Operas

  • Cassandra: chamber opera in two acts, 2019. Libretto by Nathalie Anderson.
  • Who’d Believe That? Cassandra in Troy: a one-act version of Cassandra, 2019.
  • A Scandal in Bohemia: chamber opera in two acts, after a story by A. Conan Doyle, 2008. Libretto by Nathalie Anderson. Setting: London, 1880’s.
  • Sukey in the Dark: chamber opera in one act, 2001; revised 2016. Libretto by Nathalie Anderson
    • Audio clip: Aria from Sukey in the Dark A contemporary re-envisioning of the Cupid and Psyche myth. Sukey – stuck in a dead-end job – finds herself in an unconventional relationship with a lover who never shows his face. What does it mean to go against social expectations? In this aria, Sukey sings to Eros that she yearns for their marriage to emerge from darkness.  Audio from the Peabody Chamber Opera production with soprano Madeline Huss in the title role.
    • Click here to purchase a piano/vocal score or a study score.
  • The Royal Singer, a Participatory Opera for Children, 2015. Libretto by Nathalie Anderson, after a scenario by Stephen Russell.

    Professor Song – eager for her child Bo to be chosen as the new Royal Singer – coaches five flawed singer-contestants, hoping to encourage Bo to enter the competition.  Instead, Bo discovers the pleasure of being part of a chorus of friends.  The penultimate scene is to be created and performed by a group of local children, in partnership with the adults. Audio of Scene 7: FinaleClick here to purchase a piano/vocal score; a study score; or scene 3, an ensemble for 8 voices.

  • The Black Swan, chamber opera in two acts after the novella by Thomas Mann; 1996. Libretto by Nathalie Anderson.
  • Prologue, Ciappelleto’s Scene, and Interludes for Decameron, a chamber opera after Boccaccio, 2010. Libretto by Karen Saillant.

In development: Isabella’s Diary. A new chamber opera, based on an infamous 19th century scandal.  Englishwoman Isabella Robinson wrote diary entries detailing an extramarital affair.  After her abusive husband stole and published her diary, she fought valiantly against a legal system that regarded her as property. A story of marital deceit and violated privacy that resonates powerfully in the era of non-consensual sexting and #MeToo. Libretto: Nathalie Anderson.  Duration: approximately 1 hour. Expected date of completion: summer 2025