Boston Singers' Resource News Bulletin, June 4, 2003

BSR Soprano, Denise Konicek, speaks with BSR member Gil Rose about OPERA UNLIMITED, the highly anticipated collaboration between BOSTON MODERN ORCHESTRA PROJECT and BOSTON ACADEMY OF MUSIC featuring five contemporary chamber operas. The festival runs from June 5 - 10 in the Tower Auditorium at the Mass. College of Art. For a full schedule and ticket information, please visit www.operaunlimited.org

GIL ROSE is the founding Artistic Director of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP), a professional ensemble devoted to the performance of twentieth century orchestral works. In its first six years BMOP's unique programs and high performance standards have attracted national recognition including five ASCAP awards for Adventurous Programming. In 1998 BMOP was named the Affiliate Orchestra for New Music at New England Conservatory, and was one of the four Boston ensembles featured in a concert at the American Symphony Orchestra League 2000 National Conference.

Known as a champion of new orchestral music Mr. Rose has premiered dozens of new pieces and worked on recordings with composers such as Arthur Berger, Lee Hyla, Steven Mackey, Tod Machover, Bernard Rands, George Rochberg, and Gunther Schuller. Active as a guest conductor, Mr. Rose has led the West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra in the Czech Republic, the Warsaw Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra in New York, and the Cleveland Chamber Symphony. He was selected as a participant in the 1992 and 1995 Concours International de Jeunes Chefs d'Orchestre in Besançon, France. Mr. Rose received his undergraduate training at the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. His Master of Fine Arts degree and Artist Diploma are from Carnegie Mellon University, where his teachers were Samuel Jones, Lukas Foss, Sidney Harth, Juan Pablo Izquierdo and Robert Page. Mr. Rose continued his studies in seminars and master classes with Pierre Boulez, Otto Werner Mueller, Georg Tintner and Max Rudolf.

BOSTON MODERN ORCHESTRA PROJECT is one of the few full-sized professional orchestras in the country dedicated exclusively to performing works of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Founded in 1996 by Mr. Rose, BMOP was created in response to an ever-widening gap between the concert-going public and the music of its time. In keeping with its belief that orchestral concerts of contemporary music can and should be entertaining as well as educational, BMOP's mission is to present today's audiences with music that is relative to the twentieth- and twenty-first-century experience in a way that makes those connections easier to perceive and appreciate.

The inaugural presentation of "Opera Unlimited" marks a new era of collaboration between Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) and Boston Academy of Music (BAM). Presented in June 2003, the series includes five contemporary chamber operas: 'Garden Party' by Daniel Pinkham; 'Powder her Face' by Thomas Ades; 'The Cask of Amontillado' by Daniel Pinkham; 'A Full Moon in March' by John Harbison; and 'Toussaint Before the Spirits' by Elena Ruehr. Two of the works are world premieres, one is a New England premiere, all are based on experimental staging, and the Ruehr is a dance opera collaboration with Nicola Hawkins Dance Company. BMOP Artistic Director Gil Rose responded to questions from Boston Singers Resource in a recent interview:

DK: What was the germinating event that got you started planning for the 'Opera Unlimited' series?

Rose: There's been a lot of discussions between BAM and BMOP since our successful production of 'Vanessa' a while ago. BAM wanted to put on another full production but I proposed a series of chamber works rather than one large piece. We have long range plans to continue this festival in future years.


DK: Was this for cost considerations?

Rose: Not really. The total cost for the combined series is about what it was for 'Vanessa.' What I was really after was being able to present some of the truly wonderful chamber works that just don't get heard very often - and even in this first festival, to present a premiere.


DK: Is opera one of your loves in life? If so, what were your favorite moments that got you excited about it?

Rose: Opera IS one of my loves. I've been in Boston for nine years now, and since I've spent much of my time developing BMOP people tend to think of me as 'that new music guy' but my background is actually in the standard repertoire and it had always been my first interest. My favorite moments? There's a lot of them. I have a long list of favorite operas: my all-time favorites are 'Falstaff,' 'Rake's Progress,' and 'Wozzak.' I'm not sure what that says about me, but there they are!

I've done quite a bit of opera conducting in my past. In the course of this I've evolved a theory and definition of opera as being a highly unlikely activity - one could almost liken it to producing a circus: that's probably what attracts people. But when it works, when all the singing and staging and instrumental aspects come together there is nothing like it in the world, and it's wonderful. The synthesis of these elements elevates all of them to a higher level.


DK: Are the BMOP members excited about the project?

Rose: Yes, the BMOP members are very happy about doing the series - in fact, they've christened the enterprise the BMOPeras.


DK : How do you see this venture fitting into the mission of BMOP? The focus on contemporary pieces is right in line with who BMOP is, but do you worry at all that opera productions will detract from focus on the orchestra itself, or since opera has a growing following in America, are you planning to build on the exposure to promote the BMOP?

Rose: That's an interesting question, and I'm glad you asked. BMOP is called an orchestra 'project' because we didn't want to be locked into a rigid definition or function of a traditional orchestra - we want to remain flexible and continue to experiment and take the group in new directions as opportunities arise. So in fact BMOP does not see this venture as detracting from the group in any way.


DK: BMOP manages Belgrade Studio: are there any plans to record these pieces for posterity?

Rose: I need to clarify here because there is some confusion - BMOP is located n the same building as Belgrade Studio and for a while we were co-located in their offices, but we don't manage the studio. BMOP now has its own office space on the second floor of the building. To answer the question about recording - yes, most of the pieces will be recorded and we hope to have them released in the relatively near future.


DK: Since all the works are for small ensemble, do you have any plans to take the series on the road? I would think it could be booked at other venues if it's successful.

Rose: We are not looking to take this first group on tour, but there has been some discussion about touring future festival works. We'll have to see what transpires.

DK: How do you choose works to be presented?

Rose: The operas were chosen as a mix - we wanted to have one main work as the centerpiece and have the others provide a complement with variety. Ades hasn't been performed much in Boston but his works have been presented around the world. We chose local composers for the remainder. The grouping has a nice balance of styles, including one with a dance element and a world premiere


DK: Of course, since this is an article for Boston Singers Resource, many of our members will want to know if there is a chance for them to be part future productions. Will the casting be taken only through Boston Academy of Music or will your project take advantage of BSR's annual audition to find new talent?

Rose: For this first series, the casting was a mutual endeavor between BMOP and BAM. We'll probably announce open auditions for the next series for some roles, although we will have some singers in mind for other roles.


OPERA UNLIMITED FESTIVAL 2003 SCHEDULE:

Jun 5, 8:00 PM - Jun 8 2:00 PM -- DANIEL PINKHAM, The Cask of Amontillado (World Premiere)

Jun 5, 8:00 PM - June 8, 2:00 PM -- DANIEL PINKHAM, The Garden Party

Jun 6 and 8 8:00 PM -- THOMAS ADES, Powder Her Face (New England Premier)

Jun 7, 10 8:00 PM -- JOHN HARBISON, Full Moon in March

Jun 7, 10 8:00 PM -- ELENA RUEHR, Toussaint before the Spirits (World Premiere)

617-363-0396

All Performances take place at the Tower Auditorium, Mass. College of Art, Boston.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:OPERA UNLIMITED www.operaunlimited.org
BOSTON MODERN ORCHESTRA PROJECT www.bmop.org
BOSTON ACADEMY OF MUSIC www.bostonacademy.org