A few months ago I started a new monthly #operapodcast called Front Row Center.
Have you ever sat in the front row at a performance? I've only done it a few times and it offered a unique and thorough experience that I simply couldn't have gotten if I'd sat in the "nosebleed" section. I heard orchestra details and colors I don't normally hear. I heard the conductor humming along or reacting to the performance, I witnessed how the orchestral musicians keenly engaged with the conductor and each other. I also saw subtle dramatic details of the singers' portrayals that made me significantly more engaged in the performance itself. It was thrilling.
With Front Row Center, I'll be delving into topics and themes within an opera beyond the artist interview or musicological take on a work, although we'll have that, too. Still, it offers a unique and in-depth look at an opera with 4-5 segments with experts in their fields, from a clinical psychologist to a #sexworker advocate and everything in between.
I'll cover repertoire that I find interesting or topics within a work that I'd like to explore. Some operas will preview productions at the #MetOpera or which will be featured on a #MetHD performance. Others will feature important premieres or productions in the U.S. and internationally.
Check out the view from Front Row Center. I hope you enjoy it!