Join Cassie & Kathleen as they talk with Arizona Opera’s President and General Director, Joseph Specter. Learn about the winding road that led Joe from Pee-wee football player, to aspiring rock-star, all the way to Arizona Opera. Discover what a General Director actually does, get a peek behind the curtain, and learn why Joe and the Arizona Opera team might be sipping lattes and Kool-Aid around the proverbial campfire.

Arizona Opera Podcast

Welcome Back with the General Director

What does it take to rise to the top of an arts organization? And what does it take to break through the barriers of gender and race in order to reach that peak? Classical arts organizations across the US—including opera companies and symphony orchestras—are engaged in an important moment of self-reflection on the subjects of leadership and representation. In this episode of UnMic’d, host Joe Specter is joined by Afton Battle, General Director of Fort Worth Opera and Deborah Borda, the Linda and Mitch Hart President and CEO of the New York Philharmonic, to discuss how these remarkable arts leaders reached the roles in which they serve today. What journey did they take as women in an industry led primarily by men? What obstacles did they face overtime in their rise into leadership? What advice do they have for future leaders, aspiring to follow in their footsteps? Come be inspired with us as Afton and Deborah share their stories and the impact they are continuing to have on the arts community.

UnMic'd - Ceiling Breakers

There are few performing arts events that capture the imagination as much as the “music festival.” Pop music festivals—and opera festivals alike!—ignite the senses, from the excitement of experiencing a broad range of artists, to the opportunity to bond socially with fellow cultural thrill-seekers. In this episode of UnMic’d, host Joe Specter is joined by David Devan, General Director of Opera Philadelphia and Festival O20, and David Beame, Vice President of Global Events & Experiences for Global Citizen, and partner at the entertainment law firm of Beame & Mencher LLP. Join Arizona Opera, as David Devan and David Beame discuss with Joe the magic of the festival experience, and the mission driven focus of their organizations. What possesses someone to take on the mammoth challenge of running these complex festivals, what are the greatest rewards, and what is the future of the festival as we emerge from the pandemic? Come with us to learn how Global Citizen and Opera Philadelphia think about these questions, and how the “festival” helps these organizations reach their respective goals of international impact. Find the blurry edge with us once again on this episode of UnMic’d!

UnMic'd - The Festival Effect

Top performers in fields that require great physical feats—whether they are on the opera stage or the football field—rely on the best guidance from the ever-growing field of medicine in order to keep them functioning at the highest level. In this episode of UnMic’d, host Joe Specter is joined by renowned New York otolaryngologist Dr. Gwen Korovin, who keeps many of the world's top entertainers in good voice, and Dr. Michael Lee, the former head team physician and orthopedic surgeon for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals. Join Arizona Opera, as Dr. Korovin and Dr. Lee discuss with Joe their passion for treating high performers in their respective fields, how they achieve high performance themselves every day, and what formative experiences in their youth drove each physician to their specialty. It's a fascinating behind-the-scenes discussion of the life of the medical professionals that help make great athleticism—on the stage and on the field—possible for the enjoyment of the ardent fans of opera and sports alike. Find the blurry edge with us once again on this episode of UnMic’d!

UnMic'd - Rockin' with the Doc-Stars

In this episode of UnMic’d, host Joe Specter is joined for a spirited discussion by three world-renowned singers, each a part of an internationally-celebrated vocal quartet: Lauren Kinhan, a member of New York Voices and a jazz vocalist who has released four highly acclaimed solo albums; David Miller, a member of the multi-platinum selling quartet Il Divo, who is also an opera singer and starred in Baz Luhrman’s La bohème on Broadway; and Janis Siegel, a nine-time Grammy Award-winning member of the iconic jazz voice quartet, The Manhattan Transfer. When it comes to these acclaimed artists, thought-provoking questions and answers abound. How do they balance their individual artistic voice in with their ensemble collaboration? How do their seemingly different singing styles relate to one another? And – inquiring minds want to know! – if they were judging a vocal competition such as American Idol, are they Simon, Randy, or Paula?! All of these answers – and more – will be revealed in this episode of Arizona Opera’s UnMic’d.

UnMic'd- The Divo and the Divas

There are few experiences that capture the essence of human drama as powerfully as opera and prize fighting. Join host, Joe Specter, as he explores the connection between these two seemingly distant worlds on the next episode of UnMic’d. Joe is joined by one of the most dominant trainers in MMA, Greg Jackson of Jackson Wink MMA, whose gym has prepared some of the world’s greatest professional MMA fighters, such as Jon Jones and Holly Holm; Joe Isenberg, an accomplished fight choreographer who has worked with opera companies including Washington National Opera and The Metropolitan Opera, and has won awards including the 2013 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Choreography, and The Kennedy Center Kenan Fellowship; and George Birkadze, an internationally recognized dancer and choreographer with Boston Ballet who works around the globe, and who is also a martial arts expert with black belts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Kyokushin-kai Karate, and Judo. How do the worlds of opera, dance, and stage combat connect to the raw reality of the Octagon? How does preparing for the ring differ from preparing for the stage? You’ll also discover more about what we know everyone is wondering – if you had to have a street fight with a character from an opera or ballet, which character would you choose, and why?

UnMic'd- Everybody's Opera Fighting

In the premiere episode of Arizona Opera’s new video series, UnMic’d, Arizona Opera President and General Director, Joe Specter, is joined by Alex Lacamoire, the multi-talented and award-winning music director, arranger, and composer best known for his work on Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and In the Heights. Also joining Joe in this exciting new “idea exchange” forum is the award-winning composer, Clint Borzoni, best known for his work on The Copper Queen, When Adonis Calls, and My Life as a Bald Soprano. How do these two professionals connect to each other, and to the world of opera? Join us as we “dive deep” into understanding how orchestration factors into a composer’s overall career, how music writers gain the trust it takes to hand over their work to be orchestrated, and learn these two music professionals’ thoughts on the ever-burning question, “Just what IS the difference between musical theater and opera?”

UnMic'd - In the Score Where it Happens

Join Cassie & Kathleen as they meet Keri Muir, Arizona Opera’s Production Stage Manager. Learn how Keri came to Arizona Opera and why the Stage Manager is such a vital and pivotal role in every theatrical production. Find out the difference between stage management tasks during rehearsals versus during performances, learn what spike tape is and discover why Stage Managers would have giant balls of it.

Episode 8: Meet the Stage Manager (Keeper of the Spike Tape)

Join Cassie & Kathleen as they meet Alice Fredrickson, the Costume Designer for our upcoming The Copper Queen Film. Learn how Alice ended up being a costume designer for an opera company, get some insight into the design process, discover the differences between costume design for film and stage, and learn when a parachute might indeed be a dress!

Episode 7: Meet the Costume Designer (When Parachutes are Dresses)

Join Cassie & Kathleen as they meet Alanna Maniscalco, the Props Supervisor for Arizona Opera. Learn the difference between a prop and a costume prop, find out where Alanna worked before she joined Arizona Opera, and learn why a props person might have to take a light saber apart and then make it shoot confetti.

Episode 6: Meet the Props Supervisor (From Lipstick Tubes to Tables)

Join Cassie & Kathleen as they chat with Alita Lopez, Arizona Opera’s Wig & Makeup Manager. Learn how Alita came to Arizona Opera and what the Wig & Makeup Department do for each production, find out how much work actually goes into each and every wig onstage, learn what ventilating is and hear how ketchup bottles of blood can make all the difference to a show.

Episode 5: Meet the Wig & Makeup Manager (Ketchup Bottles of Blood)

Join Cassie & Kathleen as they chat with Shelby Joiner the First Hand and Painter/Dyer of Arizona Opera’s Costume Shop. Learn about Shelby’s journey from an Arizona Opera intern to a full-time staff member of the Costume Shop, find out how she works her magic with dyes and paints to create the beautiful pieces you’ve seen in Riders of the Purple Sage and Madame Butterfly, discover what exactly goes in to making new costumes look dirty or bloody, and find out what the heck a First Hand actually does.

Behind the Scenes! Episode 4 - Meet Painter/Dyer, Shelby Joiner (The Fairy Godmother of Fabric

Join Cassie & Kathleen as they chat with two of the 2020/21 Marion Roose Pullin Studio Artists. Learn just how much the studio pianist does in a season, find out what a “pants role” is, discover why a good accompanist isn’t just a piano robot, and find out more about the inner workings of an opera’s rehearsal process.

Behind the Scenes! Episode 3: Meet the Studio Artists, Part 1 (Piano Robots)

Join Cassie and Kathleen as they meet two of the members of the Arizona Opera Scenic Shop. Learn what a Technical Director actually is; what it means when set pieces "fly;" get insight into the magic of scenery changes during a performance; and learn who "tied down all those road boxes!"

Behind the Scenes! Episode 2 - Meet the Scene Shop (When Set Pieces Fly)

Join Cassie and Kathleen as they meet two of the 2020/21 Arizona Opera Costume Apprentices. Learn what an apprentice is, where they went to school, and why they want to be involved with Arizona Opera. Get a "sneak peek" into some of the costume details for the upcoming "The Copper Queen" film, and learn if there is indeed, no cheese for Karen.

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Arizona Opera Podcast

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