Blog

As Omaha prepares for the launch of Opera Omaha’s first-ever ONE Festival, we wanted to offer a deeper look into three of the performance series that will be offered throughout the city. From the Bemis Center of Contemporary Art, to Gallery 1516, to a unique on-site location at 1407/1409 Jackson Street, these performances expand opera beyond the doors of the conventional theater. Adam Larsen, curator and filmmaker of The Dharma at Big Sur, Annie Saunders, curator and director of The Wreck, and R.B. Schlather, curator and director of Ariodante, offer us insight into the creative process and inspiration behind these three different performance series. The Dharma at Big Sur For Ad...

Opera Omaha's world premiere opera is only weeks away! Read about it from the composer herself! Proving Up, based on a brilliant story by Karen Russell, explores the origins, realities, and fictions of the American “rags to riches” mythology. The musical language of this opera draws on traditional “Americana” – wheezy harmonicas, guitars, and old-timey fiddle tunes – combined with dream-like, warped orchestral textures, haunting harpsichord gestures, and harsh percussion samples that reflect a dry and inhospitable frontier. Each member of the Zegner family represents an American who has been erased from history, lost to fate and overcome by circumstance. It is my hope that Proving Up can pose provocative questions about the American...