Duncan Holzhall’s “Voices of Tomorrow’s Songs” showcases frank business of opera interviews conducted during the pandemic. Published in August 2020 and now available via Amazon. Photos: Duncan Holzhall
(Santa Fe, NM) - Opera Innovation asks our followers to “DM collabs” via Instagram and we’re excited that that’s beginning to happen with more regularity. One of the most succinct and compelling pitches thus far came from Duncan Holzhall, creative leader, writer, performing arts producer and New Voices Opera Artistic Director. Duncan’s beautifully researched piece draws from his new book “Voices of Tomorrow’s Songs,” discussing, from the young professional’s point of view, five (5) ways American opera can begin to improve its standing, optics and real-world business success in our right here, right now reality. JM
By Duncan Holzhall
In April of this year, everything was up in the air. The world premiere of an opera I was helping produce was postponed for an entire year along with a switch in artistic direction. The two summer academies that I was planning on helping administer were hoping that the situation would improve before ultimately being cancelled for the year. And with my university’s switch to online-only instruction, all choir and opera-related activities were shut down for the rest of the academic year. In the span of two weeks, my peers, colleagues and I had our occupation and training stripped from us. We felt disoriented and helpless.
But the experiences that were divested from us were replaced with time: time for reflection, and time for observation. Even given my relative youth, it was not difficult to see that the opera industry began undergoing a seismic shift during the pandemic. From playing decades of catch-up in the technology realm to reckoning with structural inequalities in the field, the opera industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was on full display for all to see. Wanting to understand how this situation would shape our future, I spent the summer interviewing friends, colleagues, and mentors, trying to gauge their attitudes toward the opera industry. The project culminated in a book, Voices of Tomorrows Songs, a vision statement for the future of American opera. The young people interviewed for this project have highlighted many of the qualities that make opera an inspiring and engaging art form. Equally as present, though, are areas for the field to improve upon. All told, many of these criticisms can fall under the umbrella of one primary issue: Opera in America has an image problem.
The public perception of opera as an "esoteric" and "elitist" art form has crippled the industry's ability to gain traction among a broader audience. Luckily, the professionals I interviewed provided companies with a starting point. The following are five (5) tangible goals for the opera industry, which align with the values of the generation that’s preparing to inherit the art form:
PROGRAM WORKS WITH MODERN, RELEVANT STORYLINES
Opera has displayed a certain pattern of modernity: Le Nozze di Figaro took place in modern day when it was premiered in 1786, Madama Butterfly took place in modern day when it was premiered in 1904, and Ariadne auf Naxos took place in modern day when it ran in 1912. The issue remains, however, that when these popular works are programmed season after season, they might begin to gradually fall out of relevance as the world these operas depicts falls further and further into the past. And while a popular solution might be to place these canonical operas in modern garb, it doesn't change the fact that the problems and values highlighted in these stories may not translate to modern audiences. Some contemporary operas that successfully reflect issues society is concerned about today include Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking, Poul Ruders' The Handmaid's Tale, and Ellen Reid's p r i s m.
INCREASE REPRESENTATION, ON STAGE AND IN STORIES
For a majority of opera's history, stories have revolved around white aristocratic themes and characters: Le Nozze di Figaro takes place within the estate of Count Almaviva, Ariadne auf Naxos occurs in the house of the richest man in Vienna, and La Traviata surrounds a wealthy family marrying a wealthy courtesan. Having fair and accurate representations of non-white stories and characters is crucial to repairing the aristocratic image that opera has in America today. Examples that eschew exoticism in favor of sincerity and humanity include Gregory Spears' Fellow Travelers, Jeanine Tesori's Blue, and Daniel Catán's Florencia en el Amazonas.
Duncan Holzhall, Mya Lucille King and Karli Forte at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (September 27. 2020). Photo: Duncan Holzhall on Instagram.
PROGRAM OPERAS WITH ACCESSIBLE MUSICAL LANGUAGES TO STIMULATE GROWTH
Many potential new opera audience members are intimidated by the perceived “sophistication” of classical music. Understanding that, composing operas that incorporate genres of music such as electronic, gospel, or jazz can bridge a gap between new audience members and the operatic canon, making the art form more accessible to a wider range of people in this country. Exceptional examples of this include Mason Bates' The (R)Evolution of Steve Jobs, Terence Blanchard's Champion, Julien Bilodeau and Roger Waters' Another Brick in the Wall: The Opera, and Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar.
INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY AND UTILIZE EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
Opera audiences in the United States tend to be older, wealthier, and disproportionately white - demographics which are reflective neither of culture consumers nor the country at large. There are several causes to which this can be attributed, including esoteric sentiments, poor arts/language education, and institutions perpetuating a "traditional" canon. To increase access to opera in America, there are several solutions:
Invest in smaller companies that cater to the cultural desires of the communities they serve. Smaller companies provide young artists and producers opportunities to hone their craft, combat homogeneity through independent programming and spur meaningful economic activity within the immediate area of the theater.
Put opera productions on popular streaming services. By meeting audiences where they currently consume media, there’s a higher chance that viewers will matriculate into seats at live performances, and more people might discover that they have an affinity for opera.
Deviate from the traditional method of presentation. There is no requirement that opera be presented in a proscenium theater. Using unconventional spaces (such as a presentation of Faust in a library) can increase new audience engagement, or perhaps an anime-influenced film adaptation (anime fans have demonstrated that subtitles are not a substantial barrier to entry).
REMOVE THE HIGH-BROW SENTIMENT
While the above will help draw more people to the theater, potentially for the first time, this recommendation aims to keep new opera patrons returning. While there are intra-audience interactions that cannot be fixed, there are steps that companies can take to create a more hospitable environment for new audience members. First, providing social opportunities that serve to enrich the artistic experience of the opera will maintain the interest of audiences better than a purely educational opportunity (i.e. the traditional pre-show lecture). Secondly, the perception of “The Diva” is hurtful to the sustenance of the art form. New audiences are already intimidated by opera for many reasons, and creating an air of aloofness does nothing to help potential patrons. Whether inviting friends to the opera, having a robust and diverse social media presence, or engaging on- and off-line with newcomers and experts alike, the process of creating a welcoming aura around performing artists removes a barrier for new opera audiences and helps foster more inclusive environments at the theater. Many of the artists that professionals in my generation admire (Lisette Oropesa, Jamie Barton, and Lucas Meachem, to name but a few) have gained as much admiration for their authentic online persona as for their talent.
The above is a sample of the vision that many young people hold for opera over the next twenty years. Criticisms of the industry do not stem from hatred, but from love. Based upon the sentiments expressed in my Tomorrow’s Voices interviews, if young people truly did not care about opera, they wouldn’t bother providing suggestions on how to approach and improve the practice of our art form. To the young people who are interested in opera, please continue making your voice heard. Fill out those pesky audience surveys and tell companies that these are the changes you want to see. Donate to opera companies that you see as fulfilling this vision. And definitely support companies that are making good faith efforts to integrate opera into everyday American culture. Everything is up in the air at the moment, for all of us, so let’s use this time to restructure the foundations of this business to ensure a healthier future.
Duncan Holzhall has solidified a reputation as a creative leader, writer, and performing arts producer, with work spanning several genres of music and culture. Most prominently, he assumed the position of Artistic Director of New Voices Opera, a company devoted to the development of contemporary opera. He has also worked in a variety of other capacities within the performing arts industry, including as an Artistic Intern/Interim Supernumerary Captain at Cincinnati Opera and as Production Manager for Opera Lucca. He is based in Bloomington, IN.
Follow Duncan Holzhall on Instagram.