Opera Philadelphia kicks off its season this month with the American premiere of The Listeners, by composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek. The piece explores contemporary issues including suburban loneliness, social rejection and the role of charismatic leaders in society.
The Listeners is Mazzoli's second opera for the company, which co-commissioned and premiered Breaking the Waves, another collaboration with Vavrek, in 2016.
A Tempo host Rachel chats with Mazzoli about the origin, themes and relevance of the opera, and her return to Philadelphia.
This year marks the first year since 2016 that Opera Philadelphia has not launched its season with its "O" Festival, which presented multiple operas and other performances over the course of several weeks. The company has retired the festival and this year will present two other major productions: The Anonymous Lover by Chevalier de Saint-Georges and Mozart's Don Giovanni.
This week's program also includes a conversation with Erin Lunsford Norton, vice president of artistic planning for the New Jersey Symphony, about Music Director Xian Zhang's decision to wrap up her tenure with the orchestra at the end of her contract in 2028 and take on leadership of the Seattle Symphony.
