the emotional impact opera had on me until I engaged opera as an audience member.

composers, conservatories, forums, funding, music, music education, music history, music schools, musicology, opera, opportunities, orchestras, social justice, strings, support for BBIPOC music, video, internationalDalanie HarrisJune 1, 2021Black musicians, Black classical music, Black jazz musicians, Black pop musicians, Black folk musicians, Black composers, Black music history, Black opera, diversity, equity, inclusion, UK, United Kingdom, Black Lives in Music, Charisse Beaumont, Orphy Robinson, Shabaka Hutchings, Paulette Long, Spotify, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Help Musicians UK, Arts Council England, Trinity Laban, Leeds Conservatoire, PRS Foundation, The Ivors Academy, Musicians’ Union, Featured Artists’ Coalition, Manchester Jazz Festival, Jazz North, Marsden Jazz Festival, Lichfield Jazz Festival, The Black Music Coalition, London Mozart Players, National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, Black choral music, Zeze Millz

Lyric Opera Online Season A Mix of New Black, Latine, and Traditional European Opera

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2020-21 entirely virtual season (having canceled all in person mainstage performances due to the pandemic), has commenced with performances celebrating Black excellence and Latine music traditions.