LA Opera Podcasts: Behind the Curtain

In this special look inside the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, LA Opera's Senior Director of Artistic Planning Paul Hopper is joined by Young Artist Emily Damasco. Today, Emily and Paul chat about early opera memories, pierogi pizza, the intersection of arts and health, and the two roles Emily will be singing on the LA Opera mainstage this season in "Akhnaten" and "The Magic Flute." You can get your tickets to see this young soprano soar at LAOpera.org.

In this special look inside the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, we're featuring Young Artist Vinícius Costa, a bass from São Paulo, Brazil, who is singing three roles on the LA Opera main stage this season. Listen in as he chats with LA Opera's Paul Hopper about his musical origin story, first impressions of the American vocal scene, and visions for the future of his career. Catch this Young Artist on stage in "Akhnaten," "Falstaff," and "The Magic Flute." Tickets are available now at LAOpera.org.

On this episode of "Behind the Curtain," UCLA scholar and musicologist Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano returns with another installment of "Serious Fun with Opera." She turns the pages of "La Bohème" all the way back to Henri Murger's original source material, immersing us in 1800's Paris and paying special attention to muses Mimì and Musetta. Enjoy this literary journey and be sure to get your tickets to "La Bohème" at LAOpera.org.

In this second episode of "Opera in the Community," musicologist Dr. Tiffany Kuo uses the lens of "La Bohème" to speak with three arts leaders and artist advocates —Asuka Hisa, who walks us through the exhibits at ICA LA; Mackenzie Royce, who shares about the affordable housing and work space rental programs at ArtShare LA; and artist Fatima Burns, who talks about the importance of having a safe place to create. Dr. Kuo shows us that although times can still be tough for the creative class, we've come a long way from the starving artist days of "La Bohème" to having robust institutional support for artists, right here in Los Angeles. Don't miss Puccini's blockbuster opera, get your tickets to "La Bohème" now at LAOpera.org.

In this episode—an excerpt from our Exploring Opera series— LA Opera Chorus Director Jeremy Frank guides you through the musical moments of "La Bohème." Join Jeremy as he shares his wealth of knowledge about Puccini and the arias of Mimì and Musetta and all of your favorite bohemians. Don't miss this classic opera, and be sure to catch Jeremy Frank one hour before each performance in Stern Grand Hall for our popular pre-performance lectures. Tickets to "La Bohème" are available now at LAOpera.org.