The Whole Review Vol. 2 Issue 2 April-May '21

El MALABARISTA

Tenor Rolando Villazón's exciting juggling act

2021 SUMMER FESTIVAL GUIDE select listing

THE STRANGE CASE OF JAMES LEVINE mAKING the case for classical music at the grammys APRIL- MAY 2021

a C o u r t n e y 's Sta r s o f To m o r r o w p u b l i ca t i o n EDITOR IN CHIEF Courtney Carey CONTRIBUTING ART DIRECTOR Emily Zier COPYEDITOR Justin Cohen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Daniel Billings Angela Brown Liz Colavita J LeVe Jeffrey Mitchell Richard Oliver Leah Partridge Deandre Simmons Jasmine Travers PHOTOGRAPHY Unsplash, Shutterstock, Courtney Carey All festival photos used with express permission Photographers are attributed unless information was unavailable at the time of publication © Courtney’s Stars of Tomorrow 2020. All Rights Reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. All information contained in this magazine is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Courtney’s Stars of Tomorrow cannot accept responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Courtney’s Stars of Tomorrow a license to publish your submission in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine.

All material is sent at your own risk. Although every care is taken, neither Courtney’s Stars of Tomorrow, nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be held liable for loss or damage. Courtney’s Stars of Tomorrow endeavors to respect the intellectual property of the owners of copyrighted material reproduced herein. If you identify yourself as the copyright holder of material we have wrongfully attributed, please contact the office.

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CONT RIBU TORS

Daniel Billings is a Nurse Practitioner Specialist in New York, New York. He graduated with honors in 1999. Having more than 22 years of diverse experiences, especially in NURSE PRACTITIONER, Daniel Billings affiliates with New York-presbyterian Hospital, cooperates with many other doctors and specialists in medical group Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York.

(DNP, AGPCNP-BC)

DANIEL BILLINGS

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Angela Brown personifies the ideal soprano: sheer vocal power; luxurious finesse; and shimmering, high pianissimos. With a charming personality larger than life, she unites opera, pops, and gospel in one sensational voice and has graced the leading opera and symphonic stages across six continents. A featured artist on the two-time Grammy Award® winning recording “Ask Your Mama,” Angela’s international reputation continues to grow. Her highly successful Metropolitan Opera debut in the title role of Aida catapulted Angela onto the world’s prestigious opera and symphonic stages.

ANGELA BROWN

STYLE & BEAUTY

CONNECT WITH US wholereviewmag cstarsoftomorrow cstarsoftomorrow wholereviewmag cstarsoftomorro Courtney’s Stars of Tomorrow Courtney’s Stars of Tomorrow

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Liz Colavita is a freelance writer and editor. Previously, she worked as Associate Editor at The Business Year (TBY) in their head office in Istanbul. At TBY, she also worked on the journalistic side in the field in Jordan, the UAE, and Kuwait.

She managed the editorial content for TBY’s special reports and publication analytics. Additionally, she worked for UN Women and Oxfam as a report development consultant, editing and drafting documents for regional programs in Europe and Central Asia. She graduated with a degree in Public Policy and Economics from Duke University.

LIZ COLAVITA

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J LEVE

STYLE & BEAUTY

Jeffrey Mitchell is Vice-president, Client Services for ArtsVision and has previously worked as Director of Artistic Operations for Palm Beach Opera and an Artist Manager at Zemsky/ Green Artists. As a flutist he has performed in Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Kaufman Music Center and Symphony Space and has presented recitals for the Atlanta Flute Club, Red Door Concerts, and Winter Harbor Music Festival. He earned degrees from the University of Georgia (BM) and the Yale School of Music (MM).

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A native of Louisville, Kentucky, J began as a classically trained singer, allowing them to travel the world and encounter a multitude of cultures. J then found their spark for fashion through the discovery of gender fluidity, sass, 90's Parisian fashion, rebellion and sophistication. J LeVe is a published wardrobe stylist based in New York, NY.

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Richard Oliver is a performing arts critic, music educator, artistic director, and creative based in Dallas, Texas. His arts journalism is featured in several publications from North Texas to Chicago and New York. He received his BFA in vocal performance from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, where he also received his BA and MA in journalism and new media journalism. In his spare time, Richard writes and produces original multi-genre music and works as a creative consultant for various arts organizations and independent artists in North Texas.

RICHARD OLIVER

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Leah Partridge is an American soprano, born in Lincolnton, near Augusta, GA. She attended Mercer University and pursued graduate studies in opera at Indiana University, all the while performing in international opera productions. She has been critically praised for her bel canto singing, notably in the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor, as well as in the roles of Violetta in La Traviata, and Gilda in Rigoletto. In the 2008 season, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut as the First Niece in a production of Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes. Her recording Finding Home is available on Apple Music.

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Deandre Simmons is quickly gaining recognition for his velvety voice and incisive musicianship. He has performed successfully with several companies and symphony orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Collegiate Chorale of New York, Opera Panama, Bohème Opera of New Jersey, The Kansas City Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Castleton Festival under Maestro Lorin Maazel and others. DeAndre is a three-time fellow of the Music Academy of the West and an alumnus of The Curtis Institute of Music.

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Jasmine L. Travers is an assistant professor of nursing at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. Her career is dedicated to designing and conducting research to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities in vulnerable older adult groups using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Her current work focuses on mitigating disparities in appropriate access and use of in-home and facility-based long-term care for older adults.

PhD, MHS, RN, AGPCNP-BC JASMINE TRAVERS

HEALTH & WELLNESS

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08 EDITOR'S LETTER OVERTURE 10 When Worlds Collide The fanciful world of Mozart's classic opera The Magic Flute comes to life in a new film adaptation.

SUMMER FESTIVAL GUIDE

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A guide to select classical music festivals and their COVID-19 safety protocols. Enjoy your summer with peace of mind.

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FEATURE STORY

AMPLIFIED 38 El Malabarista Tenor Rolando Villazón's exciting juggling act 48 Making the case for classical music at the Grammys

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IN TEMPO

HEALTH & WELLNESS

54 Brown Sounds (LA Opera) Coalition of arts organizations join together to present a celebration of Black art.

78 COVID-19 vaccine FAQs answered by Dr. Jasmine Travers and Dr. Daniel Billings

58 Push Through to Bloom a motivational message

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62 Opera Aficionado (SFO)

84 Harmonious flavor: a product review 86 Tri-Color Quinoa • recipe 88 Sausage and Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini • recipe 89 Jeff's Fingerling Potatoes • recipe

San Francisco Opera’s Opera Aficionado virtual conversations now through June.

64 The Strange Case of James Levine A reflection on the maestro's life and career

STYLE & BEAUTY

ENCORE 90 Easy Listening • Album Picks

BEAUTY

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68 Q & A with celebrity stylist Derick Monroe THE A LIST

72 Angela Brown's Favorite Things

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EDITOR'S LETTER

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s I have said since the first issue, The Whole Review covers a lot of ground. As a reflection of singer’s and classical music enthusiast’s myriad interests, I could not imagine creating a magazine of narrower scope.

Each issue is a particular undertaking, bringing with it challenges that have to be addressed in much the same manner a singer tackles a passage from a Verdi opera. You keep at it until you get it right. Though delayed by a week, I was committed to working with the team to get this one right. I am thrilled with the result.

With a range of topics, from light and fun to serious and hard-hitting, we have put together compelling reading material for you.

A sign of hope has sprung forth as many of our nation’s theaters and concert venues plan to reopen. That hope turns tangible as millions get vaccinated, allowing audiences to return to their beloved arts venues, and in person, performances resume. We all know that live performances are the lifeblood of our medium. While not my slogan, I share the sentiment that “there is no greater shot at beating the virus than taking the shot.” Dr. Daniel Billings and Dr. Jasmine Travers took time

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to answer the most frequently asked COVID-19 vaccine questions to hopefully alleviate some of the vaccine hesitancy and expedite our return to live performance. As you make plans to emerge from isolation, I hope you will consider attending one of the featured summer festivals that we have included in our Summer Festival Guide. Not only do they each have wonderful summer seasons lined up, but they have implemented protocols to keep you, their performers, and staff safe.

I am certain that this pandemic has drained us all. But, it has also afforded us unusual access to the industry’s stars. Zoom and Skype have allowed us to connect in ways we couldn’t have dreamt of pre-pandemic. However, the luster is starting to fade, and Zoom fatigue is settling in.

But a star is still a star, and The Whole Review's access to those star types isn’t going anywhere.

So I am happy to share bits of my conversation with Rolando Villazón in hopes that you will be as equally fascinated by his multifaceted career as I. There’s a lot here, and I hope you will delight in these pages- so much so that you share them with someone else.

Until June/July, Courtney

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NEVER STOP LISTENING Courtney's Stars of Tomorrow

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WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE The fanciful world of Mozart's classic opera The Magic Flute comes to life in a new film adaptation

BY LIZ COLAVITA

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olfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute, which originally premiered on stage in 1791 (with libretto by Mozart’s colleague, Emanuel Schikaneder), has undergone two film adaptations over the last half-century. Christopher Zwickler sees the potential for magic in a third iteration, one that is both a gateway into the world of modern opera and an updated take on Mozart’s work.

With the film in post-production, audiences can look forward to this modern magical tale in autumn/winter of 2022.

Zwickler, producer of the opera’s eponymous upcoming film, grew up an avid fan of The Magic Flute and dreamed of creating a contemporary screen adaptation. Director Ingmar Bergman’s 1975 version is more or less a filmed stage play, and indeed, stage performances have allowed for hundreds—if not thousands—of individual perspectives on the original. Another 2006 version, directed by Kenneth Branagh, takes place during World War I and was part of the 250th anniversary celebration of Mozart’s birthday.

Looking at the colorful world of The Magic Flute, Zwickler envisioned a film adaptation that would capture the accessibility of songs for the performers themselves, and the accessibility of the story for audiences to “jump into opera.” He elaborates,

“It is a brand that is known all over the world. And even the [arias sung by] the Queen of the Night or Papageno, for example, can be sung by people all over the world. It has quite a broad appeal ... so I thought it would be a great opportunity to tell it in a way that has never been told like this in a film before.”

Zwickler’s vision caught the attention of actor and director Florian Sigl during a happenstance meeting at a film festival in Berlin. Sigl studied classical music, and Zwickler had a musical background before getting into film. Combining their talents and backgrounds, the two set to work on developing their apProducers: Wolfart and Zwickler proach to tell the story for a younger, wider audience.

This approach includes a few key elements, one of them being the frame story. The audience is introduced to Mozart’s story line through 17-year-old protagonist Tim Walker, who gets a scholarship to

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attend a Mozart boarding school in the Austrian Alps. After traveling by train and arriving at the school, his excitement dissipates as he is faced with the competitive pressure—and an evil headmaster. Reckoning this reality with what he expected of the experience, he wanders the halls at night and ventures into the library. It is here that he discovers his copy of the book, The Magic Flute, fits perfectly in an empty space in a glockenspiel clock. Putting the book into place, he activates a portal mechanism, transporting him into the world of The Magic Flute as the protagonist of the opera, Prince Tamino.

This creates the levels of the story, with Tim entering this new world mostly at night. According to Zwickler, the coming-of-age story that happens within the boarding school is about 40% of the film, and the updated Magic Flute story line comprises the remaining 60%. Using Walker and this frame story literally and figuratively draws people, particular the targeted younger audience, into the operatic tale.

Sigl echoes Zwickler’s sentiments about the ways in which this third film adaptation intentionally differs from its predecessors. “Bergman made the conscious choice of keeping it as a stage play, whereas Kenneth Branagh mainly changed the setting of the story. Our approach is coming back to the original setting, but staged for a movie with fantastic locations.” Great care went into picking the right locations, in order to “enhance the escapism with a visual and musical experience that only the big screen and acoustic setup of cinema can ensure.”

Zwickler elaborates on the importance of setting to distinguish the layers of the story, and the necessity of creativity and resourcefulness when things do not go according to plan. Originally, Morocco and Bavaria were scouted as locales for the magical realm and the boarding school, respectively. However, Covid-19 made filming in

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Director, Florian Sigl, Photo: Marcel Weber

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Morocco virtually impossible, challenging them to come up with a financially feasible solution for constructing multiple worlds a bit closer to home.

Working with a local film studio, the film’s art director, Christoph Kanter, devised a plan to use one large studio that, with careful planning, could be transformed into many different settings. One minute it is a bustling market, the next minute (or more realistically a few days later) a temple, then refashioned again into the palace of the Queen of the Night. When not in the studio, the production team was on location in Salzburg, shooting at places like Schloss Leopoldskron, where part of The Sound of Music was filmed. Bavaria makes for a stunning location aesthetically, and is an import-

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Schloss Leopoldskron

the magic flute film

ant nod to Mozart’s original, which premiered at the Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna.

In addition to filming on location, another example of the enhanced visual experience provided by film is the snake that chases Prince Tamino/Tim Walker when he first enters this alternate world.

The snake is an incredible, life-like CGI effect created by Pixomondo, the company known for the dragons in Game of Thrones.

The final element to Zwickler and Sigl’s approach is the music. Even Mozart’s original utilized music in an innovative way through singspiel, or a mix of spoken dialogue and song. Sigl noted that the spoken dialogue and song breakdown in this film is roughly 50/50. “We carefully modernized

the dialogues and transformed, where applicable, most of the recitatives into spoken dialogue. But it’s important to note that we did not change Mozart’s orchestral arrangement at all.” While Sigl and Zwickler did not change the arrangements, “the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg was recorded in 70 channel 3D sound,” adding to the musical experience. With another nod to Mozart’s original intent, Sigl and Zwickler adapted the singing style to each performing character—that is, “the younger the character, the less formalistic the singing style,” comments Sigl. “At the same time, we tried to reflect the evolution of theatrical singing and connect it to our medium [of] film. This allows us a broader dynamic range catering to the specific

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Morris Robinson; Photo courtesy: The Magic Flute Film

or emotional needs of each aria.” Cut to Morris Robinson, a former football player turned opera singer and the film’s Sarastro. From football to opera to film, Robinson calls it all by one name: performing. However, Robinson admits, “this allowed me to play a smaller, more intimate Sarastro ... Because it is a film, I had to learn to adapt really quickly to small frame acting. I’m used to being commanding and utilizing my presence to assert authority. Film, however, works within a small space.” After Zwickler reached out to him on social media, Robinson was drawn in by the opportunity to reimagine a familiar role, but in a different context. “I was able to explore Sarastro

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the human, and this in and of itself was intriguing enough.”

Robinson makes very deliberate decisions regarding expansive roles—expansive roles for him personally, and for Black performers generally.

This role allowed him to increase his range and blaze the trail for the next generation of opera singers, particularly those who look like him.

“Anything I can do to lead the charge and show off our versatility as artists, musicians, and actors, I’m here for it ... I hope this is just another example of our talent, versatility, and range such that other producers and directors look in this direction for Black talent. We are here.”

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Asha Banks, Jack Wolfe, Iwan Rheon; Photo: Marcel Weber

Magic Flute Film cast

This sentiment also refers to opera singers as a talent pool. Robinson sees a wealth of opportunity for the opera world to participate in film. “In the opera world, we are professional actors and actresses already. Why not look at our marketplace, our discipline, our art when outsourcing talent in the world of film?”

Casting for the film in general was a pleasant surprise. For one, Robinson will be featured in both the English and German versions of the movie because he has sung Sarastro’s role more times in German than in English, a fun fact that was originally unknown to Zwickler and Sigl.

And there were concerns about casting such a young protagonist. Prince Tamino is often portrayed by a trained opera singer in his 30s, 40s, even 50s. Enter “stage” right Jack Wolfe, cast as Tim Walker/Prince Tamino. Zwickler is excited about the “sensitive way” in which Wolfe approaches the arias, adding “a unique ingredient to a piece like this.”

The film brings together actors who can sing and opera singers who, as Robinson noted, are already trained actors. Robinson as Sarastro and French soprano Sabine Devieilhe as the Queen of the Night bring their operatic expertise. In addition to Jack Wolfe as Tim Walker/Prince Tamino, Welsh actor Iwan Rheon—again drawing from

Game of Thrones talent—joins the cast with his singer/songwriter chops. This confluence of different talents and worlds is especially exciting because it wasn’t a sure thing that artists in the classical sphere would be so keen on this fresh take.

The key to the successful fusion: each performer brings his or her authentic self to the project.

And in this way, in convening and showcasing such a wide range of performing arts, Sigl is committed to “showing a broad audience how timelessly beautiful classical music can be, and break[ing] up boundaries that still seem to exist.” 

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CARAMOOR FESTIVAL

GLIMMERGLASS FESTIVAL

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SUMMER FESTIVAL GUIDE A guide to select classical music festivals and their COVID-19 safety protocols.

Enjoy your summer with peace of mind.

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SANTA FE OPERA

BERKSHIRE OPERA FESTIVAL

SOUTHWEST 28

EAST 34

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CARAMOOR FESTIVAL Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is a destination for exceptional music, captivating programs, spectacular gardens and grounds, and wonderful moments with friends and family. It enriches the lives of its audiences through innovative and diverse musical performances of the highest quality. Its mission also includes mentoring young professional musicians and providing educational programs for young children centered around music.

Audiences are invited to explore the lush grounds, tour the historic Rosen House, enjoy a pre-concert picnic, and discover beautiful music in the relaxed settings of the Venetian Theater, Spanish Courtyard, Music Room of the Rosen House, and the magnificent gardens.

Photo credit: Gabe Palacio

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Caramoor Summer Music Festival FESTIVAL DATES (June 19–September 12) Caramoor is thrilled to present a full summer season of 35 live, in-person performances this year, with an intensive seven-week festival (Jun 19– Aug 8) followed by two post-season concert series (Aug 13–Sep 12). All held outdoors on the cultural arts destination’s idyllic Westchester campus, this year’s offerings illustrate its continued commitment to adventurous programming across the genre spectrum, with world premieres of new Caramoor commissions from Saad Haddad and Shodekeh and a new piece by Valerie Coleman; U.S. premieres by Natalie Dietterich, Kate Moore and Hilary Purrington; New York premieres of important new works by Douglas J. Cuomo and Nico Muhly; and two major experiential, site-specific works by John Luther Adams and Donald Nally. Other festival highlights include an Opening Night Gala featuring Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra; solo recitals by guitarist JIJI and pianists Richard Goode and Conrad Tao; the return of the annual Jazz Festival, American Roots Music Festival and Pops & Patriots concert; a special 91st birthday celebration for Stephen Sondheim; and performances by a starry lineup of artists and ensembles, including Alarm Will Sound, Apollo’s Fire, Chanticleer, Leonidas Kavakos, Amjad Ali Khan & Sharon Isbin, Pekka Kuusisto, Joan Osborne, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, PUBLIQuartet, Sō Percussion, The Crossing, The Knights, Verona Quartet with David Fung, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Caramoor’s orchestra-in-residence for the past 42 summers.

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CARAMOOR SAFETY PROTOCOLS Caramoor has been committed to public health and safety since the start of the pandemic, and the 2021 festival has been designed in accordance with all the latest state and federal guidelines. All between 60 and 90 minutes in duration and without intermission, the summer concerts will as always take place outdoors, in the Venetian Theater and other venues on the picturesque estate, now with reduced capacity. As well as attending con-

certs, visitors are invited to explore Caramoor’s newly renovated, landscaped Italianate and woodland gardens; interact with nature and architecture on socially distant walks and picnics; and discover the site-specific sound art installations of Sonic Innovations (Fridays through Sundays, June 11–Oct 10).

With more than 80 acres of woodlands, gardens, sound art and outdoor performance space, the Westchester cultural arts destination is

Photo credit: Gabe Palacio

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well-positioned to participate responsibly in New York’s re-opening process. Just one hour’s drive from Manhattan, Caramoor remains the premier destination for “bucolic, picnic-friendly settings with a programming philosophy that balances hedonism and exploration” (New York Times).

For more visit: www.caramoor. org

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Photo credit: Becky Oehlers

VOCAL MUSIC- CARAMOOR FESTIVAL

Photo credit: Becky Oehlers

Experiential, site-specific open-air works: The Forest Two major experiential, site-specific, open-air contemporary works highlight this year’s summer lineup.

The first of these, The Forest (July 3) – created in response to the pandemic and the particular problems it presents for choral performance – is the creation of Donald Nally, conductor of two-time Grammy-winner The Crossing, dubbed “America’s most astonishing choir” (New York Times). Drawing on new amplification technology to create an immersive soundscape,

Nally’s work places the singers 30 feet apart from one another in Caramoor’s wooded grounds, where audience members will follow a special route at socially distanced intervals, experiencing the music as they walk. Set to a libretto based on the singers’ own recollections of lockdown isolation, the music “creates an otherworldly atmosphere of peace and serenity, … provid[ing] a sense of hope in a dark time” (Opera Wire).

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INDEPENDENCE DAY CONCERT

Finally, to celebrate Independence Day, Curt Ebersole and the Westchester Symphonic Winds return for their annual Pops & Patriots concert (this time without fire-

Photo credit: Gabe Palacio

PERFORMERS Westchester Symphonic Winds Candice Hoyes Jorell Williams

works). Two guest vocalists – soprano Candice Hoyes and baritone Jorell Williams, both alumni of Caramoor’s Bel Canto Young Artists program – will perform a medley

of Gershwin songs, and the program also includes patriotic tunes, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, a special tribute to Duke Ellington, and more (July 4).

– “America’s leading historically informed ensemble” (New York Times) – plays an all-English program of music by Gibbons, Blow, Locke and Purcell (July 18) under

the leadership of Richard Egarr, now completing his inaugural season as its Music Director.

Rowan Pierce SOPRANO

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Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (San Francisco)

Two other eminent U.S. ensembles also return to Caramoor in Baroque repertoire. Joined by British soprano Rowan Pierce, San Francisco’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

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CHANTICLEER PERFORMERS Chanticleer WORKS Claudio Monteverdi, Ayanna Woods The 2021 summer season features seven further large ensemble performances. Grammy-winning vocal group Chanticleer – “the world’s reigning male chorus” (New York-

er) – returns to Caramoor for a program of “awakening”-themed music spanning six centuries, which sees the “Lauda Jerusalem” from Monteverdi’s transcendent 1610

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Vespers rub shoulders with Lerner and Lane’s “On a Clear Day” and a new commission from Grammy-nominated composer Ayanna Woods (July 23).

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GLIMMERGLASS FESTIVAL Glimmerglass is a professional non-profit summer opera company dedicated to producing new productions each season.

Francesca Zambello was appointed Artistic & General Director in September 2010, and with the 2011 season, Glimmerglass Opera became The Glimmerglass Festival. The company continues its tradition of four new fully staged productions, now including three operas and one work of American musical theater, performed with full orchestra, large cast and no sound amplification. These four productions are supplemented by special performances, cabarets, concerts, lectures and symposiums throughout the season. The company continues to attract an international audience to the scenic Cooperstown area, where the talent of singers, directors, designers and staff from around the world converges in the Alice Busch Opera Theater to produce world-class opera and music theater.

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Glimmerglass Festival FESTIVAL DATES (July 15- August 17) The Glimmerglass Festival, the summer opera and musical theater festival in Cooperstown, New York, has announced plans for the summer of 2021 in the wake of its 2020 season cancelation due to COVID-19.

The Festival, which typically performs in its intimate, 915-seat theater, will bring its performances outdoors to a new stage built on the Festival grounds.

“We have re-imagined the Glimmerglass experience for the 2021 season,” said Francesca Zambello, Festival Artistic & General Director. “While this move outdoors is primarily for the health and safety of our company members, audience members and community, it is in harmony with what people love about Glimmerglass — innovative art and performances in a beautiful location. We are extremely grateful to Andrew Martin-Weber for making this outdoor stage possible, and we look forward to bringing amazing performances to you from the Andrew J. Martin-Weber Lawn Stage.”

“There’s an expression I find evocative, ‘water from the moon,’ meaning that which is unattainable, the impossible,” Martin-Weber said. “For me, this beautiful outdoor stage and the entire 2021 Festival is ‘water from the moon,’ and I am grateful to the Glimmerglass staff and all of our supporters for helping to make this a reality. It’s an impossible dream come true that I am part of this festival where we come together to build the future of opera.”

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OPERA & NEW WORKS AT THE GLIMMERGLASS FESTIVAL

On a stage designed by Peter J. Davison inspired

by Cooperstown’s surroundings, the Festival will offer 90-minute re-imagined performances of opera and musical theater starring guest artists Raehann Bryce-Davis, William Burden, Amanda Castro, Denyce Graves, Ian Koziara, Gregory Kunde, Isabel Leonard, Latonia Moore, Eric Owens, Michael Mayes and Alexandria Shiner, complemented by a 2021 roster of Young Artists, performers in the company’s apprentice program. Burden, Leonard and Owens also serve as the Festival’s 2021 Artists in Residence. In addition to their performances this summer, they serve as mentors to the 2021 Young Artists.

The 2021 season will run July 15 through August 17 and offers performances of new productions of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Verdi’s Il Trovatore, Offenbach’s Songbird (La Périchole), and the world premiere of The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson, a new work about the founder of the National Negro Opera Company. The season will also feature Gods and Mortals, an event featuring works of Wagner, and To the World,

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a concert of musical theater favorites.

The 2021 season marks the beginning of Common Ground, a three-year initiative that will unveil six new pieces that tell stories of life in America.

The initiative begins this summer with On Trac |<, a dance piece composed by Nicolas Lell Benavides and choreographed and performed by Amanda Castro, that looks at the intersection of human and machine in rural America. This summer, the Festival will also begin creating a film version of The Knock, a world-premiere one-act opera by Aleksandra Vrebalov and Deborah Brevoort which tells a moving story centered on a group of military wives awaiting news of their deployed husbands.

“These commissions will showcase the diversity of the American experience through a variety of creative voices and approaches to storytelling,” Zambello said.

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GLIMMERGLASS SAFETY PROTOCOLS

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The Andrew J. Martin-Weber Lawn Stage will be built on the south side of the Festival’s campus, and the Festival Lawn will be divided into distanced Festival Squares.

The Squares may be shared by up to four people of the same party — guests are encouraged to bring low-profile chairs, blankets and more to enjoy their portion of the Festival Lawn. In addition to the Squares, the Festival will offer Glimmerglass Boxes, booths which provide cover and seating for up to six people of the same party. Festival Tables are also available for audience members in the same party.

Photo credit: Tim Blazdell

Guided by evolving regulations from New York State and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Festival Health and Safety Committee continues to refine its Health and Safety Plan for the 2021 season.

The plan will reflect guidance from public health authorities and Bassett Healthcare Network, as well as industry best practices. State and local approvals must be attained prior to rehearsals and performances commencing. More information will be released as details are confirmed.

The 2021 Glimmerglass Festival is generously sponsored by the following Season Sponsors: • Betsy and Ed Cohen • Chris and Bruce Crawford, •E lizabeth M. and Jean-Marie R. Eveillard • Faith E. Gay and Francesca Zambello • Nellie and Robert Gipson • Jacqueline B. Mars and Andrew J. Martin-Weber.

Tickets on sale now. For more information, visit: www.glimmerglass.org.

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SANTA FE OPERA Every July and August since 1957, opera lovers have been drawn to the magnificent northern New Mexico mountains to enjoy productions by one of the world’s premier summer opera festivals. Here, The Santa Fe Opera’s dramatic adobe theater blends harmoniously with the high desert landscape.

It is this fusion of nature and art that leaves such an enduring impression on all who come. More than half the audience of 85,000 comes from outside New Mexico, representing every state in the union as well as 25 to 30 foreign countries.

The striking, state-of-the-art, open-air theater has won several prestigious design awards and is widely recognized for blending contemporary design aesthetics with traditional building materials. It commands a panoramic view of the Jemez Mountains to the west and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east. Over the years the theater has evolved from a 480-seat structure built in 1957, to an open-air house seating 1,889 built in 1968 as a result of a fire to the original theater in 1967, to the current structure built during extensive reconstruction in 1998.

Photo Credit: Insight Foto

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Santa Fe Opera FESTIVAL DATES (July 10- August 27) The Santa Fe Opera’s 2021 Season, running July 10 through August 27, presents 30 performances of four operas, including the world premiere of The Lord of Cries by John Corigliano and Mark Adamo directed by James Darrah; the company premiere of Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed and designed by Netia Jones; Laurent Pelly’s stylish new production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro; a new production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin directed by Alessandro Talevi; a celebratory concert featuring soprano Angel Blue in her company debut with 2021 Season artists and The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra led by John Fiore; and two Apprentice Scenes performances. The 64th Season celebrates the inclusion of works new to the world stage alongside audience favorites by Mozart and Tchaikovsky, and features some of opera’s most exciting talent. A variety of time periods and languages are represented, with pieces and perspectives dating from 1786 to 2021, sung in English, Italian and Russian. The future season is the second to be led by General Director Robert K. Meya, Artistic Director Alexander Neef and Music Director Harry Bicket, and perfectly fits the time-tested programming model pioneered by Santa Fe Opera founder John Crosby: a balanced and varied repertory of new, rarely performed and standard works portrayed in a new light.

Says Meya, “The 2021 Season will be a tribute to our unwavering optimism for the future of opera and the delight it can bring to viewers of all ages and backgrounds.”

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SANTA FE OPERA SAFETY PROTOCOLS The health and safety of its audience, staff and artists are of the highest priority as the Santa Fe Opera plans for the 2021 Season. Says General Director Robert K. Meya, “The pandemic has been tragic and it’s not over yet. But after everything we have lived through this past year, the arts, and in particular the experience of live music, will be more important than ever before.”

It is with this goal in mind that the Santa Fe Opera is preparing for its 2021 Season.

The Santa Fe Opera’s reopening protocols are being developed in collaboration with public health offi-cials, experts in epidemiology and sanitization and their local hospital partner CHRISTUS St. Vincent.

The company has engaged leading COVID-safety consultants and added a full-time COVID Compliance & Safety Manager to its staff. As the opening of the 2021 Season approaches, the Santa Fe Opera will update its plans according to the latest medical advice.

Detailing the company’s evolving strategy for protecting the safety of audiences and all who visit and work at the Santa Fe Opera, Meya shares, “We have made investments to bring our campus to the highest level of safety. When you arrive at the Santa Fe Opera this summer, many things will look different. You can expect acrylic shields in public-facing locations, campus-wide hand sanitizing stations, electrostatic disinfection of high-traffic areas, enhanced ventilation and air purification in elevators and restrooms, social-distancing markers and safety signage throughout. We have also adopted a digital ticketing system and installed touch-free fixtures in our restrooms.”

Perhaps the most significant safety feature is one that has defined the Santa Fe Opera experience since 1957 - the outdoor, open-air nature of The Crosby Theatre.

In addition to its unique venue, the Santa Fe Opera

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is renowned for its intensive rehearsal period and artistic excellence. Rehearsals require artists, directors and musicians to gather together, creating a high degree of human contact. In order to preserve artistic integrity while at the same time protecting its artists and staff, the company made the decision to reduce its 2021 Season from five operas to four. This move allows for more time between rehearsals and performances for cleaning and sanitization, and reduces the overall density of people on campus. Additionally, the company will not be offering Preview Dinners, Backstage Tours, or any donor events on campus this season, and its Cantina will remain closed.

All employees will be assigned categories prescribing testing frequency and limits on interactions. Further, the company will be asking all patrons, prior to arrival, to conduct a “self screening,” based on wellness standards established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Says Meya, “If you are feeling unwell, we ask that you please call our Box Office and stay home.” Meya adds, “This is an evolving strategy and we will continue to update you as we approach this summer.” For more visit: www.santafeopera.org

Photo Credit: Robert Godwin

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LE NOZZE DI FIGARO PERFORMERS Harry Bicket, Vanessa Vasquez, Ying Fang, Megan Marino, Michaela Martens, Brenton Ryan, Ashley Riches, Samuel Dale Johnson, Patrick Carfizzi, James Creswell Illustrations: Benedetto Cristofani

The Santa Fe Opera commences its 64th Festival Season with a stylish new production of Mozart’s sparkling comedy The Marriage of Figaro, opening on July 10, 2021.

Featuring a dozen well-known and indelible arias, the work is a wealth

of musical riches. Further, the operas of Mozart have held a special place at the Santa Fe Opera since the company’s opening season in 1957, when the new company mounted Così fan tutte. This repertory tradition has held strong over

the decades, with a Mozart opera having been produced in 55 of 63 prior seasons, none more so than The Marriage of Figaro, which has been performed in 17 prior seasons, more than any other single opera in the company’s repertory.

by composer John Corigliano and librettist Mark Adamo, based on the intriguing points of intersection between two classics of Western literature, The Bacchae

by Euripides and Dracula by Bram Stoker.

Separated by 24 centuries, The Bacchae and Dracula tell virtually the same timeless story, with the same subversive message: We must honor our animal nature lest it turn monstrous and destroy us.

Lord of Cries PERFORMERS Johannes Debus, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Susanna Phillips, David Portillo, Jarrett Ott, Matt Boehler, Kevin Burdette

He lands tonight, on his ship of ghosts, under the scudding skies.

His high, thin voice – ecstasy and ruin! Dracul, Dracula: the Lord of Cries! Deny him not his place.

The Santa Fe Opera’s 17th world premiere will be The Lord of Cries

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EUGENE ONEGIN PERFORMERS Nicholas Carter, Etienne Dupuis, Nicole Car, Avery Amereau, Michaela Martens, Deborah Nanstee, Dovlet Nurgeldiyev, Matthew DiBattista, James Creswell, Susanne Sheston Illustrations: Benedetto Cristofani

Potent emotion and sweeping drama take the stage as Tatyana’s confession of love is rejected by Onegin who, a little too late, realizes his mistake. Not seen on the Santa Fe Opera stage since 2002, the company presents a new re-

imagining of Eugene Onegin, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s sumptuous lyrical drama based on Pushkin’s famous novel, directed by European Opera-directing Prize winner Alessandro Talevi in his company debut. Eugene Onegin premiered

in Moscow in 1897 and though at first it was regarded only as a Russian curiosity, it has since become a standard fixture in the operatic repertoire.

ny premiere of Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a new co-production with Garsington Opera directed by powerhouse Netia Jones, who also serves as the scenic, costume and projections designer. The Observer describes

Jones as “the most imaginative director of opera working in Britain today.” A Midsummer Night’s Dream is considered Britten’s most beguiling and enchanting opera.

Opens July 24, 2021

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM PERFORMERS Harry Bicket, Erin Morley, Iestyn Davies, Brenton Ryan, Matthew Grills, Patrick Carfizzi, Ashley Riches, Kevin Burdette, Teresa Perrotta, Andanya Dunn, Duke Kim, Michael J. Hawk Mismatched lovers, a group of actors, fairies and their King and Queen are in the forest. Paths cross, so do lovers and, in the end, all’s well that ends well. The Santa Fe Opera is thrilled to round out its 2021 Season with the compa-

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Opens July 31, 2021

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BERKSHIRE OPERA We are Berkshire Opera Festival (BOF), a fully-producing summer festival that opened in 2016. Adhering to the highest standards of artistic excellence, we are committed to restoring fully-staged opera to a place of prominence in the Berkshire community. Each summer, we present musically and dramatically compelling operatic productions, in addition to recitals and other related musical events.

We believe that opera is a living, breathing, relevant art form, and must be nurtured as such in order for it to survive and thrive.

There is no substitute for experiencing the power of the live, unamplified human voice in a theater, and opera has the inherent, transformative ability to greatly enhance one’s quality of life.

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Berkshire Opera Festival FESTIVAL DATES (July 22–August 27) The Berkshire Opera is committed to artistic excellence in producing fully-staged opera, and it is central to the company’s mission to present performances that are accessible and affordable to all Berkshire residents. Each summer, BOF presents musically and dramatically compelling operatic productions, in addition to recitals and other related musical events.

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BERKSHIRE OPERA SAFETY PROTOCOLS The safety and comfort of artists and patrons has always been a high priority for Berkshire Opera Festival, and even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BOF will continue to work closely with each of its three venues to refine safety protocols for performances based on the most current state guidelines and industry best practices. All patrons attending BOF performances this summer will be expected to comply with certain protocols that will be communicated in advance, and may include such measures as wearing masks and social distancing, both while seated for

the performance and in all other areas of the theater.

Reduced audience sizes based on state regulations are currently anticipated to be 30% - 50% of original capacity. The availability of tickets will be determined based on the total number of ticket orders and the number of patrons within each party. BOF has contingency plans to move forward with its 2021 season programming even if the trajectory of the pandemic and its related safety guidelines in Massachusetts change in such a way that alters their current plans.

In other words, the show will indeed go on.

To learn more about BOF’s upcoming season, how to reserve tickets, and COVID safety protocols for these exciting performances, you can visit website: www.BerkshireOperaFestival.org

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BOF’s expanded repertoire in 2021 will include a second-stage production - a first for BOF - with Glory Denied, an American opera composed in 2007 by Tom Cipullo, which will be conducted by Geoffrey Larson and directed by Sarah Ina Meyers. This stirring drama is based on the novel by Tom Philpott, and tells the true story of Vietnam veteran and America's longest-held prisoner of war, Colonel Jim Thompson. Glory Denied takes the audience on a journey through time and Jim’s experiences of captivity and homecoming. This production kicks off BOF’s summer season July 22 and 24 at the beautiful Simon’s Rock campus of Bard College in Great Barrington, MA. PERFORMERS- Daniel Belcher, Caroline Worra, John Riesen, Maria Valdes

Next in BOF’s summer festival is a free outdoor concert at Edith Wharton’s Lenox estate, The Mount, on August 11. “Much Ado About Shakespeare” features operatic selections based on texts by the great William Shakespeare, performed by members of BOF’s internationally- renowned cast of Falstaff. Soprano Jasmine Habersham, contralto Alissa Anderson, tenor Jonas Hacker, and baritone Thomas Glass will be accompanied by pianist Christopher Koelzer in this delightful summer evening concert.

Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff - the crown jewel of Italian comic opera culminates BOF’s 2021 season on August 21, 24 and 27 at the majestic Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, MA. Conducted by Artistic Director Brian Garman and directed by Joshua Major, Falstaff is truly one of the world’s great masterpieces. This production will feature an all-star cast alongside the BOF Orchestra and Chorus.

PERFORMERS- Sebastian Catana, Tamara Wilson, Thomas Glass, Jasmine Habersham, Jonas Hacker

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FEATURE STORY

El malabarista Tenor Rolando Villazón's exciting juggling act

BY COURTNEY CAREY

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Photo doodles courtesy Rolando Villazón

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Malabarista (Juggler) masculine or feminine noun, Spanish 1. A person who adroitly balances several activities.

O

ne of the many benefits of living as a writer in New York City is the unending inspiration one can stumble upon day to day. The riotously funny guy who plays magic tricks on the corner of 96th and Broadway; the eccentric old lady with the Afro-puff at Columbus

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Circle who appears to be talking to herself, but really she’s singing hymns under her breath; and of course the infamous bands of subway dancers known as the Showtime boys. They all give the city its unique charm and inspired energy.

Walking along Central Park West on a sunny day,

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I see a tall African American man in the distance juggling four balls high into the sky. His face is severe, focused with such silver energy—a level of concentration that no passersby dare break with cheers and applause. But then comes a moment when he stops, and from across the way a question

rings out, “Hey, how do you juggle all of those balls without dropping one?” The juggler replies, Drops are a part of the business, chief. To offset the drops, you start with one ball. Those words ring clarion, and immediately the key to “El Malabarista’s”—aka Rolando Villazón—success becomes clear. A one-ball juggling routine led him to the pinnacle of opera and, as his creativity blossomed and his career aspirations bloomed, that one ball act expanded to incorporate more “balls.” He has carefully added to his artistic juggling routine, and these myriad additions have made him one of the busiest and most fascinating men in the business today.

Legend has it that he was discovered while singing in the shower. Is that true? “[There] is truth in it,” he says. “I was singing in the shower, and the director of the performing academy, [baritone] Arturo Nieto, came to visit our neighbors for dinner. He listened to whoever was singing in the shower, and came to knock on the door and asked my mother, “Who is that?” My mother said, “I will tell him to shut up.” Said Nieto, “No, we are holding auditions for the performing arts academy; would he like to come?” Villazón auditioned and

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was admitted to the academy, where he took his first vocal lessons, also studying ballet and theater.

Nieto’s knock proved fortuitous, opening the door to a world of possibilities and opportunities. One such opportunity was the 1999 Operalia competition, which thrust Villazón into prominence and launched his career. Although he lost the competition to Bulgarian bass Orlin Anastassov, his electrifying performance of “No puede ser” from Sorozábal ‘s La tabernera del puerto earned him the first Zarzuela prize and was an apparent foreshadowing of the dramatic temperament and magnetic energy that would become his trademark.

That volcanic energy has garnered him praise and critique alike, with vocal critics like Richard Morrison of the Times in London wary of over-pressurized vocalism that would surely lead to a shortened career if not corrected. Undeterred, Villazón forged ahead night after night, his vocal luster shining opulently until a 2009 health crisis threatened to dim his star permanently. After a year out of the spotlight, and a deftly performed vocal operation to remove a congenital cyst, he emerged triumphantly! Villazón is a star tenor whose por-

© Dario Acosta/ DG

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Photo credit: Andreas Hechenberger/ISM

trayals of opera’s juiciest parts have brought him international acclaim. His des Grieux, Don José, Rodolfo, and Werther are epic; the vocalism and sheer animal magnetism of each portrayal a wink and a nod to the old guard, which includes Di Stefano, Björling, Corelli, and Pavarotti. Just as he juggles a multifaceted career, so too does he aptly juggle a repertory in which Mozart occupies a prominent place. He has performed the title role in Mozart’s Lucio Silla, Alessandro in Il re pastore, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte, Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro, the title role in La clemenza di Tito, and Papageno in Die Zauberflöte. He became an exclusive recording artist with Deutsche Grammophon in 2007, and amongst his vast output for the label is a landmark effort to record Mozart's seven mature operas. To date, he has recorded Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte, Die Entfürhung aus

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dem Serail, Le nozze di Figaro, La clemenza di Tito, and Die Zauberflöte with Yannick Nézet-Séguin at the helm. Only Idomeneo remains to be recorded.

The choice of Papageno over Prince Tamino for the 2019 Deutsche Grammophon recording bears further exploration. He says, “When the time came, two years ago, to record Tamino, I told [Deutsche Grammophon], listen, I’ve never recorded Tamino and I’m not really interested in singing it. I think we can find someone else to sing it and I will come cheer you all on for this [recording]. Then, both Deutsche Grammophon and Yannick came to me and said, “You do have some of the qualities of Pagageno, so why don’t you sing Papageno for the [recording]?” Deutsche Grammophon released video footage of Villazón and Regula Mühlemann as Papagena. Their effusive chemistry as Papageno and Papagena suggests that the tenor “had the time of [his] life.”

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But, would this be his first and last outing with the charming bird catcher? He told his management team that “if an opportunity comes along to [sing the role] onstage, I would like to do it.” The opportunity presented itself, and he will make his first staged appearance as the lovely bumpkin Papageno at the Metropolitan Opera in December 2021. He hastens to dispel any rumors, however, that he is switching to baritone. “People have said, ‘oh, well you’ve recorded Papageno, so you must be moving to baritone.’” His response to that is an emphatic “No!” “The reason I accepted Papageno is because it was composed for an actor.” The actor to whom he is referring is Emanuel Schikaneder (1751–1812), the most prominent dramaturg of his day. Presumably, this acting distinction puts into context the musical simplicity found in Papageno’s music, which poses no great challenge. Much of the music falls easily within the speaking range of the male voice, and as Villazón notes, “There is no legato in any of Papageno’s music,” further underscoring Mozart’s effort to make the music accessible for Schikaneder, who debuted the role.

“Wolfgang Amadé Mozart is one of the dearest friends of humanity as a whole. No other composer is so equally admired and beloved."

Having such a prolific association with Mozart, it was not serendipitous that The Salzburg Mo-

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zarteum Foundation appointed Villazón as Mozart Ambassador in 2017 and Artistic Director of the Mozartwoche (Mozart Week) that same year.

In response to the appointment, he said, “Wolfgang Amadé Mozart is one of the dearest friends of humanity as a whole.

No other composer is so equally admired and beloved. I feel joyful, honored, and grateful to assume the enormous responsibility of serving the great master as the new Artistic Director of the most renowned Mozart festival in the world, the Mozart Week. That this happens in Salzburg, Mozart’s birthplace and the city that has had such a wonderful impact on my life and career makes this adventure even more special.

Viva Mozart!”

His first full program of Mozart Week activities took place two years after his appointment, but the dark, heavy curtain of the pandemic sought to shutter his plans for 2021. With so much uncertainty and insecurity looming regarding safety, festival coordinators opted for a virtual festival. “It was all we could have had with the current circumstances,” he says. In all, they put on ten concerts, including an opening concert at which Villazón sang, chamber music programs, and four full orchestral concerts. A particular highlight of the season’s festivities was the discovery and performance of a new Mozart work. “One day, someone called the foundation and said, ‘I have a score, and I think it is an original Mozart.’ They performed all the analysis and studies of the folded-up sheet music, and [determined that] it was an original Mozart score. The piece [The Allegro in D] is a dance meant for orchestra that he arranged for piano.”

The world premiere took place on Mozart’s 265th birthday, with Seong-Jin Cho at the piano.

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In the midst of the raging pandemic, Villazón has scored another success with the release of his new disc for Deutsche Grammophon, Serenata Latina. In his words, “[Serenata Latina] is a collection of beautiful traditional folk and art songs from my big homeland. [The album’s] themes vary from nature to love, from grief for the spirits of the dead to the joy of being alive. Throughout, we can admire the art and sensibility of the Latin American composers who drank from the European tradition to create their music but remained rooted in the soil of our rich, colorful, sometimes melancholic yet always resilient culture.” The original idea for the album was born some 18 years ago at Vienna’s Musikverein, where French harpist Xavier de Maistre was performing Ginastera’s Harp Concerto. The composer’s widow approached him backstage and suggested he transcribe her husband’s Cinco canciones populares argentinas (Five Popular Argentinian Songs). Inspired, he transcribed nearly two dozen Latin American songs and willed himself to contact Villazón about performing them. The two hit it off and, after some discussion, began recording the disc just as the pandemic had begun to Photo credit: Julien Benhamou/DG

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spread. A 65-day lockdown interrupted the recording schedule, but allowed the two to “listen to what [they] had already recorded and to rethink what [they] really wanted.” The result is a beautiful, haunting disc of art songs and folk songs.

Villazón has a wide range of interests too varied and vast to enumerate without dizzying from the number of projects he juggles. His future includes stage directing work—he will direct soprano Pretty Yende in a production of La sonnambula, a

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co-production with the Thèâtre des Champs-Élysées, Dresden Opera, and Metropolitan Opera. He has his own radio show, television hosting and guest spots, and is actively involved in charitable causes, including an ambassadorship for the RED

© Deutsche Grammophon

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NOSES Clowndoctors International charity. A published author, he has three novels under his belt, Malabares, Paladas de sombra contra la oscuridad, and Amadeus auf dem Fahrrad. When

pressed with the question about his possibly writing a children’s book and incorporating some of his doodles, he smiles coyly and says, “Maybe I will do one.”

One gets the impression that

Photo credit: Red Noses

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RAPID FIRE with R olando 1. What is your favorite musical moment?

The one I am experiencing at the moment 2. What is your favorite aria to sing?

"Voi che fausti ognor donate" from Il re pastore This was the first aria I sang in conservatory 3. Is there a role you haven’t sung yet, but would like to?

Idomeneo 4. What is your favorite food?

Mexican tacos and Austrian Wiener Schnitzel 5. What is your favorite song (to listen to or sing)?

“Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha (Baloo) (Look for) The Bare Necessities 6. Who are your favorite singers? (any genre) Cecilia Bartoli, Barbara Streisand, Plácido Domingo, Bryn Terfel & Anna Netrebko

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making the case for classical music

MAKING THE CASE FOR CLASSICAL MUSIC at the Grammys

by Liz Colavita

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The Grammy Awards—and let’s be frank, high-profile awards shows in general—are not without their critics. And recently, the criticism shows consistent threads of endemic issues, namely the lack of diversity in winners of top categories and the opaque committee voting process. New York Times writer Ben Sisario even went so far as to say, “… behind the scenes, the industry is waging a war for the soul of the Grammys.”

Some fighters in this war, artists and viewers, are implementing their own voting processes: artists via snubbing the show and viewers by choosing not to watch. Even though the Grammys captured the biggest TV audience in the 2021 awards show season thus far, this is no meaningful consolation. Grammy viewership is in freefall, down 53% compared to 2020. The Nielsen rating for the 18 to 49-year-old demographic was 1.9. Compare this to a 4.8 rating for the same age group—the Grammys’ historically key demographic—the year before.

What makes this picture especially bleak is the fact that 2020 was also not a stellar year. One might be generous and blame it on the pandemic, but that would be misguided. The 62nd Grammy awards show occurred at the end of January 2020, before any major shockwaves from Covid-19. 2020 was a record low for that now-elusive demographic, and overall, the year slumped into the fourth lowest rating since 1988, when Nielsen ratings were first introduced.

The nearly 8 million who tuned into this year’s Grammys were quite satisfied with the show, noting that it did not feel like a Zoom awards show. But many viewers opted out. With regard to artists opting out, The Weeknd was the 63rd Grammy Awards’ most vocal and arguably most high-profile artist to forgo the show altogether. Subsequently, he has instructed his label not to submit his music for Grammy nominations because of the secretive committees and processes.

Not the first to call out the Recording Academy, he shares negative sentiments about the Grammys with Kanye West and Frank Ocean, joining a growing number of people making accusations of bias against Black and female artists. Beyoncé, despite winning four Gramophone trophies that elevated her to most-awarded female artist, also tying her for most-awarded artist overall, declined to perform this year.

There are numbers to back up these claims of bias. A March 2021 study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion initiative found lower odds for Black artists to win in the top categories, despite widespread acclaim and success on Billboard charts. Black artists constitute 38% of all artists on Billboard’s signature chart from 2012–2020. Yet only 24% of this year’s Grammy nominees are Black. Even more shocking, you can count on one hand the number of Black artists nominated in the top four categories over the last nine years. Dr. Stacy L. Smith, lead

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author on the study, elaborated that the popularity of Black artists does not lead to Grammy success owing to the lack of diversity among Grammy voters and “the music industry’s executive ranks.”

On the other hand, the 63rd iteration of the awards demonstrated signs of progress. As interim Chief Executive Harvey Mason Jr. noted, “[W]e are constantly evolving.” Songs related to Black Lives Matter were showcased in the night’s performances, including Lil Baby’s “The Bigger Picture,” Mickey Guyton’s country hit “Black Like Me,” and H.E.R.’s “I Can’t Breathe,” which won song of the year.

Perhaps most striking among this incomplete list is Mickey Guyton, a Black artist breaking through in a genre completely dominated by White artists. Perhaps this example of broadening perceptions of the range of Black artists could help make the case for classical music in the Grammys.

I say broadening perceptions because they are here, and there, and everywhere; there is Black talent—and talent that’s generally unrecognized—across categories. So perhaps the solution to the Grammys’ diversity challenge, and maybe even their transparency challenge, is to give the stage to historically underrepresented genres.

In this case, we are talking classical music and opera. Courtney Carey, Editor in Chief of The Whole Review, posed the question on Facebook: “What do we need to do to get an opera performance onstage at the Grammys?”

Many agree that there would have to be some sort of popular culture tie-in, most probably a major star onstage with a fuller ensemble, perhaps even a piece with some genre crossover. Another key factor would be an appeal from “someone of importance” to the Recording Academy. Notably, a significant number of people acknowledged that a pop star onstage may be the only viable “solution.”

A harmonizing note throughout the responses to Carey’s question was the feeling of underappreciation for artistically meritorious music. This feeling extends beyond classical music, and aligns with the interdisciplinary criticism that the Grammys does not recognize real talent in popular music.

Soprano Barbara Quintiliani sounded off on the raw, visceral power of the unamplified human voice. “I have never seen a really great singer fail to really affect an audience in ways they cannot put into words.” But, she notes, representation and exposure matter: “People cannot appreciate what they don’t know exists. A society is what it values ... While our desire to create and imagine on an individual basis may carry on, as a society, at least in America, we don’t value artists. The pandemic showed us that all too painfully. The downfall of great civilizations is usually preceded by what I would call Great Depressions of artistic output.”

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making the case for classical music

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Another part of the fissure between the Grammys and the untelevised ceremonies is a logistical concern. Lucas Meachem, operatic baritone and Grammy Award winner for Best Opera Recording at the 59th show, mused in 2016 that the structure and schedule of the opera world is at odds with the Grammys.

Many musical artists are able to schedule their tours and recordings around the event, but the grind of the opera world makes it difficult for nominees to take a night off and attend the awards. In Meachem’s words, “Opera performers can’t say no to a paycheck for the mere possibility of winning an award. On top of this, opera companies struggle to run their business with multiple productions happening simultaneously and a tight schedule to stick to.” All of this begs the question, are the Grammys—an institution with a checkered record of getting it right in an era when institutions are crumbling and increasingly distrusted—the best avenue for rekindling widespread appreciation for classical music?

Quintiliani contends that “working within the Grammys structure is no longer an option ... I think we need to create something new and better, and quality over quantity is a great point of departure.” She adds, “People may not be able to put their finger on it, but an audience knows instinctively what is great, what is good, and what is not.” She would like to start by reinvesting in the arts in education, in schools.

Joking that she was smart before she was a soprano, Quintiliani would have gone—in an alternate world—to an elite university to study astronomy and astrophysics.

She concurs with Neil deGrasse Tyson that the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) acronym should incorporate the arts to become STEAM. Sciences and arts have been proven to reinforce each other, and the benefits of music education are quite clear. “Music BARBARA QUINTILIANI education has tremendous benefits to children; neuroscience has proven it grows the brain ... Music education must also be made equitable as well.” Adding onto that idea, Quintiliani promotes outreach. Outreach could look like working with underprivileged kids and filling in where school budgets fail. It might also look like classical artists performing a few songs at a friend’s wedding. It is the entrepreneurial spirit and courage to cultivate audi-

“Working within the Grammys structure is no longer an option ...

I think we need to create something new and better, and quality over quantity is a great point of departure.”

“Music education has tremendous benefits to children; neuroscience has proven it grows the brain ... Music education must also be made equitable as well.”

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ences in little, everyday ways.

Paradoxically, it is here where there might be space to reconcile Quintiliani’s argument to work outside of the Grammys with Kyle “The Triggerman” Coroneos’ perspective on the importance of the Grammys. Trigger is the editor of Saving Country Music, a platform focused on the issues facing country music and preserving the roots of the genre. Again drawing parallels between classical and country, the same could be said for all untelevised ceremonies within the Grammys.

Trigger is quite pragmatic. Broadcasting the ceremonies for more than 80 categories would be laborious for both the producers of the Grammys and viewers.

Moreover, at this point, there is little commercial incentive for the Grammys to do such a thing. But scrapping the Grammys altogether would be a disservice to deserving artists down the ballot. In Trigger’s March 2021 piece on the topic, he quotes critic Bob Lefsetz. “The truth is, by exhibiting the work of the supposedly less popular, viewers will be intrigued, because they might actually learn something, might find they’re interested in these other genres. And maybe it should not only be about performances. It should be about creativity ... People tune into television when there is [a] story. There’s no story in the Grammys.” The Grammys has the potential to bring the stories of deserving, lesser-known artists.

Trigger also highlights the other work of the Grammys and the Recording Academy. “Beyond the awards, The Recording Academy spends much of its time advocating for legislation to benefit the music community, supporting music education in schools, and offering health care, financial assistance, and mental health assistance to musicians and music workers.” To undercut the awards show is to remove the funding for this advocacy.

Where Quintiliani, Trigger, Lefsetz and Grammy-award-winning baritone Dashon Burton agree is in the power and importance of music, the importance of exposure, and the harmony created with more voices, not fewer. Speaking specifically of classical music, but applicable to music wholly, Burton captures it well: “It’s important to elevate all kinds of music, and to be a voracious lover and sharer. People who thought they didn’t like it, or that they weren’t good at it, it’s not too late. Classical music has so many facets, and especially now, people are making more kinds than ever.”

This all leads me to believe that the case to be made might not be for classical music specifically. The case to be made here is the re-centering of the music, the artist, and the story in the Grammys. It is a simple yet complex answer to Carey’s question of what it would take to get a televised opera performance at the Grammys. 

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in tempo  brown sounds

BROWN SOUNDS Coalition of arts organizations join together to present a celebration of Black art. from Los Angeles Opera

BROWN SOUNDS "Brown Sounds:" A joyous celebration of Black art, Black bodies and Black consciousness masterminded and performed by Raehann Bryce-Davis, mezzo soprano.

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LA Opera, in collaboration with the African American Art Song Alliance, Aural Compass Projects, Black Opera Alliance, National Association of Negro Musicians and the Philadelphia Dance Company, has released Brown Sounds, a new Digital Short

by French filmmaker Jérémy Adonis starring mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis. Poetry, composition, song and dance come together in this work that celebrates the Black experience. Conceived by an all-Black creative team, the Digital Short was masterminded by executive producer and conceptual creator Bryce-Davis, whose LA Opera credits include recent productions of Eurydice and Roberto Devereux and the upcoming Il Trovatore. The music, created for her, is a ravishing setting by composer Ayanna Witter-Johnson of verses

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by Henry Dumas, one of the most significant poets of the civil rights era. "Young Black children are often taught that their history begins with slavery," said Bryce-Davis. "Our purpose with this project is to portray a history that goes back to the beginning of time and stretches far into the untapped treasures of the future: a celebration of Black art, Black bodies, Black consciousness. I recited Dumas’ poem as a grad student, and when the time came for me to give my recital later that semester, I realized the words were still singing in my being. I asked fellow Manhattan School of Music student Ayanna Witter-Johnson if she could set the words to music and she graciously said yes. For this reincarnation of the project, we brought together an allstar Black creative team representing

brown sounds

the vast experiences of the African diaspora, and a coalition of arts organizations, led by LA Opera, to help spread this message to the world."

The film opens on Bryce-Davis and dancer Lateef Williams thriving in a lush paradise representing the Garden of Eden. The pair are suddenly uprooted and driven to the unknown: the original sin of slavery. In the end, they dig their roots into the soil and stretch their limbs to the sun, finding new identities, new truths and new power. Designed and styled by Allan Virgo, the video was filmed on location in Belgium at the Meise Botanical Gardens in Brussels and at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp. The pianist is Jeanne-Minette Cilliers.

Led by Bryce-Davis, five organizations— the African American Art Song Alliance, Aural Compass Projects, Black

LA OPERA ON NOW LA Opera's On Now platform of digital programming. LA Opera was the first major American opera company to create a weekly schedule of original new online programming to bring opera to audiences during the coronavirus crisis.

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Opera Alliance, National Association of Negro Musicians and the Philadelphia Dance Company—representing all forms of art, as does Brown Sounds, have joined together in partnership with LA Opera to share Brown Sounds with audiences nationwide. It will be streamed on LA Opera's Facebook and YouTube channel from March 26 at 11:00 a.m. P.D.T. onward. For viewing details and additional information, LAOpera.org/BrownSounds. Part of the company's On Now platform of online programming, Digital Shorts are newly commissioned films that team gifted composers, performers and visual artists. Digital Shorts are offered free of charge to all viewers.

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brown sounds

CREATORS AND ARTISTS Mezzo-soprano Raehann BryceDavis made her first LA Opera appearances in 2020 productions of Eurydice and Roberto Devereux, and she introduced the song "Brown Sounds" to LA Opera audiences in a September 2020 Living Room Recital. She will return to Los Angeles later this year as Azucena in Il Trovatore.

Her recent performances include Eboli in Don Carlo with Opera Vlaanderen, Leonor in La Favorite at the Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Marguerite in La Damnation de Faust with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica, Verdi's Requiem with the Oratorio Society of New York at Carnegie Hall, and Martinu's Julietta with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.

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Jérémy Adonis is a French filmmaker and photographer now based in Belgium. His short film Son of Icarus was screened in several festivals in Europe. He has directed numerous projects in the Belgian industry, from music videos, to live concerts, to promotional spots.

Ayanna Witter-Johnson is a London-born singer, songwriter and cellist. She participated in the London Symphony Orchestra’s Panufnik Young Composers Scheme and was an Emerging Artist in Residence at London’s Southbank Centre.

Writer and poet Henry Dumas (1934-68) was described by the New York Times as "at his best... the most original Afro-American poet of the sixties." Identified with the Black Power movement, he was also active in the civil rights movement.

Jamaican-American designer Allan Virgo studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology and has designed for such brands as Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons, Guess, Michael Kors, Kenneth Cole and Macy’s. His self-titled outerwear brand is based in New York, New York.

American dancer Lateef Williams is a soloist at the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen (Royal Ballet of Flanders) in Belgium.

He studied at the Academy of Dance and at the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center.

South African pianist JeanneMinette Cilliers has collaborated for performances at venues including the Ravinia Festival, the Guggenheim Museum, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.

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push through to bloom

h g u hro

T h s Pu m o o l to B

Leah Partridge is a soprano, voice teacher, and flower farmer living in Atlanta, GA.

By Leah Partridge

T

his spring, the daffodils have been epic. I’m always in awe of them, how they lie dormant for months on end, and just as the soil is barely regaining its warmth, the long blades, like arms, begin emerging out of the ground as if saying, “I have triumphed over the most challenging darkness and journey! Look, there is snow all around me, but I’m going to turn into the most vibrant and fragrant piece of art you can imagine, one tiny little stretch at a time!”

There is a point in every rehearsal process where I feel a lot like this daffodil; dormant, slow, and stuck, wondering if the sun will ever shine bright enough for me to create.

I get an overwhelming sense of responsibility which morphs into dread of what lies ahead. I realize the amount of attention I will have to give myself and the patience I will have to stay the course. I know some essential selflove is on the horizon, and I want to recoil and stay in the ground. Usually, for me, it’s some forgiveness for missing the mark, forgetting a Verdi accent, not doubling that consonant, being behind the conductor because I wanted to take time for the acting beat requested by the director.

It also rears its head when the flow of the

www.leahpartridge.com

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push through to bloom

daily rehearsal process ends, and we head into the theater to start running the show. I’m excited but resist because I hate losing the layers, we’ve added due to new factors such as costumes, lights, stage spacing, and a new acoustic.

It’s most difficult for me when it’s time to rehearse a death scene repeatedly without losing the truth.

I dread that rehearsal day like no other, Photo courtesy: Leah Partridge often sitting in my hotel room with nagging anxiety and sick on my stomach.

Why is creating so damn hard? Why is it like pushing boulders of rock up a hill all alone? If this isn’t how it is for you, fine. You can skip on ahead. But I imagine that anything involving a creative layering process will also include some sort of resistance, doubt, possible abort mission thoughts, and some tears.

It’s just how it is. Look at that daffodil. It has to push through rock, dirt, and snow just to be here. It won’t happen any other way.

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But I’ve learned some things I want you to consider trying when you find yourself in this chasm of doubt and resistance.

First, acknowledge and expect that somewhere in the joy of creating, there will be a snag or two. Or three. Or maybe the whole thing will be a total loss. Who knows? You don’t. You just need to be aware that it’s possible. I don’t mean to anticipate dread, but just be comfortable knowing that you are aware of what it means to be creating: You’re going to do hard things, kind of like having to work muscles to failure to progress to new levels of fitness.

This brings me to part two. You accept it as part of the work. Yep, "Just get on board,

I HAVE TRIUMPHED OVER THE MOST CHALLENGING DARKNESS AND JOURNEY. LOOK, THERE IS SNOW ALL AROUND ME, BUT I'M GOING TO TURN INTO THE MOST VIBRANT AND FRANGRANT PIECE OF ART YOU CAN IMAGINE, ONE TINY LITTLE STRETCH AT A TIME.

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Leah Partridge as Lucia di Lammermoor; Florida Grand Opera

little children". Whatever starts coming up in rehearsals, you accept it. Know that you will have either triumphed or will have learned a lot on the way out of it.

Turn your attention to it and make it part of your process by giving it some focus. Figure out precisely what is making you have anxiety. Is it the old tapes of feeling inadequate? Is it the difficulty of the subject or the context of the music? Is it someone you are resisting in the cast? Is it the physical exhaustion of a demanding role? Name it. As you sit with it, you turn towards it. As you accept it, whatever lies ahead, you will notice you give it less power and often have a calming effect.

Treat it with care and kindness. Refrain from trying to beat it into submission or, god forbid, talk ugly to it. Lean in. It’s natural to want to avoid what is uncomfortable. Our nervous systems are actually wired this way. But, lean in instead.

Next, deal with it. Make it the priority in rehearsals. That death scene you dread? Work it to where you know it’s to your liking, and then kindly ask the director to either move on from it or let them know you will be marking its energy once you all agree it’s

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in performance shape. Action will often dissipate the dread if it is clear, attainable, and cloaked in kindness.

Finally, assess what you will keep, what you will discard, and reflect to see what you have learned.

By pushing through, you will gain knowledge of what to pursue in the future, and you’ll be able to prepare for next time. Ask some questions: Do you want to sing that role again? Do you need a different method of practice? Do you want to work with that conductor or director again?

Any creative endeavor will bring some sort of struggle. But, when you accept it and push through, you gain wisdom and confidence not only in your abilities but in your decision-making. Push through and if you are successful, you may find yourself wanting to risk more, to learn more, and do more, as you repeat the process.

Leaning into the uncomfortable spots, calling them by name, dealing with them, and assessing what to keep for the future will give you knowledge that an obstacle is an opportunity for you to express yourself just like the daffodils of spring. 

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opera aficionado

OPERA AFICIONADO San Francisco Opera’s Department of Diversity, Equity and Community (DEC) announced new Opera Aficionado virtual conversations now through June. from San Francisco Opera

TICKETS: $5–$40 Students, educators and individuals in need: $5/session.

General admission: $20/ session, discount available for multiple-sessions order.

Enable another person to attend*: $40. *This is not a tax-deductible contribution.

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San Francisco Opera’s Department of Diversity, Equity and Community (DEC) announced new Opera Aficionado virtual conversations now through June.

Throughout May, DEC and attendees will celebrate the first anniversary of the Opera Aficionado series with a month of free sessions, ranging in topics from favorite composers to opera’s hidden moments and saluting the theme of opera is for everyone. Finally, during the month of June, DEC will honor African American Music Appreciation Month with a group of talks called Lift Every Voice and Sing! Subjects will include opera performers of the Harlem Renaissance; Frederick Matthews, a longtime member of the San Francisco Opera; and the history-making singer Marian Anderson. New in April, DEC will extend its tiered-pricing structure to Opera Afi-

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cionado, ensuring that programming is accessible to all. Students, educators and individuals in need may now purchase tickets for $5 per lecture. People who can purchase tickets at a $40 level enable another person to attend.

The general admission price of $20 remains, with the addition of discounts for those who purchase tickets to multiple sessions. All meetings in May are complimentary. Each 75-minute Zoom discussion offers music lovers around the world a front-row seat to scholarly talks and conversations and an opportunity to dialogue with fellow opera enthusiasts and special guests. 

opera aficionado

MAY

• Sunday, May 2, 1 pm: Kip, Kip, Hooray! 40 Years at San Francisco Opera: A Retrospective Speakers: Kip Cranna and Cole Thomason-Redus San Francisco Opera Dramaturg Emeritus Kip Cranna has had a remarkable career with the Company. Since joining in 1979, he has witnessed the rise of stars, the creation of numerous new works and thousands of memorable moments on stage and behind the scenes.

Join Opera Aficionado’s host, Cole Thomason-Redus, for this interview with Kip and explore Kip’s fascinating journey that continues on after more than 40 years.

• Sunday, May 9, 1 pm: Our Favorite Opera Composers Viewer’s Choice — Speaker TBA Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, Rossini — the list of favorite opera composers could go on and on. But who takes the top spot? Based on votes from Opera Aficionado attendees, we will identify and explore the life and work of our audience’s favorite opera composer.

• Sunday, May 16, 1 pm: Our Favorite Moments in Opera Speaker: Robert Hartwell Professor and author Robert Hartwell’s passion for opera transcends the Zoom screen and makes us all feel as though we’re listening to the best of all stories.

Join Robert as he explores his favorite moments in opera and why he loves them.

• Sunday, May 23, 1 pm: Opera’s Hidden Gems Viewer’s Choice — Speaker TBA

JUNE

• Sunday, June 6, 1 pm: Landscape of Change: Interview with Frederick Matthews Speakers: Frederick Matthews and Cole Thomason-Redus For 37 seasons, baritone Frederick Matthews reigned as a pillar of the San Francisco Opera Chorus. Featured in the Academy Award-winning 1991 documentary In the Shadow of the Stars, Frederick was a beloved and prominent fixture on the stage of the War Memorial Opera House. His retirement

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in December of 2020—a year without live opera— left him devoid of that final bow, during which the entire house would have undoubtedly leapt to their feet with thunderous applause. Join us in our efforts to provide that moment of gratitude as we celebrate Frederick’s career and the sweeping landscape of change witnessed during his decades-long journey with San Francisco Opera.

• Sunday, June 13, 1 pm: Opera in the Harlem Renaissance Speaker: Melissa Givens For many, the Harlem Renaissance points our thoughts towards smoky nightclubs like The Cotton Club, iconic singers like Billie Holiday and the jazz poetry of Langston Hughes. Beyond the most famous figures dominating the artistic mecca, lie the stories of African American opera singers and the Black opera companies that today remain almost forgotten. Professor and soprano Melissa Givens will take us on a journey into that renaissance and shed light onto the stages remembered only in obscure articles of Black history.

• Sunday, June 20, 1 pm: All About Marian Anderson Speaker: Mark Burford In 1939, contralto Marian Anderson was famously denied permission to perform at Washington D.C.’s Constitution Hall due to the color of her skin. At her historic Lincoln Memorial performance that same year, it was the content of her character and the voice of a century that delivered her into the hearts and homes of everyday Americans. Professor Mark Burford will take us beyond that moment to share a more complete portrayal of this important character in African American Music History.

• Sunday, June 27, 1 pm: TBA

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the strange case of james levine

The hyper-conservatism that dominates classical The 10-time Grammy award-winner also served as music culture provides the perfect environment music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchesfor secrets to hide in plain sight. It is not just the tra’s Ravinia Festival from 1973 to 1993, and of the institutions or the cultural leaders at the helm that Boston Symphony Orchestra from 2004 to 2011. are responsible. It is us. Ours was among the last As chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic, sectors of society to be effectively permeated by the Levine led the orchestra from 1999 to 2004. He progressive #MeToo movement, perhaps because was also a frequent guest conductor for some of we’ve been resigned to exist in our bubble, separate the world’s most elite orchestras. from the goings-on of the world at large.

His wide-spreading appeal even extended into On March 9, 2021, conductor James Levine died popular culture, with features on PBS’s American of natural causes in Palm Springs, California. He Masters, Disney’s acclaimed Fantasia 2000, and a was 77 years old.

New York Times magazine cover in 1983. It is scarcely a surprise that Levine was commonly regarded as the greatest conductor in America since Leonard Bernstein, known for his ability to empower the orchestra to “function within the conception [of the score] without having to check with the middleman.

“How much do you have to give? How good do

by Richard Oliver you have to be? When I go out, to the theater, to nce one of the most lauded and highly paid a restaurant, all I get from people I meet is wonconductors in the United States, the end derful feedback about what the work I do means of his career and the final years of his life to them. That’s what matters.” were marked by controversy and conspiracy. It is This was conductor Levine in a 1998 interview widely accepted that Levine’s singular tenure at the with New York Times arts critic Anthony Tommasini.

Metropolitan Opera, which covered four decades, Two decades later, his words resonate with disturbshaped the country’s largest performing arts orga- ingly eerie implications. At the time, Levine was nization into the unassailable artistic organization responding to growing controversies surroundwe know it as today. Over 2,500 performances were ing his acceptance of the title of music director of led under his baton at the opera house, beginning the Munich Philharmonic—namely, the leaking of in 1971, before allegations of child sexual abuse his lofty salary in a recession-gripped Germany, and sexual misconduct started to emerge in 2016. where arts institutions were grappling with sizThese led to his suspension in 2017 and formal able budget cuts. The German tabloids took aim at dismissal in March 2018, following an internal Levine’s fiercely guarded private life, promulgating investigation. innuendo into his sexuality and fringe procliviLevine was, by all accounts, a child prodigy, ties. Meanwhile, rumors of his sexual misconduct, debuting with the Cincinnati Symphony at the age harassment, and abuse had been percolating withof 10 as the soloist in Mendelssohn’s Piano Con- in opera and classical music circles since the 1980s. certo No. 1. He would go on to debut at the Met at In 1987, the Times published an article wherein 29, leading a production of Puccini’s Tosca before Levine first addressed the rumors publicly, saying, being named music director there five years later. “… people can’t believe the real story, that I’m too

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good to be true.”

Levine’s knotted legacy finds its roots not only Johanna Fiedler, chief press liaison for the Met in the success of major arts organizations, like the from 1975 to 1989, later wrote on the subject. “Per- Met and the BSO, but also in the career successes haps the stories arose because Levine—then, as of countless world-renowned vocalists for whom now—exudes friendliness and warmth, yet has an his influence opened many doors. These artists intense desire for personal privacy.” I believe it is include James Morris, Aprile Millo, Kathleen Batbecause of our inclination toward hero worship tle, and Morris Robinson. of some of our biggest stars that such minimizing “This dude was a genius of unparalleled proporrationale as Fiedler’s has sufficed as an acceptable tions,” said Robinson in a Zoom interview with answer to the mounting accusations. The rumors me. “If it weren’t for him having that foresight and have been relegated to industry gossip, forgoing taking a chance on me, we wouldn’t be having this any real investigation. conversation right now, because I just would’ve Justin Cohen, a Juilliard graduate and former been one of those guys who just passed through professional trumpeter, vividly recalls mentioning and didn’t make it.” to a New York City Opera vocal coach around 1990 Robinson, who didn’t begin singing until the age a story about Levine having been caught molesting of 30, was quickly identified by Levine as a special a young male in New York’s Central Park. Cohen talent worth nurturing, and rightly so. However, says, “She responded with vehemence that it was with the emergence of the allegations and mountnot rumor, and that a staff member at the Met ing evidence against his mentor, Robinson was had confirmed it as widely known fact.” Obvious- nevertheless heartbroken by the revelations. ly, many people knew at the time about Levine’s “Because a lot of old scenarios were being unearthed behavior. Yet he seemingly experienced no pro- around that time,” he said, “like Bill Cosby and fessional or legal consequences, his actions an Epstein, I thought, ‘Is this really happening?’ I was open secret. hurt, and I was shocked.”

In total, nine men went on record publicly accusIn Robinson’s case, the relationship that was ing Levine of abuse, with allegations spanning cultivated between himself and his mentor was from the 1960s to the 1990s. At that time, many of one of rigorous artistic exploration and discovery, the victims were teenagers or in their early twen- and the professionalism shared between the two ties, vulnerable artists who were in the early stag- never faltered. es of their careers and under Levine’s tutelage Regarding the type of media coverage surroundand mentorship. Upon his dismissal in 2018, the ing the mounting scandal against Levine, RobinMet released a statement saying their investiga- son feels there’s a fundamental issue that many tion had “uncovered credible evidence that Mr. of us, frankly, tend to overlook.

Levine engaged in sexually abusive and harassing “I think that a certain amount of responsibility conduct.” comes with being a public figure,” he says. “When Levine sued the Met for breach of contract and you achieve a certain status, all aspects of your defamation, and was countersued by the organi- private life become public knowledge, and I think zation for violating his duties and harming the that’s unfair for anyone and everyone involved.” reputation of the institution. The legal battle ended I appreciate this comment, not for Levine’s sake, with a quiet settlement in 2019, Levine emerging but for that of his victims and the loved ones that with $3.5 million. He was never charged. survive him. When sensationalism and salacious

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journalism grip a story, especially one of such consequence, the collateral damage often ripples indiscriminately through the lives of every person involved, regardless of culpability or victimhood.

Opera and classical music’s hyper-conservative culture is changing, though, primarily as a response to the rapidly evolving zeitgeist of society and, more specifically, creative communities.

Antiquated models of leadership and oversight are shifting to empower individuals not from the top down, but from the bottom up.

In that vein, the deification of individuals, regardless of their profound contributions to their art, is reckless. As we’ve seen in the cases of Harvey Weinstein and Woody Allen, artistic barons must no longer be shielded by their celebrity or the institutions that protect them. As this new wave of oversight and accountability sweeps through

“… I learned to recognize the thorough and primitive duality of man; I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness, even if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both.”

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the classical music community, we might reflect on how we, as individuals, can contribute to the progress.

To consistently champion the higher ideals of community over hero worship is to actively protest the status quo. If enough of us within these circles were to do so, perhaps the space that allows for abuse to occur would shrink. Even more importantly, cancerous rumors would not simply spread through the community unchecked for decades.

Levine was once quoted as saying, “I was brought up to take responsibility for myself, to obey the natural laws of my personality and gifts.” Ideally, this type of hubris, when pitted against the pressures of our collective ethos, would not thrive, but whither and fade. Despite his enduring influence on the industry and the art itself, Levine was, after all, just a man—complicated, fallible, and finite.

As novelist Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, “… I learned to recognize the thorough and primitive duality of man; I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness, even if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both.” —The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 

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style & beauty Celebrity stylist Derick Monroe's tips to creating a winning hairstyle.

by Courtney Carey

68 APR-MAY 2021

wholereviewmag.com

Derick Monroe’s name, signature style, and burnished good looks are familiar, more widely known today after years of clamoring his way to the top of a highly saturated industry. As the mastermind behind some of Hollywood’s winning hairstyles, Derick Monroe, the country boy turned celebrity stylist has been the coiffeur to Erykah Badu, Iman, and Willow Smith.

After working on The Wendy Williams Show and a threeyear stint on Project Runway, he landed a dreamy gig on ABC’s long-running daytime talk show, The View, where he styles Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, and Sara Haines. The three-time Emmy-winning stylist and Dark and Lovely Beauty Ambassador shares professional styling tips and best practices for maintaining healthy hair.

What are some of the questions you ask yourself before creating a style for someone?

I generally ask four questions.

• Who are they?

• What are they? (profes-

Q&A

Derick Monroe Celebrity Stylist

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sionally speaking) • What can they maintain?

• What is their vibe/ their energy?

It's funny you mention the importance of knowing who you are. In the last issue, we started a series called “Finding Your Style and Wearing it Comfortably,” which will resume in June/July. We are glad to see the parallel. Aside from knowing oneself, what other factors should people consider when choosing a hairstyle?

Well, going along with the idea of knowing yourself, it is important to “Know thy face.”

Face shape and structure definitely influence how I create styles for someone.

Common facial shapes are: oval, V-triangle, rectangle, square, long, heart, round, A-triangle and diamond (see face shape charts below) It is also important to know your hair's texture. Is your hair straight, wavy, curly, or kinky? Knowing your hair texture will help you identify the type of products you need to effectively treat and style your hair.

Are there other considerations?

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recolor. If not, we have to consider the options carefully. You also have to be mindful of the fact that coloring can dry your hair and scalp, so maintenance and upkeep have to be factored in.

How does someone choose an ideal hair color?

Skin tone and undertones play a huge factor in deciding what color is best for your hair. Have you ever seen someone with hair color so close to their skin tone that when they pull it back, it looks like they're bald? Well, that person has chosen the wrong color.

Yes! What is your lifestyle? Are you a business professional? Are you athletic? Do you work from home? Lifestyle affects how you style and manage your hair. I would also ask if you know the basics of hairstyling.

• basic blowout • hair parting techniques • blow drying • combing & brushing • (can you use?) curling irons • (can you use?) flat irons I basically have a block of questions I ask.

•How often are you going to be able to touch up your hair?

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Earlier, when listing the questions you ask before creating a style for someone, one of those questions was, "what can they maintain?" Lots of our readers are opera singers who travel all over the world in lots of conditions. What would you say are the tenants of hair care?

Three things immediately come to mind shampooconditioner, and moisturizer.

I suggest finding a good cleansing shampoo to remove buildup, a moisturizing shampoo to add moisture to the hair follicles, and a protein-rich conditioner.

There are many variables to consider when creating a look.

You have to decide which element is the star of the show and which elements are the backup singers.

If you’re playing up the dress/suit then you want to have a neutral hairstyle. If you’re wearing softer makeup and accessories, then the hair needs to be bold.

•Do you have time to color it?

•Do you have time for color care?

I say that because color care and maintenance varies depending on the color of the hair. A blonde’s roots will grow back in about 2-3 weeks. Red color fades quicker. So, I want to know if you have the time to

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style and beauty

I also suggest full protein treatments at least once per month.

These chemical treatments improve the texture, strength, and appearance of your hair.

What is your personal aesthetic?

I’m old school. I want the hair to look done- well styled. We are in a time now where it is popular to go unstyled and messy- “bedhead hair.” I always like for the hair to look like it has a touch of effort. Working with Whoopi, people will often ask, "well what do you do there?" There are things that I do. I will bend her locs sometimes... wrap it, all kinds of things. A touch of effort makes a difference.

How did you find your style?

Well, there aren’t too many options for men. I got bored with my style as it was, and went out and started looking for inspiration. I found inspiration on Pinterest.

Well, there aren’t too many options for men. I got bored with my style as it was and went out and started looking for inspiration. I found inspiration on Pinterest and then went online and did some research. I found this place called Napp Star, and they gave me some loc extensions, and now I have something to style. I am happy that I have a look now. I like having something to style. 

ROUND

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the

A

Angela Brown's Favorite Things

Online Boutiques:

I love how regal I feel whenever I’m wearing my Grass-Fields’ fashions. The authentic African fabric, quality and craftsmanship are second to none. All pieces are made in the UK and Cameroon.

GRASS-FIELDS, AFRICAN FASHION BOUTIQUE https://www.grass-fields.com/ collections/womens-clothing

Graphic Tee’s:

I recently bought an Embellished by Elishia t-shirt that commemorates female Black excellence in opera.

It’s fabulous. The only thing missing is my name! Hmm...

EMBELLISHED BY ELISHIA www.facebook.com/embellishedbyelishia

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list

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style and beauty

Candle:

My favorite Bath and Body Works candle, hands down is Stress Relief.

The scent is inviting yet relaxing and soothing. It’s the perfect candle to burn at the end of a stressful day.

STRESS RELIEF BY BATH AND BODY WORKS List Price $24.50 | 14.5 oz / 411 g www.bathandbodyworks.com

© All images of Angela Brown used by permission

Sock boutique online:

I bought my husband these colorful, authentic, soft African socks by Afrisocks because he kept wearing mine. Now, we can identify each other’s socks!

AFRISOCKS List Price $50.00 Ywanda Collection http://afrisocks.com

Incense:

Nag Champa incense puts me in a relaxed, heightened state of mind. It purifies the air and sets the tone for my day.

NAG CHAMPA BY SHRINIVAS SUGANDHALAYA www.shrinivassugandhalayabngllp.com

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Make-up Products:

the A list

sytle and beauty

All these years, I've been putting on false eyelashes. I found that the Ultra Adhesive Eyeliner Pen from T & A Beauty is the easiest way to line my eyes and put my lashes on at the same time.

BLACK GOLD BY T&A - ULTRA ADHESIVE EYELINER PEN Originally $29.99, Now $19.95 USD https://tandabeauty.shop/products/ultra-adhesive-eyeliner-pen

MARY KAY TIMEWISE REPAIR VOLU-FIRM 5 PRODUCT SET ADV SKIN CARE Full Size | List Price $199.99

Skin care:

I love how Mary Kay’s Naturally Skin Care makes my skin look smooth and radiant. My Mary Kay consultant, Elizabeth Manning, hooked me up and she’ll do the same for you.

MARY KAY NATURALLY SKIN CARE Please contact Elizabeth Manning, Mary Kay consultant: http://www. marykay.com/emanning2326

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Music podcast:

What can I say? Named 2020 Best Black Music Podcast by the Black Podcasting Awards, Melanated Moments in Classical Music will inspire, enlighten, and make you smile. Check it out wherever you receive your podcasts!

MELANATED MOMENTS IN CLASSICAL MUSIC www.classicalmusicindy.org/podcasts/melanated-moments

MELANATED MOMENTS IN CLASSICAL MUSIC

Healthy Food Go-To’s when you are in a food desert:

I have learned that presenters sometimes bring you to a city and don't realize that they have put you in a hotel in a food desert. Here are some food items to keep in your room without blowing your per diem on room service and expensive hotel restaurants. Seek out a drugstore - Walgreen’s, Duane Reade, CVS – and pick up: •Bagged salad kit with dressing and a can of chickpeas or beans (protein) •Cereal and yogurt and fruit •Cheese and juices •Milk •Canned soup •Bottled water

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Hair products and

Cantu Edge Gel holds my edges down without looking waxy or shiny. I love this product. It holds my baby hairs down and I ain’t been a baby for 50+ years.

CANTU EDGE GEL List Price $9.29 www.amazon.com/Cantu-ExtraHold-Edge-Stay/dp/B01LTIAUAQ

wig lines:

I love the ease and flexibility of wearing wigs. One of my favorite go-to, online wig shops is Vogue Wigs.

You can go from long and luscious to short and sassy to cute and curly to naturally bold.

Available online: www.voguewigs.com

Fragrance:

Baby, when my man, Blaise, puts on Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille – watch out! Or, I should say HE should watch out. Get it for your boo too!

Male: TOM FORD TOBACCO VANILLE EAU DE PARFUM List Price $340 www.tomford.com

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When I smell the fresh scent of Creed Virgin Island Water, I am transported to a beautiful sandy beach with the water slapping at the shore and me enjoying a frozen pina colada with my dog Jazz by my side. Sigh...a girl can dream Unisex/ Female: CREED VIRGIN ISLAND WATER EAU DE PARFUM List Price $310 www.creedboutique.com

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Masks

on-

line:

I can’t help a shameless plug.

I love my mama and how she has inspired my creativity even beyond the grave. Freddie Mae’s Daughter sells uniquely inspired, one of a kind, handmade masks, neckpieces, and fabric wrapped jewelry.

Place your order today!

Freddie Mae’s Daughter www.facebook.com/ freddiemaesdaughter

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health section& wellness name COVID-19

STANDFIRST COPY, nonsul ta dieme nonsultin vesulu VACCINE Idea morum sero ute et ine reiEFFICACY publicae horum tus, coerfen

by Courtney

by AUTHOR Carey

78 APR-MAY 2021

wholereviewmag.com

Looming questions about the efficacy of the coronavirus vaccines by Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson have created vaccination hesitation, leaving millions of Americans unvaccinated and unprotected against the coronavirus. We wanted to understand

the root causes of vaccine hestitancy, and to in turn provide answers to questions and dispel myths. Dr. Daniel Billings (DNP, AGPCNP-BC) and Dr. Jasmine Travers (PhD, MHS, RN, AGPCNP-BC) answer your most frequently asked questions.

Dr. Jasmine Travers (PhD, MHS, RN, AGPCNP-BC)

Dr. Daniel Billings (DNP, AGPCNP-BC)

1. Why should I take the vaccine?

JT: When I receive this question, I often counter it by asking, “Why shouldn’t you take the vaccine” or “What’s your better alternative?” Is it, I want to wait a little longer to see what happens, or do you never plan on taking it? Some say they will allow everyone else to get the vaccine, which would make it safer for those who choose not to take it to be out and about.

But, if we all took that approach, where would that leave us? Nowhere. And to note, this statement around safety being built by others taking the vaccine implies a level of certainty on the people who make those statements that the vaccine will do what it’s supposed to do. So what is your real reason for not taking it?

We are living in fear of the harms that the vaccine can potentially do to us but fail to neglect how COVID-19 itself has taken so much from us. Specific to older adults, 14% of COVID-19 cases in the United States

are among adults 65 years of age and older, yet 80% of deaths are among this population. Older adults 65-74 years old are 1300 times more likely to die from COVID when compared to 5-17 years old, those 7584 years old 3200 times, and those 85 and over 8700 times. Older adults are at greater risk because of their increased likelihood to have multiple chronic conditions, weakened immune systems, and fragility.

1 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ need-extra-precautions/older-adults.html Although we don’t know everything there is to know about the vaccines, they are safe and effective, and the benefits of getting the vaccine far outweigh the risks.

I have seen many people contract COVID-19. Some have lost their lives from a battle with COVID-19 within weeks or months. Lastly, there are the lingering effects that COVID-19 takes on in the body, with people

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reporting the inability to return to normal.

You should also get the vaccine if you had COVID already.

You can’t compare millions of lives lost to COVID-19 to the handful of people you hear that may have experienced an adverse effect from the vaccine. And in some ways, I liken it to a basketball player playing a game of basketball who falls to his death during the game due to a heart condition he didn't know he had. So, was it the game of basketball that killed him or the heart condition? This is very similar to the adverse effects experienced by the COVID-19 vaccine.

I strongly urge and recommend your readers look into the facts and information for themselves, talk to their healthcare providers, and review trusted sites. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ index.html 3 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html 2

Contracting COVID-19 may offer some protection, known as natural immunity. Current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is uncommon in the months after initial infection, but may increase with time. The risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 far outweighs any benefits of natural immunity. COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you by creating an antibody (immune system) response without experiencing sickness.

DB: The COVID-19 virus is highly contagious, unpredictable, and can cause many complications, resulting in death. It is important to be vaccinated to protect yourself, your family, friends, and neighbors. African-Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans/Indigenous people are more likely to contract the virus, and are dying at disproportionate rates, compared to white Americans.

2. Which vaccine should I take?

JT: Health officials have said that the first vaccine that becomes available to you is the best one to take. You do not have a choice typically unless the site is giving more than one vaccine that day, and the type of vaccine being administered is generally not publicized.

Also, Pfizer and Moderna need to be stored under very cold temperatures, making it difficult for distribution.

Johnson and Johnson does not require such cold temperatures, making it easier for distribution in the home, mobile clinics, and drive-thru vaccination sites.

There are differences between the vaccines.

Currently, the ones approved in the U.S. are Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson.

Pfizer and Moderna are both made with an MRNA technology and require two doses 3-4 weeks apart, depending on the vaccine. Johnson and Johnson is one dose that may be appealing to those who may have difficulty returning for a second dose or prefer not to travel a second time.

Pfizer/BioNTech's and Moderna's two-dose vaccines use novel mRNA vaccine technology to give our cells instructions on how to make a harmless protein that is unique to the coronavirus. Our cells make copies of that protein, which our bodies recognize as foreign, prompting an immune response. This immunity then fights the virus that causes COVID-19 if we are infected. This vaccine technology is new, but it has been rigorously studied for decades, and the re-

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covid-19 vaccines

search was used to speed vaccine development. The J&J vaccine uses a different approach, called a viral vector, that uses a harmless virus to instruct human cells to make the spike protein, which then trigPfizer-BioNTech : • Recommended for: Anyone 16 and older.

• 95% efficacy in preventing COVID-19 in those without prior infection.

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health & wellness

gers an immune response. This same approach was used previously by J&J to make their Ebola vaccine.

Moderna: • Recommended for: Adults 18 and older.

• 95% efficacy in preventing COVID-19 • Moderna is still testing the vaccine in children ages 12-17, and children aged 6 months to 12 years.

Johnson & Johnson • Recommended for: Adults 18 and older. The company also expects to start testing the vaccine on children.

• How well it works: 72% overall efficacy and 86% efficacy against severe disease in the U.S.

DB: From my perspective, any vaccine that is available and convenient. There is no significant difference between the Pfizer and Modern vaccines. These two vaccines use a relatively unknown technology to help the body develop an immunity against the COVID-19 virus. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is available and has been the subject of concern for blood clots. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recently

reiterated the vaccine’s safety, however. Regarding this concern, we must remember, the likelihood of clotting events occurring are very small. Many older adults are on anticoagulants (“blood thinners”) for diseases such as atrial fibrillation, so developing blood clots on this therapy is near impossible.

3. Will the vaccines prevent me from contracting COVID-19

4

JT: Yes, the vaccines have been found to be 95% (Moderna and Pfizer) and 65%-72% (Johnson and Jonnson) effective in preventing COVID-19 and all have been found to be 95-100% effective in preventing hospitalizations and severe illness from COVID-19.

h t t p s : / / w w w. y a l e m e d i c i n e . o r g / n e w s / covid-19-vaccine-comparison 5 https://www.ncoa.org/article/covid-vaccineswhat-seniors-need-to-know

While the person getting the vaccine will be protected 10-14 days after being fully vaccinated, it’s still unknown whether they can spread COVID-19 to those who aren’t vaccinated.

Important to note, you can’t get COVID-19 from the vaccine.

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4. What is the difference between RNA and DNA and is there anything people need to be worried about? mRNA is like a teacher that shows the body how to make the antibodies that fight off COVID-19.

To be clear, the vaccine will not alter one’s DNA. The Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine itself is a messenger RNA vaccine or mRNA vaccine. The vaccine contains a “spike protein” retrieved from the surface of the COVID-19 virus. It harnesses a process that our cells use every day to make proteins in which our body triggers an immune response. After the protein is made it breaks down the mRNA. Protein is released our im-

mune system targets it and antibodies are developed This mRNA technology has been around for 10 years, so is not new. The vaccines are safe, mRNA is degraded, broken down in the first few days of vaccination, and never enters our DNA. There are concerns that the mRNA may cause auto-immune disease. This information is unknown but health experts will continue to monitor.

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine does not have the mRNA technology if people remain concerned.

5. How long will the vaccine last?

6. Will I need to get vaccinated every year, every few months, etc?

JT: Right now, the vaccines are said to last for 6 months based on coronavirus antibodies being found to remain prevalent six months after participants in the Pfizer and Moderna clinical trials received their second shot, but there is no definitive time. One must remember that we only have as much information that we can glean from the trials.

JT: We will likely need to get the vaccines at least annually. Right now trials are being conducted through Moderna and Pfizer on both a booster vaccine as well as a new vaccine to stimulate a flagging immune system and address the variants that we are seeing.

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7. Are the vaccines safe? What should I expect if and when I take it?

7

JT: Yes, the vaccines are safe, but that does not mean you shouldn’t expect symptoms. This is just an additional sign that the vaccine is doing the work that it is supposed to do in your body. Therefore, try not to have anything too heavy planned a day or two after getting your vaccine. It is safe to take Tylenol for side effects after getting the vaccine (do not pre-medicate as that may reduce the production of inflammatory mediators and affect your body’s immune response to the vaccine). With any medication, it is recommended to talk to your healthcare provider first. The CDC says people should be monitored for 15 minutes after getting a Covid-19 shot, and 30 minutes if they have a history of severe allergies. Stay hydrated. Also expect to continue to wear your mask and socially distance until we receive additional guidance from the CDC indicating that it is safe to be without masks. If you experience an adverse reaction to the vaccine, report it to the manufacture and the CDC VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System). You can sign up for BeSafe which is a text-based monitoring system where you can report adverse events and receive a follow-up call.

- COVID-19 vaccines have been tested in large, randomized controlled trials that include people of a broad age range, both sexes, different ethnicities, and those with known medical conditions. The vaccines have shown a high level of efficacy across all populations.

Vaccines are safe and effective in people with various underlying medical conditions that are associated with an increased risk of severe disease. These include high blood pressure; diabetes; asthma; pulmonary, liver, or kidney disease; and chronic infections that are stable and controlled. 

Get trusted information to answer questions and concerns that you may have and stay up to date with new guidance and CDC 6https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html - Over 211 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the United States from December 14, 2020, through April 19, 2021.

-Common side effects: swelling, redness, and pain at the injection site, fever, headache, tiredness, muscle pain, chills, nausea -These are all common reactions -Small number of people have developed anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) -Long term effects are extremely rare

https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stori e s /d etail / s a fet y - o f- co v i d-1 9 -va cci n e s

REFERENCES: 1 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/needextra-precautions/older-adults.html 2 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index. html 3 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html 4 https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-19-vaccine-comparison 5 https://www.ncoa.org/article/covid-vaccines-whatseniors-need-to-know 6 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index. html 7 https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/ detail/safety-of-covid-19-vaccines

Disclaimer: All information provided by The Whole Review/ Courtney’s Stars of Tomorrow is of a general nature and is furnished for educational purposes only. No information is to be taken as medical or health advice pertaining to any individual’s specific health or medical condition. For further details on terms of use please visit cstarsoftomorrow.com/terms-of-use.

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harmonious section flavor name Pack STANDFIRST your snacks COPY, andnonsul mealsta with dieme a symphony nonsultinof vesulu flavor!

Idea morum seroSymphony ute et ine rei Chips publicae & more horum tus, coerfen

by Courtney

by AUTHOR Carey

I

am always happy to talk about food. I’ve spent a significant part of my life in the kitchen, and I’ve even taken up the challenge of popping up on a national television show or two. You can find food everywhere- YouTube, Food Network, Food TV, in print magazines like Bon Appétit and, of course, The Whole Review. I was sitting on the couch watching an episode of The View when a small business edition of View Your Deal came across the screen. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to contact the company to see how we could feature them in the magazine.

This before I even tasted the product. To make a

long story short, I contacted Dondre Anderson, co-founder of Symphony Chips, and after hearing the company’s origin story, I was more inclined to give these chips a try. The company slogan, “every bite is harmonious,” is spot on. I have tried every flavor, all of which are available in a special bundle.

I fell in love. It is clear that the architect of the spice blends, Andre Anderson, has a cultivated palate. He deftly crafted unique blends in much the same way a chemist mixes ingredients to make the perfect perfume. They know how to hit the right notes. Visit symphonychips.com to place your order today. 

"Every bite is harmonious!"

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COMPANY STORY We began as a spice company! My dad, Andre' Anderson, is a retired Las Vegas Chef.

While working on the infamous Las Vegas strip, he developed a 28 herb and spice blend that caught the attention of patrons and fellow chefs alike.

So naturally, when I tried it, I was blown away. I loved it so much I convinced my dad that we needed to package and sell the

seasoning ASAP! Once the spices were featured in a grocery store, we quickly learned that no one buys spices they cannot taste, no matter how pretty the packaging. So we began doing in-store demonstrations. Starting out, we presented the seasoning on raw vegetables and popcorn. However, it wasn't until we put it on homemade potato chips when

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people began to notice its unique flavor.

The feedback was the same, “ the spices are good, but where can I get a bag of these chips?!”

Thus, Symphony Chips was born. A gourmet potato chip with a harmonious blend of flavors in every bite. Our chips are all natural, pairing well with wine and IPA beers, perfect for all ages.

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recipe

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food

TRI-COLOR QUINOA servings: 2 1/2 cups INGREDIENTS • 1 cup of tri-color quinoa • 1/4 cup diced yellow onion • 2 tablespoons minced garlic • 1 1/2 cups of water • 1 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper • 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil INSTRUCTIONS Add olive oil to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes or until translucent. Once onions are tender, add the garlic and cook for exactly 60 seconds.

Add 11/2 cups of hot tap water, salt, and pepper to the pot, turn up the heat and bring the water to a boil.

Stir in 1 cup of tri-color quinoa. Return water to boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cook covered until the water is completely absorbed and the quinoa is tender. Note: White germ will separate from the seed). Cook time: 14-18 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Recipe by Courtney Carey

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SAUSAGE AND QUINOA STUFFED ZUCCHINI servings: 2 INGREDIENTS • 2/4 cup tri-color quinoa • 1 spicy italian sausage • 1 large zucchini • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion • 1/4 cup grated aged gouda cheese • 1 tablespoon fennel seed • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar • 3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper • 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees F STEP 1 Wash and thoroughly dry zucchini. Place the zucchini on a cutting board and cut down the middle, creating two halves. Using a teaspoon, gently remove the insides of the zucchini, making a cavity.

Reserve the zucchini insides. Place zucchini halves onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Rub the zucchini with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper inside the cavity and out-

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side of the zucchini. Place them into the oven, cut side up, for 30 minutes. Cook until tender.

STEP 2 While the zucchini halves are roasting in the oven, prepare the filling. Add remaining olive oil to a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the sausage to the oil and cook until fat has rendered and the sausage is just starting to brown. After the sausage has some color, add the reserved zucchini insides, onion, thyme, cardamom, and fennel seeds to the pan.

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Once the sausage has browned and the onions have softened add the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Cook the liquid off, stir in the quinoa, and set aside.

STEP 3 Once the squash is fork-tender, remove it from the oven and add the filling to the zucchini cavities. Top with cheese and place the halves back into the oven until the cheese has melted. Serve hot.

Recipe by Courtney Carey

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food

JEFF'S FINGERLING POTATOES INGREDIENTS • 1 ½ - 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, cleaned and sliced as needed into bite size pieces • 2 shallots, thinly sliced • 2 tbsp fresh sage, rough chop • 2 tbsp butter • 1 tsp olive oil • 1 tsp kosher salt • ½ tsp black pepper • 1 tsp garlic powder Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Add the potatoes to your Air Fryer and Air Fry at 400F for 20 minutes shaking the basket halfway through until well browned. If you don’t have an Air Fryer, no biggie, just roast the potatoes in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour until fork tender and browned.

Recipe by Jeffrey Mitchell

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easy listening

STAR

Pick

Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho's debut album offers a new weight and a new perspective on verismo classics and rarities.

by Deandre Simmons

Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho's debut recital disc 'Anima Rara' pays tribute to the Italian soprano Rosina Storchio (1876-1945), who created the roles of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Mascagni’s Lodoletta and Leoncavallo’s Zazà. Since its release last September, much has been made of the uncanny similarities between Storchio and Jaho in voice and artistic temperament. As far as comparisons go, the size of voice between the two is the most apparent. Neither Storchio nor Jaho possess a voice typically associated with the verismo classics of Puccini, Leoncavallo, Mascagni, and Giordano. But, in Jaho's Opera Rara recording, the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana led by

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Andrea Battistoni offers a scaled-down, supportive accompaniment for her lyric soprano.

Hers is a unique sound with a pulsating vibrato that evens out as she ascends to the upper parts of her vocal range. The strength of this disc lies in the soprano’s expressivity and depth of interpretation.

She can deftly conjure up sweet, delicate pianos, and immediately launch into full-throated forte passages (and vice versa). Although she is not the ideal verismo singer, her interpretive prowess and vocal abandon make the readings of these traditional and rare arias quite enjoyable. That is why Anima Rara is my “STAR PICK”. 

wholereviewmag.com

wholereviewmag.com

APR-MAY 2021

91

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