Madeleine Snow is an adventurous director and creative collaborator whose work spans opera, theatre, and film. Passionate about reimagining ways for contemporary audiences to engage with classical music, she has enjoyed directing site-specific performances and collaborating with living composers, including Ricky Ian Gordon and Ben Moore. A 2024-26 Studio Artist at Arizona Opera, Madeleine has staged productions at PAC NYC, Palm Beach Opera, Opera Colorado, Central City Opera, Boulder Opera, Eastman Opera Theatre, and Harvard College Opera. Learn more at www.madeleinesnow.com.
This artist is accepting inquiries via Stagetime message and Email.
A whirlwind of action and romance blazes across the stage in ZORRO.
Trained in secret, Diego de la Vega returns home to a land ruled by oppression—and rises as Zorro, the masked swashbuckling defender of the people. Passions ignite and swords clash when he must battle corrupt power, confront lost love, and spark a revolution.
Performed in English and Spanish, the iconic masked avenger is reimagined in a gripping new crowd-pleasing opera that fuses soaring Puccini-inspired melodies with a Latin flair, a revolutionary spirit, and swords ablaze.
La traviata opens Opera Colorado’s 2025-26 Season, inviting audiences to discover why it remains one of the most beloved operas of all time. Violetta is an ailing courtesan who experiences true love for the first time, only to be met with cruel obstacles. Set against the backdrop of glamorous 1850s Paris, La traviata is filled with unforgettable melodies, including the rousing “Drinking Song” and the sorrowful “Addio, del passato.” Don’t miss this poignant tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption, brought to life with Verdi’s exquisite music
Immerse yourself in Puccini’s timeless masterpiece, Madama Butterfly, a story of hope, longing, and ultimate sacrifice. With some of the most exquisite arias and tender duets ever composed, this deeply moving opera follows the young geisha Cio Cio San as she dreams of a life of love with Pinkerton, an American naval officer. As the tale unfolds, betrayal and heartbreak cast their shadow, leading to an unforgettable climax. Experience an operatic journey of unmatched beauty and emotional depth that has captivated audiences for generations.
Step into the magic of Rossini’s Cinderella in this delightful semi-staged production brimming with humor, charm, and enchanting melodies. Angelina—mistreated by her stepfather Don Magnifico and his scheming daughters—dares to dream of a brighter future. With help from Prince Ramiro’s clever valet and a sparkling twist involving a pair of bracelets, Angelina must navigate royal intrigue to capture the prince’s heart. Perfect for audiences of all ages, this vibrant retelling of the beloved fairytale promises laughter, romance, and soaring arias the whole family will adore.
Giacomo Puccini’s beloved classic La Bohème transports you to the streets of 19th century Paris for one of the world’s most timeless and moving love stories. In the vibrant Latin Quarter, a romance ignites between the poet Rodolfo and Mimì, a beautiful but frail seamstress. With its exquisite melodies and stirring emotions, La Bohème continues to captivate audiences around the world. Immerse yourself in this unforgettable journey through the passions of youth and the bittersweet beauty of life.
Experience a dazzling evening of sheer talent and musical mastery as the artists selected from over 550 applications for the Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio take center stage in a not-to-be-missed program. The program will feature a wide array of styles, from musical theatre to selections from the Great American Songbook, to contemporary tunes and opera favorites. If music fills your soul and you love discovering new artists, this is the program for you!
A story full of mistaken identities, love triangles, and madness, The Secret Gardener brings Mozart’s rarely performed opera, La finta giardiniera, to life in an immersive outdoor setting. This charming tale will offer audiences a unique experience where the natural environment becomes a compelling part of the storytelling. Presented in partnership with the production’s originator, New York City-based On Site Opera.
Join us for an epic World Premiere event as Arizona Opera presents Verdi’s immortal classic, AIDA, returning to the state for the first time in over a decade. Metropolitan Opera star Leah Hawkins makes her debut in the title role, joined by a stellar cast and over 100 singers and musicians in live performance, bringing the masterpiece to life that features some of the most glorious music in opera. In this groundbreaking new production, the ancient and mythical will blend with the modern as Verdi’s incredible score is brought to life in a reimagined world where ancient Egypt never fell.
Following their graduation from school, three little pigs named Cherubino, Don Giovanni, and Despina need to build their own homes. Unsure about the best material to use, Cherubino and Don Giovanni make quick decisions while Despina decides to use the library to research the best materials. All three pigs’ choices are quickly tested as Wolfgang Bigbad happens upon their houses and tests their sturdiness by attempting to blow their houses down.
A touring educational production with 14 performances in elementary schools and public libraries in 2024, the storybook set featured winning drawings from a district-wide student art contest.
An epic tragedy where love, betrayal, and honor collide. Bellini’s fiery Norma marks Palm Beach Opera’s final opera of the 2024 Season. Featuring a timeless story, dazzling vocals, and one fearless priestess, the rarely-performed Norma is a bel canto masterpiece. Sung in Italian with English supertitles projected.
The New York Premiere of a soaring new opera based on a powerful true story.
On October 3, 2011, Chinese-American Army Pvt. Danny Chen was found dead in a guard tower at his base in Afghanistan. Based on his story and the ensuing courts-martial of Chen’s fellow soldiers, this New York City premiere opera tells the powerful true story of a young soldier from Manhattan’s Chinatown who sought to serve his country, only to find his biggest threat was the very people who swore to protect him.
Told through the multidimensional music of Huang Ruo (M. Butterfly, Book of Mountains and Seas) with libretto by Tony and Grammy winner David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly, Soft Power), and directed by Obie Award winner Chay Yew (Cambodian Rock Band, Sweatshop Overlord), An American Soldier is a powerful and unforgettable experience.
The 2024 version was co-commissioned by PAC NYC and Boston Lyric Opera.
Set against the backdrop of Cornwall’s coastline, The Pirates of Penzance is a comedic operetta that revolves around a young man mistakenly apprenticed to a band of pirates due to a communication mix-up. As he completes his term with the pirates, he yearns for love and an honorable life. After humorous encounters with a group of young women and a crafty ruse involving the pirates’ soft spot for orphans, a surprising revelation about the young man’s true apprenticeship commitment is unveiled. Enjoy unexpected twists and a heartwarming resolution that touches on loyalty, duty, and societal expectations.
Please note: this performance features a cast filled with the talented members of the 2024 Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program in place of the principal cast.
See the stars of tomorrow in Short Works, featuring Studio Artists from Central City Opera’s Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program. These performances are staged opera scenes from the world’s most popular operas. Performed in the intimate Williams Stables Theater.
2024 selections include works by Gilbert and Sullivan, Weill, and Puccini.
Swashbuckling Adventures and Harmonious Hijinks! Set against the backdrop of Cornwall’s coastline, The Pirates of Penzance is a comedic operetta that revolves around a young man mistakenly apprenticed to a band of pirates due to a communication mix-up. As he completes his term with the pirates, he yearns for love and an honorable life. After humorous encounters with a group of young women and a crafty ruse involving the pirates’ soft spot for orphans, a surprising revelation about the young man’s true apprenticeship commitment is unveiled. Enjoy unexpected twists and a heartwarming resolution that touches on loyalty, duty, and societal expectations.
Inspired by the myth of Callisto from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, this Baroque opera explores themes of gender and power, sex and consent, revenge and justice, mortality and morality. This production reinterprets the story through a queer, feminist lens. La Calisto takes place in a dark, dangerous, hidden world of sexual awakenings. This staging modernizes the mythology, setting it in a rave-like environment where illicit secrets and primal behavior abound.
RISE is a modern rock musical that utilizes the ultimate music of rebellion to showcase the ultimate acts of resistance. Set in Eastern Europe at the height of the Holocaust, RISE tells a story of courage, loyalty, sacrifice, and love, focusing on a group of young women who work as spies, smugglers, and leaders of the underground Jewish resistance as they organize and wage an uprising against the Nazi regime.
Written and composed by American/Canadian/Israeli creator Joshua Daniel Hershfield, the first draft of RISE was written in 2019 at Haifa University under grant from the Azrieli Foundation as part of the M.A. in Holocaust Studies program. It was workshopped and showcased by the Alliance for Jewish Theatre in 2021, won the Bela Zarhi Prize from the Ghetto Fighters’ House, and was a Eugene O'Neill NMTC finalist. The first public production of RISE was July 9-17, 2022 at the Hart Theatre, CenterStage in Rochester, NY.
Mozart Mayhem will bring an inventive, immersive twist to scenes and arias from three of the composer’s most beloved operas: Le nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte, and Die Zauberflöte. The selections of scenes and arias have been reimagined for site-specific, outdoor performances set amidst the unique landscape and architecture of Rochester.
The Kennedy Center Directing Intensive brings together a cohort of like-minded early-career directors to create a supportive community and shared learning experience. The Intensive will engage participants in rigorous conversations, practical activities, and master classes.
Harvard College Opera, Harvard University's premier opera company led by undergraduates, invites you to its 2020 production of Mozart's dazzling opera, Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)! Mozart’s majestic, transcendental opera in two acts blends myth, magic, and a remarkable variety of wonderful music to deliver its future-facing, forward thinking, and life-affirming message: love conquers all. The production will be sung in German with projected English supertitles.
Eastman Opera Theatre (EOT) is thrilled to premiere its first virtual presentation: Our Voices: Immersive Composer Collaborations, to be presented December 16 through 20, 2020. Our Voices is the collective title for six unique performances of music by six influential contemporary composers: Anthony Davis, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, Missy Mazzoli, Ben Moore, and Errollyn Wallen. This virtual experience will be directed by Lindsay Warren Baker, Stephen Carr, Steven Daigle, and Madeleine Snow (current MM degree candidate); with music direction by Timothy Long and Wilson Southerland.
In the words of EOT music director Timothy Long, these six composers are “among the music industry’s most successful vocal music composers today.” Each of these renowned composers will curate a program of their vocal music, join in group discussions and individual coachings with students and faculty members, and guide the process up to the fall performances.
As so many schools struggle with the challenges of vocal and operatic practicing and interacting due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, EOT is choosing to turn unusual and difficult circumstances into positive and unique experiences for Eastman students, focusing on the creative process.
Our Voices offers students something they rarely experience: a fully immersed creative, collaborative journey. “Adversity breeds creativity,” says Stephen Carr, Associate Artistic Director of Eastman Opera Theatre. “Our students will work one-on-one with some of the most prominent and prolific living composers of vocal music and take an active role in the scenic, costume, and lighting design of their own performances. We hope that they’ll emerge from this time as more fully fleshed artists, with a deeper understanding and greater appreciation of all that goes into this most collaborative of art forms.”
“Now is the time for artists to explore new ways to express themselves and Eastman has thoroughly taken on the challenge,” says composer Ben Moore. “Paradoxically, restrictions can sometimes open new doors and spark the imagination. That is undoubtedly the case for Eastman’s students and faculty.”
Presented in an “Opera Festival” style and in a fully virtual landscape, Our Voices will offer six premieres across five days. Besides music, each video features a 15-minute interview with the composer and director, providing insight into the composition and rehearsal process of the particular work being shown. Performance dates and times are as follows:
Wednesday, December 16 at 7:30 p.m.: “The Greatest Liberty” with selected arias by Anthony Davis
Thursday, December 17 at 7:30 p.m.: “Heart Melodies” by Ricky Ian Gordon
Friday, December 18 at 7:30 p.m.: “I Shall Not Live in Vain”, music of Lori Laitman
Saturday, December 19 at 2 p.m.: “This World Within Me”, with selections from Songs from the Uproar by Missy Mazzoli
Saturday, December 19 at 7:30 p.m.: “The Journey Towards Freedom,” with selected songs and arias by Ben Moore
Sunday, December 20 at 2 p.m.: “The Journey to Here,” with songs by Errollyn Wallen
Each day’s presentation will be added to the previous days’ videos, so that all six will be available to watch after Sunday, December 20. The complete series of operas will be available for streaming in the months to follow.
“It has never been more essential to learn how to tell stories through music and to reflect our turbulent but hopeful times through art,” shares Missy Mazzoli. “I am confident that the next generation can do this in surprising, vital and moving ways, and I love that the Eastman Opera Theatre has given them this opportunity.”
Harvard College Opera dares you to dream in Massenet’s stunning rendition of the most beloved fairy tale of all time. Alongside deeply human moments of tragedy and hardship, Cinderella finds her happily ever after in this irresistible opera of beauty, whimsy, and love.
Madeleine Snow is an adventurous director and creative collaborator whose work spans opera, theatre, and film. A 2025-26 Studio Artist in the Marion Roose Pullin Studio, Madeleine is thrilled to return to Arizona Opera, where she will direct La Cenerentola, stage songs and scenes for the Studio Cabaret, and assistant direct productions of Zorro and Madama Butterfly. She also looks forward to joining Opera Colorado’s production of La traviata this season.
In the 2024-25 season, Madeleine staged immersive, outdoor performances of Mozart’s La finta giardiniera, directed and choreographed the Studio Cabaret, and assistant directed La bohème and Aida. The recipient of the 2024-2025 National Opera Association’s JoElyn Wakefield-Wright Stage Director Fellowship, Madeleine made her Central City Opera debut in the 2024 Festival, where she assistant directed The Pirates of Penzance, stage directed the Young Artists performance of The Pirates of Penzance, and directed opera scenes for the Short Works programs. Additional recent credits include directing Die Zauberflöte with Boulder Opera, assistant directing Norma with Palm Beach Opera, and assistant directing the New York premiere of Huang Ruo’s An American Soldier at the Perelman Performing Arts Center.
Passionate about reimagining ways for contemporary audiences to engage with classical music, Madeleine directed a new production of Cavalli’s La Calisto with Eastman Opera Theatre and won second place of the 2023 American Prize in Directing for her innovative interpretation. She also brought an inventive, immersive twist to selections from Mozart’s most beloved operas, including Le nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte, and Die Zauberflöte, in site-specific, outdoor performances as a part of Eastman Opera Theatre’s Mozart Mayhem. A founder of Rochester Summer Opera, she directed and choreographed the company’s inaugural production of Die Fledermaus at the Memorial Art Gallery and conceptualized its production of The Pirates of Penzance at a historic bathhouse on Ontario Beach.
An advocate of new works, Madeleine has enjoyed collaborating with contemporary composers. She directed the world premiere of Joshua Daniel Hershfield’s Rise, a critically acclaimed rock musical inspired by true stories of young women resistance fighters during the Holocaust. With celebrated American composer Ricky Ian Gordon, she staged the composer’s art songs in Heart Melodies as a part of Our Voices, a project championing collaborations with living composers and centering interpretive exploration with singers and pianists. In collaboration with distinguished theatre and opera composer Ben Moore, she directed (RE)LIVE, featuring selections from the composer’s stage works, including Gene and Tate (world premiere), Enemies, A Love Story, Henry and Company, Odyssey, and Robin Hood. As an opera libretto writer, she directed a reading of her adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s final novel, We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
Madeleine holds an A.B. in Psychology and Theater, Dance & Media from Harvard University, where she directed productions of Die Zauberflöte and Cendrillon. She completed the M.M. in Opera Stage Directing from the Eastman School of Music, where she instructed several courses on acting for opera singers and served as a dramatic coach on the faculty. She is also an alumna of the Kennedy Center Directing Intensive. Madeleine has previously worked as a director with Harvard College Opera, the Radcliffe Institute, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, JCC CenterStage, and Boston Youth Symphony, and she has held administrative positions with Opera Colorado, Boston Lyric Opera, American Repertory Theater, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
Madeleine Snow is an adventurous director and creative collaborator whose work spans opera, theatre, and film. Passionate about reimagining ways for contemporary audiences to engage with classical music, she has enjoyed directing site-specific performances and collaborating with living composers, including Ricky Ian Gordon and Ben Moore. A 2024-26 Studio Artist at Arizona Opera, Madeleine has staged productions at PAC NYC, Palm Beach Opera, Opera Colorado, Central City Opera, Boulder Opera, Eastman Opera Theatre, and Harvard College Opera. Learn more at www.madeleinesnow.com.
This artist is accepting inquiries via Stagetime message and Email.
A whirlwind of action and romance blazes across the stage in ZORRO.
Trained in secret, Diego de la Vega returns home to a land ruled by oppression—and rises as Zorro, the masked swashbuckling defender of the people. Passions ignite and swords clash when he must battle corrupt power, confront lost love, and spark a revolution.
Performed in English and Spanish, the iconic masked avenger is reimagined in a gripping new crowd-pleasing opera that fuses soaring Puccini-inspired melodies with a Latin flair, a revolutionary spirit, and swords ablaze.
La traviata opens Opera Colorado’s 2025-26 Season, inviting audiences to discover why it remains one of the most beloved operas of all time. Violetta is an ailing courtesan who experiences true love for the first time, only to be met with cruel obstacles. Set against the backdrop of glamorous 1850s Paris, La traviata is filled with unforgettable melodies, including the rousing “Drinking Song” and the sorrowful “Addio, del passato.” Don’t miss this poignant tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption, brought to life with Verdi’s exquisite music
Immerse yourself in Puccini’s timeless masterpiece, Madama Butterfly, a story of hope, longing, and ultimate sacrifice. With some of the most exquisite arias and tender duets ever composed, this deeply moving opera follows the young geisha Cio Cio San as she dreams of a life of love with Pinkerton, an American naval officer. As the tale unfolds, betrayal and heartbreak cast their shadow, leading to an unforgettable climax. Experience an operatic journey of unmatched beauty and emotional depth that has captivated audiences for generations.
Step into the magic of Rossini’s Cinderella in this delightful semi-staged production brimming with humor, charm, and enchanting melodies. Angelina—mistreated by her stepfather Don Magnifico and his scheming daughters—dares to dream of a brighter future. With help from Prince Ramiro’s clever valet and a sparkling twist involving a pair of bracelets, Angelina must navigate royal intrigue to capture the prince’s heart. Perfect for audiences of all ages, this vibrant retelling of the beloved fairytale promises laughter, romance, and soaring arias the whole family will adore.
Giacomo Puccini’s beloved classic La Bohème transports you to the streets of 19th century Paris for one of the world’s most timeless and moving love stories. In the vibrant Latin Quarter, a romance ignites between the poet Rodolfo and Mimì, a beautiful but frail seamstress. With its exquisite melodies and stirring emotions, La Bohème continues to captivate audiences around the world. Immerse yourself in this unforgettable journey through the passions of youth and the bittersweet beauty of life.
Experience a dazzling evening of sheer talent and musical mastery as the artists selected from over 550 applications for the Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio take center stage in a not-to-be-missed program. The program will feature a wide array of styles, from musical theatre to selections from the Great American Songbook, to contemporary tunes and opera favorites. If music fills your soul and you love discovering new artists, this is the program for you!
A story full of mistaken identities, love triangles, and madness, The Secret Gardener brings Mozart’s rarely performed opera, La finta giardiniera, to life in an immersive outdoor setting. This charming tale will offer audiences a unique experience where the natural environment becomes a compelling part of the storytelling. Presented in partnership with the production’s originator, New York City-based On Site Opera.
Join us for an epic World Premiere event as Arizona Opera presents Verdi’s immortal classic, AIDA, returning to the state for the first time in over a decade. Metropolitan Opera star Leah Hawkins makes her debut in the title role, joined by a stellar cast and over 100 singers and musicians in live performance, bringing the masterpiece to life that features some of the most glorious music in opera. In this groundbreaking new production, the ancient and mythical will blend with the modern as Verdi’s incredible score is brought to life in a reimagined world where ancient Egypt never fell.
Following their graduation from school, three little pigs named Cherubino, Don Giovanni, and Despina need to build their own homes. Unsure about the best material to use, Cherubino and Don Giovanni make quick decisions while Despina decides to use the library to research the best materials. All three pigs’ choices are quickly tested as Wolfgang Bigbad happens upon their houses and tests their sturdiness by attempting to blow their houses down.
A touring educational production with 14 performances in elementary schools and public libraries in 2024, the storybook set featured winning drawings from a district-wide student art contest.
An epic tragedy where love, betrayal, and honor collide. Bellini’s fiery Norma marks Palm Beach Opera’s final opera of the 2024 Season. Featuring a timeless story, dazzling vocals, and one fearless priestess, the rarely-performed Norma is a bel canto masterpiece. Sung in Italian with English supertitles projected.
The New York Premiere of a soaring new opera based on a powerful true story.
On October 3, 2011, Chinese-American Army Pvt. Danny Chen was found dead in a guard tower at his base in Afghanistan. Based on his story and the ensuing courts-martial of Chen’s fellow soldiers, this New York City premiere opera tells the powerful true story of a young soldier from Manhattan’s Chinatown who sought to serve his country, only to find his biggest threat was the very people who swore to protect him.
Told through the multidimensional music of Huang Ruo (M. Butterfly, Book of Mountains and Seas) with libretto by Tony and Grammy winner David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly, Soft Power), and directed by Obie Award winner Chay Yew (Cambodian Rock Band, Sweatshop Overlord), An American Soldier is a powerful and unforgettable experience.
The 2024 version was co-commissioned by PAC NYC and Boston Lyric Opera.
Set against the backdrop of Cornwall’s coastline, The Pirates of Penzance is a comedic operetta that revolves around a young man mistakenly apprenticed to a band of pirates due to a communication mix-up. As he completes his term with the pirates, he yearns for love and an honorable life. After humorous encounters with a group of young women and a crafty ruse involving the pirates’ soft spot for orphans, a surprising revelation about the young man’s true apprenticeship commitment is unveiled. Enjoy unexpected twists and a heartwarming resolution that touches on loyalty, duty, and societal expectations.
Please note: this performance features a cast filled with the talented members of the 2024 Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program in place of the principal cast.
See the stars of tomorrow in Short Works, featuring Studio Artists from Central City Opera’s Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program. These performances are staged opera scenes from the world’s most popular operas. Performed in the intimate Williams Stables Theater.
2024 selections include works by Gilbert and Sullivan, Weill, and Puccini.
Swashbuckling Adventures and Harmonious Hijinks! Set against the backdrop of Cornwall’s coastline, The Pirates of Penzance is a comedic operetta that revolves around a young man mistakenly apprenticed to a band of pirates due to a communication mix-up. As he completes his term with the pirates, he yearns for love and an honorable life. After humorous encounters with a group of young women and a crafty ruse involving the pirates’ soft spot for orphans, a surprising revelation about the young man’s true apprenticeship commitment is unveiled. Enjoy unexpected twists and a heartwarming resolution that touches on loyalty, duty, and societal expectations.
Inspired by the myth of Callisto from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, this Baroque opera explores themes of gender and power, sex and consent, revenge and justice, mortality and morality. This production reinterprets the story through a queer, feminist lens. La Calisto takes place in a dark, dangerous, hidden world of sexual awakenings. This staging modernizes the mythology, setting it in a rave-like environment where illicit secrets and primal behavior abound.
RISE is a modern rock musical that utilizes the ultimate music of rebellion to showcase the ultimate acts of resistance. Set in Eastern Europe at the height of the Holocaust, RISE tells a story of courage, loyalty, sacrifice, and love, focusing on a group of young women who work as spies, smugglers, and leaders of the underground Jewish resistance as they organize and wage an uprising against the Nazi regime.
Written and composed by American/Canadian/Israeli creator Joshua Daniel Hershfield, the first draft of RISE was written in 2019 at Haifa University under grant from the Azrieli Foundation as part of the M.A. in Holocaust Studies program. It was workshopped and showcased by the Alliance for Jewish Theatre in 2021, won the Bela Zarhi Prize from the Ghetto Fighters’ House, and was a Eugene O'Neill NMTC finalist. The first public production of RISE was July 9-17, 2022 at the Hart Theatre, CenterStage in Rochester, NY.
Mozart Mayhem will bring an inventive, immersive twist to scenes and arias from three of the composer’s most beloved operas: Le nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte, and Die Zauberflöte. The selections of scenes and arias have been reimagined for site-specific, outdoor performances set amidst the unique landscape and architecture of Rochester.
The Kennedy Center Directing Intensive brings together a cohort of like-minded early-career directors to create a supportive community and shared learning experience. The Intensive will engage participants in rigorous conversations, practical activities, and master classes.
Harvard College Opera, Harvard University's premier opera company led by undergraduates, invites you to its 2020 production of Mozart's dazzling opera, Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)! Mozart’s majestic, transcendental opera in two acts blends myth, magic, and a remarkable variety of wonderful music to deliver its future-facing, forward thinking, and life-affirming message: love conquers all. The production will be sung in German with projected English supertitles.
Eastman Opera Theatre (EOT) is thrilled to premiere its first virtual presentation: Our Voices: Immersive Composer Collaborations, to be presented December 16 through 20, 2020. Our Voices is the collective title for six unique performances of music by six influential contemporary composers: Anthony Davis, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, Missy Mazzoli, Ben Moore, and Errollyn Wallen. This virtual experience will be directed by Lindsay Warren Baker, Stephen Carr, Steven Daigle, and Madeleine Snow (current MM degree candidate); with music direction by Timothy Long and Wilson Southerland.
In the words of EOT music director Timothy Long, these six composers are “among the music industry’s most successful vocal music composers today.” Each of these renowned composers will curate a program of their vocal music, join in group discussions and individual coachings with students and faculty members, and guide the process up to the fall performances.
As so many schools struggle with the challenges of vocal and operatic practicing and interacting due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, EOT is choosing to turn unusual and difficult circumstances into positive and unique experiences for Eastman students, focusing on the creative process.
Our Voices offers students something they rarely experience: a fully immersed creative, collaborative journey. “Adversity breeds creativity,” says Stephen Carr, Associate Artistic Director of Eastman Opera Theatre. “Our students will work one-on-one with some of the most prominent and prolific living composers of vocal music and take an active role in the scenic, costume, and lighting design of their own performances. We hope that they’ll emerge from this time as more fully fleshed artists, with a deeper understanding and greater appreciation of all that goes into this most collaborative of art forms.”
“Now is the time for artists to explore new ways to express themselves and Eastman has thoroughly taken on the challenge,” says composer Ben Moore. “Paradoxically, restrictions can sometimes open new doors and spark the imagination. That is undoubtedly the case for Eastman’s students and faculty.”
Presented in an “Opera Festival” style and in a fully virtual landscape, Our Voices will offer six premieres across five days. Besides music, each video features a 15-minute interview with the composer and director, providing insight into the composition and rehearsal process of the particular work being shown. Performance dates and times are as follows:
Wednesday, December 16 at 7:30 p.m.: “The Greatest Liberty” with selected arias by Anthony Davis
Thursday, December 17 at 7:30 p.m.: “Heart Melodies” by Ricky Ian Gordon
Friday, December 18 at 7:30 p.m.: “I Shall Not Live in Vain”, music of Lori Laitman
Saturday, December 19 at 2 p.m.: “This World Within Me”, with selections from Songs from the Uproar by Missy Mazzoli
Saturday, December 19 at 7:30 p.m.: “The Journey Towards Freedom,” with selected songs and arias by Ben Moore
Sunday, December 20 at 2 p.m.: “The Journey to Here,” with songs by Errollyn Wallen
Each day’s presentation will be added to the previous days’ videos, so that all six will be available to watch after Sunday, December 20. The complete series of operas will be available for streaming in the months to follow.
“It has never been more essential to learn how to tell stories through music and to reflect our turbulent but hopeful times through art,” shares Missy Mazzoli. “I am confident that the next generation can do this in surprising, vital and moving ways, and I love that the Eastman Opera Theatre has given them this opportunity.”
Harvard College Opera dares you to dream in Massenet’s stunning rendition of the most beloved fairy tale of all time. Alongside deeply human moments of tragedy and hardship, Cinderella finds her happily ever after in this irresistible opera of beauty, whimsy, and love.
Madeleine Snow is an adventurous director and creative collaborator whose work spans opera, theatre, and film. A 2025-26 Studio Artist in the Marion Roose Pullin Studio, Madeleine is thrilled to return to Arizona Opera, where she will direct La Cenerentola, stage songs and scenes for the Studio Cabaret, and assistant direct productions of Zorro and Madama Butterfly. She also looks forward to joining Opera Colorado’s production of La traviata this season.
In the 2024-25 season, Madeleine staged immersive, outdoor performances of Mozart’s La finta giardiniera, directed and choreographed the Studio Cabaret, and assistant directed La bohème and Aida. The recipient of the 2024-2025 National Opera Association’s JoElyn Wakefield-Wright Stage Director Fellowship, Madeleine made her Central City Opera debut in the 2024 Festival, where she assistant directed The Pirates of Penzance, stage directed the Young Artists performance of The Pirates of Penzance, and directed opera scenes for the Short Works programs. Additional recent credits include directing Die Zauberflöte with Boulder Opera, assistant directing Norma with Palm Beach Opera, and assistant directing the New York premiere of Huang Ruo’s An American Soldier at the Perelman Performing Arts Center.
Passionate about reimagining ways for contemporary audiences to engage with classical music, Madeleine directed a new production of Cavalli’s La Calisto with Eastman Opera Theatre and won second place of the 2023 American Prize in Directing for her innovative interpretation. She also brought an inventive, immersive twist to selections from Mozart’s most beloved operas, including Le nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte, and Die Zauberflöte, in site-specific, outdoor performances as a part of Eastman Opera Theatre’s Mozart Mayhem. A founder of Rochester Summer Opera, she directed and choreographed the company’s inaugural production of Die Fledermaus at the Memorial Art Gallery and conceptualized its production of The Pirates of Penzance at a historic bathhouse on Ontario Beach.
An advocate of new works, Madeleine has enjoyed collaborating with contemporary composers. She directed the world premiere of Joshua Daniel Hershfield’s Rise, a critically acclaimed rock musical inspired by true stories of young women resistance fighters during the Holocaust. With celebrated American composer Ricky Ian Gordon, she staged the composer’s art songs in Heart Melodies as a part of Our Voices, a project championing collaborations with living composers and centering interpretive exploration with singers and pianists. In collaboration with distinguished theatre and opera composer Ben Moore, she directed (RE)LIVE, featuring selections from the composer’s stage works, including Gene and Tate (world premiere), Enemies, A Love Story, Henry and Company, Odyssey, and Robin Hood. As an opera libretto writer, she directed a reading of her adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s final novel, We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
Madeleine holds an A.B. in Psychology and Theater, Dance & Media from Harvard University, where she directed productions of Die Zauberflöte and Cendrillon. She completed the M.M. in Opera Stage Directing from the Eastman School of Music, where she instructed several courses on acting for opera singers and served as a dramatic coach on the faculty. She is also an alumna of the Kennedy Center Directing Intensive. Madeleine has previously worked as a director with Harvard College Opera, the Radcliffe Institute, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, JCC CenterStage, and Boston Youth Symphony, and she has held administrative positions with Opera Colorado, Boston Lyric Opera, American Repertory Theater, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
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