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Seattle Opera.

Opera Talks

The Making of Lucidity

Hear from composer Laura Kaminsky and librettist David Cote about the inspiration behind their brand-new opera, Lucidity, in a conversation with Dramaturg Jonathan Dean. Working at the forefront of new American opera, these two creators weave together themes of music and memory, science and singing, and love and sacrifice to create an opera that speaks to the complex ways that music can tie us together.

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The Legacy of Fisk University

Learn how the Fisk Jubilee Singers introduced spirituals to the world and how their legacy shaped the university today. Joined by Fisk University President Dr. Agenia Walker Clark, current Fisk Jubilee Singers Director Dr. G. Preston Wilson, Jr. and former Jubilee singer Marlette Buchanan will share their memories as members of this esteemed troupe.

The Making of Jubilee

Spend your evening with Tazewell Thompson, the creator and librettist who took on the challenge of telling the story of the origination of The Fisk Jubilee Singers. Join Tazewell and Seattle Opera’s Artistic Ambassador, Kenneth Kellogg, as they discuss the inspiration behind this world premiere.

Cultivating the Opera Ecosystem

Join us for an engaging discussion spotlighting Seattle’s local opera ecosystem and what audiences can do to nurture this interconnected community. This talk brings together representatives from four dynamic local opera companies that are taking creative approaches to presenting opera in the region: Opera on Tap Seattle, Lowbrow Opera Collective, Puget Sound Concert Opera, and Vashon Opera, each of which fills a unique niche in the opera biome.

Ambassadors for Opera

Join us for a conversation featuring our outgoing scholar-in-residence, Dr. Naomi André, and bass-baritone Kenneth Kellogg, who assumes the role of Artistic Ambassador for our 2024/25 season.

Thulani Davis on The Emancipation Circuit

Join us for a special talk featuring Thulani Davis, librettist of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, as she discusses her recent book The Emancipation Circuit: Black Activism Forging a Culture of Freedom.

The Making of X

Learn how Malcolm X, a monumental figure of the civil rights movement, inspired the Davis family team of creators to adapt his story for the opera stage.

A Conversation with Tamara Payne

Presented by the Seattle Opera and Town Hall Seattle, Tamara Payne joins us in person to share from the biography, The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X.

A Singer's Journey

Curious what it takes to become an opera singer? Come to a panel discussion between Seattle Opera’s new Resident Artists baritone Michael Hawk and soprano Camille Ortiz as they discuss the introduction and development of an opera singer.

A Composer Talk with Sheila Silver

A special talk with Sheila Silver, the acclaimed composer behind our world-premiere production of A Thousand Splendid Suns. This was an in-depth discussion of her unique score, which incorporates aspects of Hindustani music, the classical music of Northern India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

The Creators Behind A Thousand Splendid Suns

The team of creatives discussed the challenge of adapting Khaled Hosseini's bestselling novel for the opera stage into a Seattle Opera world premiere.

OPERA & IMPERIALISM

**Saint-Saëns's Samson and Delilah and the Representation of the “Other”**

Seattle Opera scholar-in-residence Dr. Naomi André explored issues of orientalism, cultural representation, and musical exoticism in opera in this one-of-a-kind opera talk.

SINGING LIKE GERMANS WITH KIRA THURMAN & NAOMI ANDRÉ

Kira Thurman, author of Singing Like Germans: Black Musicians in the Land of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, and Seattle Opera scholar-in-residence Dr. Naomi André discuss all things opera.

Black Opera in America: Past, Present, & Future

In this talk, Dr. Naomi André, author of Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement (2017), traces the trajectory of operas that touch on the Black experience.

The Marriage of...Susanna?

Figaro may get top billing, but Susanna is the one calling the shots! We discussed the role of gender and class in The Marriage of Figaro, featuring stage director Peter Kazaras and sopranos Anya Matanovic and Soraya Mafi, who share the role of the quick-witted heroine at the heart of this story.

Becoming Blue

A Talk With Tazewell Thompson

Librettist and stage director Tazewell Thompson joined Seattle Opera's Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Naomi André for an in-depth conversation about the creative journey behind Blue.

A Chat with the Cast from Blue

The lead cast members of Blue discuss their artistic relationship with this new American opera. The talk was be moderated by Classical KING FM's Artist- and Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Quinton Morris.