LA Opera Podcasts: Behind the Curtain

In this episode, music critic and regular "Detrás del telón" host Gerardo Kleinburg takes us into the world of "Akhnaten" — in his words, "an utterly singular opera unlike any other." Kleinburg's exploration pulls themes from history, art history, and religion to weave a fascinating portrait of the historical figure Akhnaten before taking us into musical minimalism and the surprising world of composer Philip Glass. LA Opera's hypnotic production of "Akhnaten" is playing February 28-March 22. Get your tickets now at LAOpera.org.

Did you know you can listen to LA Opera podcasts in Spanish? "Detrás del telón" takes you into the world of opera, with hosts including music critic Gerardo Kleinburg and musicologist Dr. Patricia Caicedo. Each episode is presented entirely in Spanish. Find "Detrás del telón" wherever you listen to podcasts or at LAOpera.org/Podcasts.

Following a performance of "West Side Story" earlier this season, LA Opera Connects hosted a special panel on Arts & Health to celebrate the launch of the 2025 Arts and Health Week video series. This conversation touches on the arts as an essential part of personal and community wellness, and features LA Opera Advisor for Special Projects Renée Fleming and soprano Gabriela Reyes in dialogue with community leaders Kristin Sakoda, Sarah Lyding, and Shavonda Webber-Christmas. Interested in learning more about how the arts are vital to healing? Visit LAOpera.org/ArtsandHealth and be sure to save the date for the 5th annual Arts & Health Week Summit on June 12, 2026, information is available at LAOpera.org/Summit.

Recharge your mind, body, and spirit with LA Opera’s Creative Care, a free Zoom series that invites you to experience the healing power of the arts. Led by Connects teaching artists, each online gathering incorporates mindfulness, creative expression, learning, and self-reflection, all rooted in themes from our upcoming performances and other special topics. Rsvp now for our next session highlighting Philip Glass's "Akhnaten" on February 10, 2026. Tap into some inner peace and joy via LAOpera.org/CreativeCare.

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.