LA Opera Podcasts: Behind the Curtain

This episode features a live recording of the opening night pre-performance lecture for "Akhnaten," which runs now through March 22 at LA Opera. In this lecture, musicologist and Connects affiliated scholar Dr.Tiffany Kuo takes you on an intellectual journey that is as mesmerizing as the performance itself. Focusing on the symbolism of the heart and the sun, Tiffany talks spells on papyrus and trancelike rhythms. Get your tickets to "Akhnaten" now at LAOpera.org.

In this episode, LA Opera Chorus Director Jeremy Frank and critically acclaimed countertenor John Holiday sit down for an intimate interview. Listen in as they identify famous countertenors in popular culture and dish on Philip Glass's "Akhnaten", playing now through March 22—with an added performance on March 21st. With his inimitable spirit, John shares about growing up singing, his unexpected TV debut, and how he's taking care of himself during the run of this production. Get your tickets to Akhnaten now at LAOpera.org.

Internationally acclaimed conductor Dalia Stasevska joins host Gail Eichenthal for a revealing conversation about the sounds, mentors, and moments that shaped her life. From Finland's legendary conducting tradition to the role models who changed her path, Dalia shares what inspires her on and off the podium, including her favorite moment in LA Opera's current production of Philip Glass's Akhnaten. Discover what makes this opera unforgettable, then experience it for yourself. Akhnaten is selling fast, with an additional performance just added on March 21. Get your tickets now at LAOpera.org.

Celebrated director Phelim McDermott has a long relationship with the opera "Akhnaten." In this episode, McDermott and our host, Gail Eichenthal, explore the "paradox of power and vulnerability" in opera, improvisation as the basis of theatre, and how each performance is different every single night. Join us as we get ready to raise the curtain on "Akhnaten," Philip Glass's tribute to a trailblazing pharaoh on February 28; and with ticket demand at an all-time high, we're adding an extra date on March 21st. You can get your tickets now at LAOpera.org.

In this episode of "Serious Fun With Opera," a "Behind the Curtain" miniseries, Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano interviews UCLA's Chair of Musicology, Professor Bob Fink, about musical minimalism--a term that "Philip Glass would not answer to," he says, but that is a "quintessentially American form." They discuss the concepts of trance, aural wallpaper, and the sublime, all swirling around Philip Glass's "Akhnaten', coming up on the LA Opera stage. Get your tickets now at LAOpera.org.