Jennifer Higdon’s first opera, Cold Mountain, premieres at The
Santa Fe Opera on August 1, 2015 and runs until August 22. In addition, Opera
Philadelphia recently announced that they will give the East Coast premiere of
Cold Mountain during their 2015-16 season. This Monday at 7:30 p.m., the
Guggenheim Museum in New York will host a special event: Higdon, author Charles
Frazier, stage director Leonard Foglia and librettist Gene Scheer will discuss
the new opera, and Cold Mountain cast members Isabel Leonard, Emily
Fons, Jay Hunter Morris, Kevin Burdette, and Roger Honeywell will perform
musical selections. For more information, click here
.
Cold Mountain takes an American story as its subject—the
desertion of Confederate soldier W.P. Inman to return to his love in the
mountains of North Carolina during the Civil War. Based on Charles Frazier’s
best-selling novel, which was turned into an award-winning movie, it features a
libretto by Gene Scheer ( Moby-Dick; An American Tragedy),
recounting Inman’s dangerous odyssey, trekking across North Carolina back to
Cold Mountain. This Santa Fe Opera, Opera Philadelphia, and Minnesota Opera
co-commission stars Nathan Gunn as the soldier Inman, Isabel Leonard as his
lover, Ada, and Jay Hunter Morris as the villainous Teague in both Santa Fe and
Philadelphia.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto and one of
America’s most-performed composers, Jennifer Higdon taught herself the flute
at the age of 15 and began to compose at 21. Of the 50 recordings of her work,
Percussion Concerto, Higdon: Concerto for Orchestra/City
Scape, Strange Imaginary Animals, and Transmigration
have all won Grammy Awards. Her work blue cathedral has been performed
more than 500 times since its premiere in 2000. Higdon also teaches composition
at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
“I didn’t realize that I would be carrying these characters in my head and
heart for about two and a half years,” Higdon told NPR
Music . “But in many ways, living inside the opera, which it felt like I
did, was not like anything I’ve ever experienced before. The entire group
stayed with me day and night. I’ve been pretty absent from the present-day
world for quite some time. That type of concentrated creativity has been
amazing to experience.”
“I think Cold Mountain is going to be the great American operatic
work,” said Gunn. “The music is beautiful and amazingly dramatic in
scope.”
“Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain is a beautiful story filled
with history, love, fear, and courage,” said Leonard. “Jennifer Higdon and
Gene Scheer have now turned that story into an incredible musical journey and I
cannot wait to share it with the people of Santa Fe and Philadelphia.”
“The greatest moments, for me, are when I get to sing new music,” said
Hunter Morris. “I love stepping into the character and stepping into the
voice for the first time.”
The
Guggenheim
March 30, 2015
Santa
Fe Opera
August 1, 5, 14, 17, 22, 2015
Opera
Philadelphia
February 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 2016
Copyright © 2015 First Chair Promotion, All rights reserved.
image=http://www.operatoday.com/Higdon-Slight-Smile.png
image_description=Jennifer Higdon [Photo by J. Henry Fair]
product=yes
product_title=World Premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s opera Cold Mountain at Santa Fe Opera this August
product_by=First Chair Promotion Press Release
product_id=Above: Jennifer Higdon [Photo by J. Henry Fair]
World Premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s opera Cold Mountain at Santa Fe Opera this August
Jennifer Higdon’s first opera, Cold Mountain, premieres at The
Santa Fe Opera on August 1, 2015 and runs until August 22. In addition, Opera
Philadelphia recently announced that they will give the East Coast premiere of
Cold Mountain during their 2015-16 season. This Monday at 7:30 p.m., the
Guggenheim Museum in New York will host a special event: Higdon, author Charles
Frazier, stage director Leonard Foglia and librettist Gene Scheer will discuss
the new opera, and Cold Mountain cast members Isabel Leonard, Emily
Fons, Jay Hunter Morris, Kevin Burdette, and Roger Honeywell will perform
musical selections. For more information, click here
.
Cold Mountain takes an American story as its subject—the
desertion of Confederate soldier W.P. Inman to return to his love in the
mountains of North Carolina during the Civil War. Based on Charles Frazier’s
best-selling novel, which was turned into an award-winning movie, it features a
libretto by Gene Scheer ( Moby-Dick; An American Tragedy),
recounting Inman’s dangerous odyssey, trekking across North Carolina back to
Cold Mountain. This Santa Fe Opera, Opera Philadelphia, and Minnesota Opera
co-commission stars Nathan Gunn as the soldier Inman, Isabel Leonard as his
lover, Ada, and Jay Hunter Morris as the villainous Teague in both Santa Fe and
Philadelphia.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto and one of
America’s most-performed composers, Jennifer Higdon taught herself the flute
at the age of 15 and began to compose at 21. Of the 50 recordings of her work,
Percussion Concerto, Higdon: Concerto for Orchestra/City
Scape, Strange Imaginary Animals, and Transmigration
have all won Grammy Awards. Her work blue cathedral has been performed
more than 500 times since its premiere in 2000. Higdon also teaches composition
at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
“I didn’t realize that I would be carrying these characters in my head and
heart for about two and a half years,” Higdon told NPR
Music . “But in many ways, living inside the opera, which it felt like I
did, was not like anything I’ve ever experienced before. The entire group
stayed with me day and night. I’ve been pretty absent from the present-day
world for quite some time. That type of concentrated creativity has been
amazing to experience.”
“I think Cold Mountain is going to be the great American operatic
work,” said Gunn. “The music is beautiful and amazingly dramatic in
scope.”
“Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain is a beautiful story filled
with history, love, fear, and courage,” said Leonard. “Jennifer Higdon and
Gene Scheer have now turned that story into an incredible musical journey and I
cannot wait to share it with the people of Santa Fe and Philadelphia.”
“The greatest moments, for me, are when I get to sing new music,” said
Hunter Morris. “I love stepping into the character and stepping into the
voice for the first time.”
The
Guggenheim
March 30, 2015
Santa
Fe Opera
August 1, 5, 14, 17, 22, 2015
Opera
Philadelphia
February 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 2016
Copyright © 2015 First Chair Promotion, All rights reserved.
image=http://www.operatoday.com/Higdon-Slight-Smile.png
image_description=Jennifer Higdon [Photo by J. Henry Fair]
product=yes
product_title=World Premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s opera Cold Mountain at Santa Fe Opera this August
product_by=First Chair Promotion Press Release
product_id=Above: Jennifer Higdon [Photo by J. Henry Fair]