NEWS
5.23.2023
In summer 2023, Cincinnati Opera presents the world stage premiere of The Knock, with music by Aleksandra Vrebalov and a libretto by Deborah Brevoort. Co-commissioned with The Glimmerglass Festival, The Knock tells the story of a group of military wives awaiting news of their husbands who have been deployed to Iraq. Meanwhile, a young army officer makes the long journey to their gathering place to deliver difficult news. Named for the expression used by military spouses for a death notification, The Knock is based on years of interviews with spouses of soldiers, offering a sympathetic glimpse into the lives of America’s military families. Cincinnati Opera’s new production of The Knock is helmed by women: composer Vrebalov, librettist Brevoort, stage director Alison Moritz, and conductor Stephanie Rhodes Russell, who will lead the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
2.22.2023
OPERA America is pleased to announce the first-round recipients of the 2023 Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors. The program incentivizes professional opera companies of all sizes to engage women in these key artistic roles. These hires enrich the production and performance of new operas and works from the inherited repertoire and inspire future generations of creative artists who identify as women. The initiative is generously supported by the Marineau Family Foundation.
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Eight grants were awarded to nine opera companies that are advancing the careers of women artists...
4.25.2023
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The day before she headed to Madison in early April, Stephanie Rhodes Russell made an Instagram Reel: “A conductor’s guide to packing. ONLY ESSENTIALS.”
Into her open suitcase went the score to Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro,” which she conducts this Friday and Sunday with Madison Opera in Overture Hall. In went her baton and black clothing, the maestro’s uniform.
Then she tossed in dinosaurs (three plastic ones), a toy car (orange), baby wipes, suction bowls (to prevent meal-throwing), silicone bibs, a board book, a blankie and a sippy cup.
Like many conductors, the Texas-based Rhodes Russell is often on the road. She conducted “Susannah” at Wolf Trap Opera in Virginia last summer, “The Barber of Seville — a “Figaro” prequel, written by Gioachino Rossini — in Austin last fall, and “The Daughter of the Regiment” at Utah Opera in January...