[@5 min] Alright...This week, we go Inside the Huddle with Elena Villalón! The Cuban-American soprano returns to OBS 6 years after she first joined after winning the Met Council auditions. Later this month, she makes her Detroit Opera debut in Handel’s "Rinaldo." [@36 min] And then…a Listener Mailbag on a song recital! Oliver, is this your doing? T…

Coach Mike Roberts played at Indiana and was on the team that was the Runner-Up 2002 NCAA Championship.He served as a Graduate Assistant at Texas Tech under Hall of Fame Coach Bob Knight before embarking on a coaching career that has taken him to California, Rice, UNC Greensboro, Indiana, Cincinnati, and now UTEP.Coach Roberts has developed a stron…

[@4 min] This week, baritenor Michael Spyres goes Inside the Huddle to discuss his unique fach, but it’s 2025 and Beyonce won a grammy for best country album, so what even is fach? We’ll discuss a brief history of the baritenor, bel canto edition. [@32 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…Friend of the Show Karen Slack wins best vocal solo ,and it’…

[@6 min] Alright, this week…in advance of "The Puccini Heroines," an all-Puccini arias concert at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Sondra Radvanovsky takes a Free Throw on the singing the role of Turandot. Compared to Norma and Aida, you may be surprised to hear that it's one of her easiest roles. [@18 min] And then…in Listener Mailbag, we have field report…

Alright, this week…we're recording on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, so we're going Inside the Huddle with two Black divas... [@ 1 min] First up, it’s soprano Symone Harcum, the star of Opera Philadelphia’s upcoming production of The Anonymous Lover by Joseph Bologne. [@ 26 min] Then, Jordan Pitts, the creator of New York City and Paris Grand Ope…

[@3 min] Alright, this week…New Year, New OBS! There’s a lot to look forward to in the coming months and we have all your 2025 recommendations, resolutions, and redshirts. [@36 min] And then…legendary French conductor Marc Minkowski takes a free throw on the career of one of his longtime collaborators and favorite singers. You’ll have to stay tuned…

[@ 5 min] This week…we go inside the huddle with Givonna Joseph, the founder of Opera Creole, and soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams, the star of that company's upcoming world premiere of Edmond Dede’s "Morgiane," a collaboration with friend of the show Opera Lafayette. [@ 32 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…the prima of the Met’s new Aida was an …

[@ 5 min] This week…we go inside the huddle with Givonna Joseph, the founder of Opera Creole, and soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams, the star of that company's upcoming world premiere of Edmond Dede’s "Morgiane," a collaboration with friend of the show Opera Lafayette.[@ 32 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…the prima of the Met’s new Aida was an e…

Alright, this week…It’s the OBS year in review! From Beyoncé showing off her Italian Baroque chops to Arts Council England continuing to be the enemy of opera, to friend of the show Anthony Roth Costanzo being tapped as Opera Philadelphia’s new GD, to other friend of the show Benjamin Bernheim getting the ultimate OBS bump, 2024 certainly was…somet…

Coach Josh Mandell shares his journey from growing up in Texas to becoming the Video Coordinator at Loyola Marymount. He worked his way up to Head Manager at the University of Washington before electing to stay on as a Graduate Assistant under Coach Mike Hopkins. After finishing up his Master's degree he was hired by Coach Stan Johnson at Loyola Ma…

[@ 1 min] This week…for our annual Christmas episode, we’re going INSIDE THE CAROL. Taking a break from opera news, the OBS team wants to save you from tears, and give your heart away to someone special… [@ 23 min] Plus, keeping with the theme of magical births, a field report on the Met’s “Die Frau Ohne Schatten.” GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscor…

[@ 2 min] This week…we go inside the huddle with Key’mon Murrah. In advance of his upcoming Washington National Opera Marian Anderson Vocal Award recital, we catch up with the in-demand countertenor almost four years after he first became a Friend of the Show. [@ 26 min] Then, we take a break from the opera to discuss the CSO in this week’s listene…

[@ 2 min] This week, we’re recording on December 2nd, the 101st anniversary of the birth of Maria Callas. And to celebrate, we’ll go Inside the Huddle with Sophia Lambton, author of the new biography, "The Callas Imprint." [@ 30 min] Then, it’s a Monday Evening Quarterback on “Maria,” the film now in select theaters and coming to Netflix this month…

Coach Andrew Muse shares his journey from growing up in North Carolina to becoming a Graduate Assistant at Wichita State. Growing up in a basketball family, Andrew played for his father in high school and then walked on at App State. He played for Coach Dustin Kerns and his twin brother Aaron served as a Student Manager during their four years in B…

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate! (Sorry, UK listeners). The OBS team is going to celebrate by taking a week off from the news and offering our thanks to artists in our industry who have striven to make this world a better place. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 @operaboxscore IG operaboxscore…

[@ 2 min] This week, Frederica von Stade, a living legend, takes a Free Throw on the role of the Mother in Dead Man Walking and reveals the heartbreak of being a mother working in opera. [@ 16 min] Then…we go Inside the Huddle with tenor Gwilym Bowen, who is setting his voice to Christmas Oratorio and Messiah mode as we enter into the most magical …

[@ 2 min] This week, Frederica von Stade, a living legend, takes a Free Throw on the role of the Mother in Dead Man Walking and reveals the heartbreak of being a mother working in opera.[@ 16 min] Then…we go Inside the Huddle with tenor Gwilym Bowen, who is setting his voice to Christmas Oratorio and Messiah mode as we enter into the most magical s…

[@4 min] Later this month, Agnes Baltsa will celebrate her 80th birthday, and since her handlers won’t answer our interview request, we’ll offer you the next best thing and induct the grandiose Greek mezzo-soprano into the OBS hall of Fame. [@ 31 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…So far there’s only one thing to look forward to in 2025: GRAMMY s…

Alright, this week…it’s the first week in November in America and the election is the only thing we can think about. We have no idea if America will still be a thing by the time you hear this…but we will try to continue the conversation about politics…I mean opera. Then…a free throw from bass Kenneth Kellogg who is set to make his Chicago debut in …

Coach Chris Acker shares his journey from growing up in Compton, California to becoming the Head Coach at Long Beach State. He was a member of the Chaminade team that knocked off Villanova in the 2003 EA Sports Maui Invitational. Chris played professionally in Portugal and Greece before returning to the US to play in the Continental Basketball Asso…

Alright, it’s Halloween, and we’re here to warn you about opera characters you don’t want to be alone with in the woods…and wouldn’t you know it, none of them are bears! Plus we have lots of listener mail, so we are going to do something extra horrifying and skip the Two Minute Drill. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 @ope…

[@ 1 min] It’s the return of TKO, when we pit two sopranos against each other, one American and one Italian, in the obstacle course that is Madama Butterfly… [@ 39 min] And then, Ermonela Jaho, one of the undisputed great Cio-Cio San’s of our time, takes a Free Throw on her signature role. [@ 55 min] And, in the listener mailbag, a field report on …

2024 Southern Conference (SoCon) Men's Basketball Media Day: Dwight Perry (Wofford) Ed Conroy (The Citadel) Bucky McMillan (Samford) Brooks Savage (East Tennessee State) Mike Jones (UNC Greensboro) Andrew Wilson (VMI) Tim Craft (Western Carolina) *Chattanooga, Furman, and Mercer were unable to schedule interviews this season **Sponsored by FastMode…

[@ 4 min] It’s a Tenor Double Header! We go inside the huddle with two singers making their North American debuts in lead roles. First up, Mexican-American tenor Galeano Salas, who is set to co-star in La Traviata in Detroit opposite FOS Emily Pogorelc. Then, we speak to baroque specialist Antonin Rondepierre, who sings a title role in Acis and Gal…

[@ 3 min] Sinéad Campbell Wallace goes Inside the Huddle! The Irish soprano shares how she began her career singing Handel and Mozart then took a long break to start a family and returned to singing as a Jugendliche dramatische Sopran. With a Salome and an Elsa already under her belt, she is making her American debut as Leonora in Washington Nation…

[@ 3 min] Sinéad Campbell Wallace goes Inside the Huddle! The Irish soprano shares how she began her career singing Handel and Mozart then took a long break to start a family and returned to singing as a Jugendliche dramatische Sopran. With a Salome and an Elsa already under her belt, she is making her American debut as Leonora in Washington Nation…

Anthony Grant (Dayton) Chris Caputo (George Washington) Chris Mooney (Richmond) Dru Joyce III (Duquesne) Fran Dunphy (LaSalle) Frank Martin (UMass) Josh Schertz (St. Louis) Matt McKillop (Davidson) Ryan Odom (VCU) Tony Skinn (George Mason) Keith Urgo (Fordham) Mark Schmidt (St. Bonaventure) Archie Miller (Rhode Island) Billy Lange (St. Joe's) Drew …

[@ 2 min] We go Inside the Huddle with Ricky Ian Gordon. The prolific American composer of operas such as "A Coffin in Egypt," "The Grapes of Wrath," and "Orpheus and Euridice" has another credit to add: author! Ricky will share anecdotes from his new memoir, Seeing Through: A Chronicle of Sex, Drugs, and Opera.[@ 35 min] And then…a field report fr…

Coach Maciariello shares his journey from growing up in New York and being the Albany Times Union Player of the Year in 1996, to becoming a the Head Coach at his alma mater [Siena]. He started his college basketball career at New Hampshire before transferring to Siena College where he redshirted under Coach Paul Hewitt and playing for Coach Louis O…

[@ 4 min] We go Inside the Huddle with Vanessa Becerra. The Peruvian and Mexican American soprano is set to make her Chicago Opera Theater debut in the title role of Ferdinando Paer’s Leonora. She joins OBS for a frank conversation about how she distinguished herself as an artist and how her Latina identity opened up new opportunities. [@ 37 min] P…

[@ 2 min] t’s fall, time for pumpkin-spice and football, and the OBS team shortlists what we want to see in the 2024-2025 opera season... [@ 21 min] And speaking of people you’ll want to hear this season, we have a Free Throw from Oliver’s super-crush Huw Montague Rendall as he gets set to make his house and role debut as Billy Budd in Vienna. [@ 2…

[@ 4 min] It’s time to retire George's number. That’s right, it’s his final episode after nine years as a cohost on the OBS. The team say their goodbyes and reminisce about the good times (and a few of the bad...)[@ 25 min] Then… It’s a 'Free Throw' from Javier Camarena who is set to make his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut as the Duke in "Rigoletto".…