Keriann Otaño and Cris Frisco discuss the future of opera in an ever-changing landscape.
Kerriann Otaño: All right, we’re going to jump into a hot-button topic. So, what is the future of opera? As administrators, we spend a lot of time worrying about the future. But what we do now, the present of opera, is what shapes and decides its future. So, we can’t even speculate on where we’re going unless we really look at where we are—and I think we can divide things into a couple different categories. There is opera on the local level, regional companies that exist within a community; then there’s opera on the global scale, large companies that function on an international scale; and then there’s the digital space that opera occupies and what it means to be connecting with new and existing audiences digitally.
Cris Frisco: We’ve talked about this before, but one of the unique things about opera is that it is simultaneously a historic and a current artform. While we’re in a golden age of new American opera, a good portion of our repertoire is still from the standard repertory. But even when we’re presenting historic works, we exist in the present day, so there is an interesting dynamic tension between the past and the present built into the equation. When we’re talking about the future, we’re always talking about this relationship between the past, the present, and future.
KO: Oh, I love that. It’s like The Christmas Carol ghosts of opera. I do think one of the problems we have is that this conversation only happens within a very small subset of the people who are opera.
CF: It does seem like these conversations happen within certain silos, either within groups of administrators or within groups of singers, etc. And I’m not sure we can move forward without having very real conversations between the groups of people who make up this community.
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KO: I believe the future of opera is artist led, and we’ll see success by fostering connections between artists and audiences. Singers are the public’s interface with the art form, and beyond that there are technicians, musicians, and stage managers, etc., that the audience doesn’t even see. The collective creativity of all those amazing people is what makes opera so exciting. It’s the human element.
CF: I’m going to make a slightly awkward segue to talking about technology in opera. I know it’s a slightly controversial topic.
KO: What I think gets lost in this conversation is the impact incorporating new technologies into opera has on the people who create it. The thing I still see audiences get so excited about is the human component: real people making music together in a space that only exists in this one moment.
CF: I know this opens up another can of worms, but I think it’s important that we start to define what makes opera unique and important so we protect that thing as the art form innovates and moves into the future. And I fully realize that conversation is really tricky.
KO: So many things now are digitized and available for streaming and rewatching, so to be in that moment with all the artists—in one space at one time—can be electric. For me, it’s that human element, the way we’re suddenly completely connected, that’s so special about opera. And this is why it’s so important to look at social media and the digital space, because it’s how we connect right now. It plays such a big part in our lives.
CF: I think we need to be careful when we talk about the digital space, because it can mean so many different things, from a marketing tool designed to interest people in live work to work that’s produced to only exist in the digital space like film or virtual/enhanced reality. How do you feel about that kind of work?
KO: I think it’s so dope. Again, if the artists are leading the conversation about what opera is and what opera looks like in the future, then it’s absolutely work we should be creating and promoting.
CF: I think this is one of the more interesting and tricky things coming out of the pandemic. During the lockdown, everyone felt like they had to create work that could replace live performance. In that moment it felt very necessary. One of the questions I wrestle with a lot lately is if it’s still so necessary as we’re back to live performance.
KO: It’s so important that our choices as companies are guided by vision and not obligation. If you as an artist or a company have a vision to create work that occupies that space, then you should be creating that work. If you feel like it’s an obligation to remain relevant, it’s probably worth rethinking.
CF: You bring up such an important point that the ways in which companies and artists approach new technologies is going to be really diverse.
KO: At OperaDelaware, we place a lot of importance on the effect opera has on our local community. So, the way I use the digital space is in service of driving the in-person engagement with opera. We don’t have the resources to create full-scale digital performances, but we use that space to share videos about creating an opera, talking to the artists, getting people curious about the concept for the production, etc.
CF: I think it’s pretty obvious why the companies with a global reach are important for the art form, but we’ve both spent a lot of time working for smaller companies that have a more community-focused mission. Let’s chat a bit about why that’s so important for the industry.
KO: So much of the work we do at the local level is about humanizing the art from. As you mentioned, opera has this long history that can be intimidating or feel exclusionary for a lot of people, so a lot of our work is about introducing people to artists, engaging our community, and introducing them to opera in schools and public spaces.
CF: And in the best way, I hope these things are in conversation with each other. I’m sure some of your audience also make the trip up to New York to see opera at the Met or go to see the Live in HD broadcasts. But they get different things from those experiences. And I certainly hope we make it possible to enjoy and engage with opera on all the different levels.
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KO: All these things are important to the ecosystem of opera. But starting can be kind of intimidating. The first time I tried sushi, I hated it. But then I started trying California rolls and Philadelphia rolls and eventually getting more curious and experimental. It’s still not my favorite food, but sometimes it’s about exposure over time instead of overwhelming your palate.
CF: I think we get ourselves in trouble when we think of opera as a monolith. Especially now, opera means so many things to so many people. Sure, it can mean the standard grand pieces, but it could also mean contemporary American chamber opera, it could mean mariachi opera, it could mean film—and each of those could be an entry point to enjoying more of the world of opera or it could just be the niche someone enjoys.
KO: If we have the “California roll” of opera making it accessible and possible for new people to enjoy, I think that’s really exciting.
CF: Ok, we’ve now stretched that metaphor further than it deserved! But I agree that one of the dangers is when we try to excel at everything. Not every organization can do all things at all levels.
KO: This is definitely a way we’ve gone awry. All it does is overtax the limited resources we already have. There’s such a freedom in defining what your strengths and mission are. The initiatives and strategies we use at OperaDelaware work for our community, but of course every community and mission is unique. Define your objective clearly so you don’t overwhelm yourself trying to be all things to all people.
CF: I think that’s a great place to leave things. Looking forward to seeing you at the opera—in whichever space you choose!
