Opera

On her new album with Nicole Mitchell, EarthSeed, inspired by Octavia Butler’s prescient series of Afrofuturist Parables.

A look behind the scenes of Akhnaten, Philip Glass’s 1983 opera now playing at the Metropolitan Opera, in which the countertenor plays an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who defied gender conventions.

Writer and vocalist Keckler performs impersonations of obscure larger-than-life personalities he meets. In her first novel, Laing impersonates Kathy Acker.

Featuring selections by Jem Cohen, Keith Connolly, Britton Powell, Alan Courtis, Byron Westbrook, and more.

“Stakes for women artists of the time were stakes on a much different scale. You had to be a genius just for people to accept that you might be human.”

The iconoclastic composer discusses his newest opera, the differences between American and European music culture, and space aliens.

“My addiction has to do with performance, with creating a very real situation and then dealing with all the physical problems surrounding it.” —Matthew Barney

Great to see you as always. A few questions came to me, typically after all was said and done. I thought I’d send them over while our very interesting conversation was still fresh in my mind.

Muhly chats with fellow composer, and Pulitzer Prize winner, David Lang about his recent work, love fail, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music from December 6 to December 8.

The composer and giant of contemporary music passed away on March 4, 2014. Here he reflects on the 2012 reinterpretation—in Spanish—of his epic opera of the ordinary, Perfect Lives.

The once-staid atmosphere of New York City Opera has lately received a dose of downtown experimentalism. Nick Hallett discusses what he sees as a welcome intrusion.

Uniting three works of opera that span over 100 years, Michael Counts curates, directs, and designs his vision Monodramas for the New York City Opera. He speaks with musician John Zorn about the scale and challenges of the stage.