Keturah speaks with director, creator, and Executive Artistic Director of Loose Tea Music Theatre, Alaina Viau, about her creative work and Loose Tea’s BIPOC Composer Librettist Development Program.Alaina Viau: https://www.alainaviau.com/Loose

Kate Holland, Susan Werbe, and Sifting Through The Great War

Jul 4th, 2022 35m 6s

Kate Holland and Susan Werbe were co-librettists on Letters That You Will Not Get, composed by Kirsten Volness, and produced by American Opera Projects. In this episode, I speak to them both about their collaboration, and what it was like find

Eric Einhorn and Letting The Space Dictate the Show

Jun 20th, 2022 40m 26s

Keturah speaks with General and Artistic director of OnSite Opera, Eric Einhorn, about his relationship to text with site specific work. They also discuss Rhoda and The Fossil Hunt, which he wrote with John Musto for presentation at the Museum

Matthew Jocelyn and How to be Undaunted by Hamlet

Jun 6th, 2022 44m 6s

Keturah speaks with Matthew Jocelyn, the celebrated director, writer, and theater administrator, who wrote the libretto for Brett Dean’s Hamlet, originating in Glyndebourne in 2017, and currently playing at the Metropolitan Opera.

Deborah Brevoort and her Journey from Politics to Theater

Mar 21st, 2022 38m 20s

Keturah interviews playwright and librettist, Deborah Brevoort, about her early political career in Alaska, her switch to theater, and her more recent work writing opera libretti. They go in depth on three operas: STEAL A PENCIL FOR ME, that h

Amy Stebbins and New Work Both Here and There

Feb 28th, 2022 59m 10s

Keturah interviews director, dramatist, and librettist, Amy Stebbins, about the differences between libretti in the United States and libretti in Europe (particularly new work being written in Germany and Austria). They discuss the different w

Catherine Filloux and Writing Social Justice

Feb 14th, 2022 49m 12s

Keturah interviews playwright and librettist, Catherine Filloux about her many works tackling social justice issues, as well as her work with Olga Neuwirth on the new opera, Orlando.Catherine Filloux: https://www.catherinefilloux.com/Orlando: h

Jennifer Cresswell and Kathleen Kelly on Writing Real Women

Jan 31st, 2022 1h

Keturah speaks with singer and librettist, Jennifer Cresswell, and conductor and librettist, Kathleen Kelly about the creation of their new work with Kamala Sankaram, Interstate. They co-wrote them libretto and performed in the filmed work abo

Max Hoehn and Opera21

Jan 17th, 2022 36m 6s

Keturah speaks with British Swiss director, translator, and librettist, Max Hoehn, about the development of his new opera laboratory: Opera21, and the state of new opera in Europe.Max Hoehn: https://www.maxhoehn.com/Opera21: https://www.opera-2

Marella Martin Koch and the Genesis of Dolores

Jan 3rd, 2022 52m 20s

Keturah speaks with librettist, playwright, and director, Marella Martin Koch, who recently won the inaugural West Edge Opera Aperture commission, alongside her writing partner, composer Nicolas Lell Benavides. Their work, DOLORES, about worke

The Decameron Opera Coalition and the “Heroes” Project

Dec 20th, 2021 55m 2s

Keturah speaks with librettists: Matt Boresi, Bilal Dardai, Briana Hunter, and Steve Wallace about the currently streaming “Heroes” with the Decameron Opera Coalition. All, saving Matt, are new librettists, and we talk about the inspiration be

Taura Stinson and The Meaning Beyond The Rhyme

Nov 29th, 2021 34m 50s

Keturah speaks with composer and lyricist, Taura Stinson, about her first foray into opera with “On The Edge,” composed by Laura Karpman for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis last season. They also discuss Taura’s life as a songwriter for the film

Rinde Eckert and Changing Up the Wallpaper

Nov 15th, 2021 57m 36s

Keturah speaks with multi-faceted composer, librettist, and performer, Rinde Eckert. They discuss the state of opera today, how much it’s changed (or hasn’t), and Rinde’s recent works as a librettist: Moon Tea with Steven Mackey for OTSL, and

Deborah Burton and the Librettists of Puccini

Nov 1st, 2021 34m 30s

Keturah interviews music theorist and Puccini expert, Deborah Burton, about the many librettists Puccini worked with throughout his career, with special emphasis on Giacosa and Illica, as well as Fontana, who started it all with Edgar, a disast

Douglas Kearney and Poetry Both Seen and Heard

Oct 18th, 2021 1h 3m

Keturah interviews Douglas Kearney, a renowned poet and librettist who is the inaugural recipient of the Campbell Libretto Prize through Opera America. They talk about his work with Yuval Sharon and The Industry in LA, his work as a poet, and

Tony Asaro and The Path To Opera

Oct 4th, 2021 59m 6s

Keturah speaks with Bay Area librettist and composer, Tony Asaro, about his work in musical theater, how he found opera, and the two operas he’s currently working on: Zheng, and The Halloween Tree.Tony Asaro: https://www.altnyc.org/tony-asaroTh

Amanda Quaid and Adapting The Extinctionist

Sep 20th, 2021 26m 22s

Keturah talks to playwright, librettist, and actor, Amanda Quaid about her left turn into writing opera libretti, and her new adaptation for Heartbeat Opera, The Extinctionist with Daniel Schlosberg.Amanda Quaid: http://www.amandaquaid.com/Dani

Karen Chilton and the Kaleidoscopic Career

Sep 7th, 2021 36m 10s

Keturah speaks with librettist, playwright, and actor, Karen Chilton, about her collaboration with Damien Sneed on THE TONGUE AND THE LASH at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for this year’s NEW WORKS, BOLD VOICES LAB.Karen Chilton - https://www.ka

Nicolas Reveles and Writing Trauma

Aug 23rd, 2021 52m 42s

Keturah interviews composer and librettist, Nicolas Reveles, about some of his past work, as well as several upcoming pieces. They end up talking about the physicality of trauma, a theme that shows up in a number of his pieces.A recent intervi

Rachel J. Peters asks “Where Are the Women?”

Aug 9th, 2021 1h 2m

In this first episode of Season 3, Keturah interviews composer and librettist, Rachel J. Peters. They discuss a number of her works, including the recently premiered STAGGERWING, composed by Lisa DeSpain, and MEN I’M NOT MARRIED TO, which will

Crystal Manich, Ned Canty, Joseph Mechavich, and The Sounds That Move Us

May 31st, 2021 37m 34s

In the final episode of the season, Keturah speaks with director, Crystal Manich, director and General Director of Opera Memphis, Ned Canty, and conductor, Joseph Mechavich, about three texts that move them in opera. The conversation goes from

Aliana de la Guardia and Geovonday Jones discuss Guerilla Opera’s Libretto Writing Workshop

May 24th, 2021 50m 50s

This episode, nearly a year from the first episode highlighting Guerilla Opera’s first Libretto Writing Workshop with Brenda Huggins, is again looking at the virtual workshops that Guerilla Opera is offering this season.The first interview is w

Talking Diction with Stefano de Peppo and Kathryn LaBouff

May 17th, 2021 56m 14s

In this episode, Keturah speaks with bass-baritone and Italian diction coach, Stefano de Peppo, as well as English diction coach, Kathryn LaBouff, about the importance of good diction.Stefano discusses his journey from Milan to the United State

Jacqueline Goldfinger and Alexandra Deshorties

May 3rd, 2021 58m 52s

Keturah begins the podcast with an interview with soprano, Alexandra Deshorties. They start discussing Donizetti’s Roberto Devereaux, and move into Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine, using each libretto to discuss how the text tells the story, and how

Lynn Nottage, William Burden, Poetry, Music, and Self-Adaptation

Apr 26th, 2021 37m 10s

Keturah discusses two forms of adaptation in this episode.Her first conversation is with tenor, William Burden, who chats with her about Igor Stravinsky and W.H. Auden’s adaptation of William Hogarth’s paintings, The Rake’s Progress. They go i