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The opera industry continues to identify and support the creators of new works, while also working to address challenges and opportunities associated with producing in the 21st century. The New Works Forum is a series of sessions that offers insight, practical knowledge and networking opportunities for creators and producers of new opera and music-theater works. The New Works Forum is made possible by a generous and deeply appreciated grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Advance registration required. No additional fee.

2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Dramaturgs —A Necessity, Not a Luxury
Companies producing new work increasingly are seeing the importance of bringing a dramaturg into the development of a piece — but the pool is still very small. How do we approach the task of identifying and engaging more dramaturgs in opera?

Cori Ellison, Dramaturg American Lyric Theater
Paul Hopper, Assistant Artistic Director/Dramaturg, Houston Grand Opera
Pete McCabe, Dramaturg, HERE
Imani Mosley, musicologist/dramaturg

3:00 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.
NextGen Family Opera
In the last decade, “operas for all ages” have expanded from simply engaging the next generation of young audiences to becoming increasingly focused on messages or goals that have changed the way they are commissioned, produced and presented. This session will look at several companies creating new family operas, exploring both their reasons and their abilities to incorporate them into their larger seasons.

Andrea Walters, Director of Education, Santa Fe Opera
Ruth Nott, Director of Education, San Francisco Opera
Jamie Andrews, Community Education Director, Minnesota Opera
Cayenne Harris, Director, Lyric Unlimited, Lyric Opera of Chicago

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Opera NOW!
Does opera always have to be behind the times? How can composers write pieces meant to be timeless, while also timely? With commissioning and production cycles that can take years, how can new operas be more responsive to contemporary events?

Yuval Sharon, Artistic Director, The Industry (moderator)
Kim Whitener, Producing Director, HERE
Rick Burkhardt, composer
Kamala Sankaram, composer

Speakers

Jamie Andrews

Chief Learning Officer, Minnesota Opera

Jamie Andrews is currently the Chief Learning Officer for the Minnesota Opera. In this position he has developed award winning programs that engage audiences of all ages, such as Music Out Loud, an opera-based El Sistema-inspired social development program, and Project Opera, a vocal... Read More →

Rick Burkhardt

Playwright, n/a

Rick Burkhardt studied music composition at Harvard University, the University of Illinois, and the University of California, San Diego, where he earned his Ph.D. in 2006.He has received commissions, grants, and performances from organizations and performers such as the U.S.-Mexico... Read More →

Cori Ellison

Dramaturg

Cori Ellison, a leading creative figure in the opera world, has served as staff Dramaturg at Glyndebourne Festival Opera and New York City Opera. Active in developing contemporary opera, she teaches dramaturgy for American Lyric Theater’s Composer Librettist Development Program... Read More →

Cayenne Harris

Vice President, Lyric Unlimited, Lyric Opera of Chicago

Cayenne Harris was appointed the Director of Lyric Unlimited for Lyric Opera of Chicago in July 2012. As the lead administrator for Lyric's community engagement and audience development initiatives, Ms. Harris has played an essential role in the creation of Lyric Unlimited – its... Read More →

Paul Hopper

Assistant Artistic Director, Houston Grand Opera

Paul Hopper serves as Assistant Artistic Director at Houston Grand Opera where he manages special artistic initiatives, assists in long term artistic planning, and guides a variety of audiences in learning more about HGO and opera. As principal dramaturg for the company he has worked... Read More →

Pete McCabe

Resident Dramaturg, HERE

A life-long theater artist has worked as an actor, playwright, librettist, Drama Desk nominated producer, and Dramaturg. In his career he has worked with such notables as Tadashi Suzuki, Robert Wilson and Max Roach, Ruby Dee and Ozzie Davis. He is currently working as Dramaturg... Read More →

Imani Mosley

Dramaturge and Musicologist, Duke University

Imani Mosley is currently a PhD candidate in Musicology at Duke University. After receiving two Masters degrees from Peabody (Bassoon Performance/Musicology), she began PhD work at Columbia where she received a Master of Arts in Musicology before attending Duke. She is a Britten scholar... Read More →

Ruth Nott

Director of Education, San Francisco Opera

Ruth Nott is San Francisco Opera Association’s first full-time Director of Education, overseeing a department that provides opera education programs for K-12 schools, universities, families and adults of all ages throughout the bay area. Ms. Nott has over 20 years of experience... Read More →

Kamala Sankaram

Composer, Mannes College of Music

Praised as “strikingly original” (NY Times), Kamala Sankaram moves freely between the worlds of experimental music, creative music, and contemporary opera. Known for pushing the boundaries of form and style, she has created work for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (as 2023 artist-in-residence... Read More →

Yuval Sharon

Artistic Director, The Industry

Yuval Sharon has been creating an unconventional body of work exploring the interdisciplinary potential of opera. His productions have been described as “ingenious” (New York Times), “virtuosic” (Opernwelt), “dizzyingly spectacular” (New York Magazine), and “staggering... Read More →

Andrea Walters

Administrative Coordinator, The Santa Fe Opera

Andrea Fellows Walters has been associated with The Santa Fe Opera for over twenty-seven years and Director of Education and Community Programs since 1993. She brings a deeply-rooted love and appreciation for the performing arts in her work as an administrator, educator, producer... Read More →

Kim Whitener

Producing Director, HERE

Kim Whitener joined HERE as Producing Director in February 2007. She works in partnership with Artistic Director Kristin Marting to co-curate and produce HERE’s performance programs and activities. During her tenure, HERE’s budget has nearly doubled, and she was instrumental in... Read More →

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