Philly loses women’s opera champion
OperaIn a second blow to opera in America, it has emerged that David Devan is stepping down from Opera Philadelphia after 12 years, amid severte financial difficulties.
Devan was the making of opera in Philly.
He is the force behind 18 new operas, many by American women composers, including Missy Mazzoli’s Breaking the Waves, Caroline Shaw’s We Need to Talk and Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain.
That era just died.
You know that there are actually a number of female administrators, leading major US opera companies, championing the works of female composers?
18 new operas = “severe financial difficulties”?
Oh, I hope not
Who is the woman in the picture?
Thanks.
Missy Mazzoli
Not really sure why a simple request for info would get either an upvote or a downvote, but there you are.
An upvote because it saved me asking! Nothing more annoying than a distractingly uncaptioned photo.
Missy Mazzoli
Composer Missy Mazzoli
The photo is of composer Missy Mazzoli.
Missy Mazzoli.
Let’s be reminded that Higdon’s Cold Mountain was commissioned by Santa Fe Opera, not Opera Philadelphia. Kudos should go to Charles MacKay for that. Philly and Minnesota joined on as co-commissioners later.