Activist Aria: More Perfect Union
Opera Frontier repurposes a frothy Strauss aria (Klänge der Heimat from Die Fledermaus) to reflect America’s profound and self-evident need to be “more perfect”. It draws on both the appealing vision and the harsh reality of America, within which we find hope for our country’s future. See more
Rejoice Abyssinia
Opera Frontier went to Addis Ababa Ethiopia in January 2019 to collaborate with Circus Abyssinia. Featuring western classical music and circus arts fused with traditional Ethiopian instruments and dance, Opera Frontier repurposed an aria from Handel’s Messiah (Rejoice Greatly) with lyrics that place the four young women — Ethiopian circus artists — at the center of an empowering scene. See more
Pop-Up Opera
Opera Frontier specializes in creating surprises. We love to show up “unexpectedly”—after careful consultation with management, of course! We might pop up as patrons, conference participants, orchestra members, chefs or passers-by! The possibilities for delighting your audience are endless. What can you imagine? See more
Hip Hop Mozart
Set the Don Giovanni sextet in the ‘hood and wrap it in a beat. And see what happens when you give the singers some moves! See more
Arabian Magic Mozart
Opera Frontier spices up this trio from The Magic Flute with Middle Eastern elements, including traditional vocal and instrumental improvisations by contemporary masters. (Tamino was an Egyptian prince, after all.) In our telling, the Queen of the Night wields her power through dance. See more
Bollywood Lakmé
Opera Frontier presents the famous Flower Duet from Lakmé, but with a playful overlay of dance and instruments from India—the original setting of Léo Delibes’ opera. See more
Hard to Handel
Looks like the Nutcracker? Sounds like the Messiah?! Using music from a Handel chamber duet—written within months of the Messiah and sharing the DNA for two of its great choruses—Opera Frontier embraces the tension between the melancholy Italian love poem and the effervescence of this music. See more
Workout to Bizet
Arias at the gym?! Well, Opera Frontier has found at least two singers who obviously work out! And what better anthem for them to strut their stuff to than the Toreador Song… See more
Violettas Shift
Violetta’s glorious aria from La Traviata reimagined as a conversation between two close friends at the end of their shift at a restaurant. They review the delights and sorrows of love, ultimately taking comfort in their friendship—and their patrons’ leftover wine. See more
Lammermoor, Inc.
Lammermoor, Inc. is an original opera based on characters and music from La Traviata and Lucia di Lammermoor. Set during the economic meltdown of 2007 and narrated by an investment banker, it tells a contemporary story of a business deal gone awry. See more
Tasting Notes
In this piece commissioned by Opera Frontier, two singers taste Mollydooker Shiraz 2012. One singer describes the wine using the tasting notes published by Wine Spectator Editor Harvey Steiman, while the other singer savors a memory triggered by the taste—of a distant summer by the lake. See more
