Behind The La Opera Curtain

In this episode, Gail Eichenthal interviews the acclaimed opera director Shawna Lucey who helms LA Opera's "Falstaff." Shawna shares how she came to opera from theater, her long love affair with "Falstaff," and her formative training in Moscow. Experience Shawna's feminist perspective on Elizabethan society and find out why she says that "Falstaff" teaches us to love ourselves. "Falstaff" is playing now through May 10 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Get your tickets at LAOpera.org.

In this episode, LA Opera President and CEO Christopher Koelsch is joined by leaders and luminaries of the Los Angeles opera scene to discuss OperaFest, a two-month festival taking place this April and May that will give you the chance to experience opera all across Los Angeles County. Circle up with LA Opera, Beth Morrison Projects, Overtone Industries, Long Beach Opera, and REDCAT to discuss the radical possibilities of opera, from inclusion and accessibility to platforming living composers—then head on over to OperaFestLA.org to learn more. It's a fascinating discussion and it's happening right now, on "Behind the Curtain."

In this episode, we bring you the next edition of "Serious Fun with Opera," a "Behind the Curtain" mini-series that takes a romp through operatic themes with Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano. This episode takes us into the story and the music of Verdi's "Falstaff," which lights up the LA Opera with hilarity from April 18-May 10. Delight in the details of the revenge plot of "The Merry Wives of Windsor" and then get your tickets to "Falstaff" at LAOpera.org.

In this episode, Richard Seaver Music Director James Conlon walks us through the history, the plot, and of course, the music of Verdi's "Falstaff." Don't miss this merry farce, playing April 18-May 10. Get your tickets now at LAOpera.org.

This episode continues our 20 Years With the Maestro Miniseries, in which veteran journalist Gail Eichenthal and Maestro James Conlon take on the highlights of our 40th Anniversary season, while exploring Maestro Conlon's legacy at LA Opera and beyond. This time around, they celebrate Conlon's upcoming Gala Concert on April 24, a glittering evening of excerpts from the operatic canon with special guests from the LA Opera stage. Share in the repertoire selection process, uncover which opera's name you should never speak aloud, and get excited for some stellar singers--all in this delightful episode. Tickets for the April 24 Gala are available now at laopera.org.

Forgiveness. Comeuppance. Transformation. And the power of storytelling. In this episode of the Behind the Curtain miniseries Opera in the Community, scholar Dr. Tiffany Kuo talks to Melissa Chalsma of the Independent Shakespeare Company. They probe the enduring power of Shakespeare's comedies and enlighten us on some of the class and gender themes we'll uncover in LA Opera's production of Verdi's Falstaff, playing April 18th to May 10th at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Get your tickets for this merry farce at laopera.org.

Today, we bring you another episode of "20 Years with Maestro Conlon", our miniseries in which Gail Eichenthal illuminates the legacy of Maestro James Conlon, in his culminating season with LA Opera. This time, the dynamic pair focuses on 19th-century German Opera with an emphasis on Wagner. Learn why the Ring was a must, how many rehearsals a "Rheingold" fits into, and which 20th-century composers were Wagner devotées. Maestro Conlon rounds out our 40th Anniversary Season conducting Verdi's "Falstaff" and Mozart's "The Magic Flute". Get your tickets now at LAOpera.org.

This episode features a live recording of the opening night pre-performance lecture for "Akhnaten," which runs now through March 22 at LA Opera. In this lecture, musicologist and Connects affiliated scholar Dr.Tiffany Kuo takes you on an intellectual journey that is as mesmerizing as the performance itself. Focusing on the symbolism of the heart and the sun, Tiffany talks spells on papyrus and trancelike rhythms. Get your tickets to "Akhnaten" now at LAOpera.org.

In this episode, LA Opera Chorus Director Jeremy Frank and critically acclaimed countertenor John Holiday sit down for an intimate interview. Listen in as they identify famous countertenors in popular culture and dish on Philip Glass's "Akhnaten", playing now through March 22—with an added performance on March 21st. With his inimitable spirit, John shares about growing up singing, his unexpected TV debut, and how he's taking care of himself during the run of this production. Get your tickets to Akhnaten now at LAOpera.org.

Internationally acclaimed conductor Dalia Stasevska joins host Gail Eichenthal for a revealing conversation about the sounds, mentors, and moments that shaped her life. From Finland's legendary conducting tradition to the role models who changed her path, Dalia shares what inspires her on and off the podium, including her favorite moment in LA Opera's current production of Philip Glass's Akhnaten. Discover what makes this opera unforgettable, then experience it for yourself. Akhnaten is selling fast, with an additional performance just added on March 21. Get your tickets now at LAOpera.org.

Celebrated director Phelim McDermott has a long relationship with the opera "Akhnaten." In this episode, McDermott and our host, Gail Eichenthal, explore the "paradox of power and vulnerability" in opera, improvisation as the basis of theatre, and how each performance is different every single night. Join us as we get ready to raise the curtain on "Akhnaten," Philip Glass's tribute to a trailblazing pharaoh on February 28; and with ticket demand at an all-time high, we're adding an extra date on March 21st. You can get your tickets now at LAOpera.org.

In this episode of "Serious Fun With Opera," a "Behind the Curtain" miniseries, Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano interviews UCLA's Chair of Musicology, Professor Bob Fink, about musical minimalism--a term that "Philip Glass would not answer to," he says, but that is a "quintessentially American form." They discuss the concepts of trance, aural wallpaper, and the sublime, all swirling around Philip Glass's "Akhnaten', coming up on the LA Opera stage. Get your tickets now at LAOpera.org.

In this episode, LA Opera Connects affiliated scholar, Dr. Tiffany Kuo, brings you "Opera in the Community," a Behind the Curtain mini-series that pairs each opera in our historic 40th Anniversary Season with an arts organization in Los Angeles. This episode pairs Philip Glass's opera Akhnaten, which is set in ancient Egypt, with The Getty Villa, whose upcoming exhibition synchronicitously features the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. Dr. Kuo's interview with The Getty's Dr. Sara Cole reveals many surprises: that the Book of the Dead isn't really a book... That mummies were often wrapped in writing... And all the secrets of the afterlife! Listen in as they talk sun gods, gold-plated statues, and disrupting the status quo--and then get your tickets for Akhnaten at laopera.org.

On today’s episode, we’ll hear from members of the LA Opera team who lead Opera Camp, one of the ways the company engages young people in opera and performance. Opera Camp is a core part of LA Opera’s approach to meeting people where they are in their love for music, and to preparing the next generation of audience members and artists. For more information on Opera Camp, visit LAOpera.org/OperaCamp.

In this episode, music critic and regular "Detrás del telón" host Gerardo Kleinburg takes us into the world of "Akhnaten" — in his words, "an utterly singular opera unlike any other." Kleinburg's exploration pulls themes from history, art history, and religion to weave a fascinating portrait of the historical figure Akhnaten before taking us into musical minimalism and the surprising world of composer Philip Glass. LA Opera's hypnotic production of "Akhnaten" is playing February 28-March 22. Get your tickets now at LAOpera.org. Did you know you can listen to LA Opera podcasts in Spanish? "Detrás del telón" takes you into the world of opera, with hosts including music critic Gerardo Kleinburg and musicologist Dr. Patricia Caicedo. Each episode is presented entirely in Spanish. Find "Detrás del telón" wherever you listen to podcasts or at LAOpera.org/Podcasts.

Following a performance of "West Side Story" earlier this season, LA Opera Connects hosted a special panel on Arts & Health to celebrate the launch of the 2025 Arts and Health Week video series. This conversation touches on the arts as an essential part of personal and community wellness, and features LA Opera Advisor for Special Projects Renée Fleming and soprano Gabriela Reyes in dialogue with community leaders Kristin Sakoda, Sarah Lyding, and Shavonda Webber-Christmas. Interested in learning more about how the arts are vital to healing? Visit LAOpera.org/ArtsandHealth and be sure to save the date for the 5th annual Arts & Health Week Summit on June 12, 2026, information is available at LAOpera.org/Summit. Recharge your mind, body, and spirit with LA Opera’s Creative Care, a free Zoom series that invites you to experience the healing power of the arts. Led by Connects teaching artists, each online gathering incorporates mindfulness, creative expression, learning, and self-reflection, all rooted in themes

In this special look inside the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, LA Opera's Senior Director of Artistic Planning Paul Hopper is joined by Young Artist Emily Damasco. Today, Emily and Paul chat about early opera memories, pierogi pizza, the intersection of arts and health, and the two roles Emily will be singing on the LA Opera mainstage this season in "Akhnaten" and "The Magic Flute." You can get your tickets to see this young soprano soar at LAOpera.org.

In this special look inside the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, we're featuring Young Artist Vinícius Costa, a bass from São Paulo, Brazil, who is singing three roles on the LA Opera main stage this season. Listen in as he chats with LA Opera's Paul Hopper about his musical origin story, first impressions of the American vocal scene, and visions for the future of his career. Catch this Young Artist on stage in "Akhnaten," "Falstaff," and "The Magic Flute." Tickets are available now at LAOpera.org.

On this episode of "Behind the Curtain," UCLA scholar and musicologist Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano returns with another installment of "Serious Fun with Opera." She turns the pages of "La Bohème" all the way back to Henri Murger's original source material, immersing us in 1800's Paris and paying special attention to muses Mimì and Musetta. Enjoy this literary journey and be sure to get your tickets to "La Bohème" at LAOpera.org.

In this second episode of "Opera in the Community," musicologist Dr. Tiffany Kuo uses the lens of "La Bohème" to speak with three arts leaders and artist advocates —Asuka Hisa, who walks us through the exhibits at ICA LA; Mackenzie Royce, who shares about the affordable housing and work space rental programs at ArtShare LA; and artist Fatima Burns, who talks about the importance of having a safe place to create. Dr. Kuo shows us that although times can still be tough for the creative class, we've come a long way from the starving artist days of "La Bohème" to having robust institutional support for artists, right here in Los Angeles. Don't miss Puccini's blockbuster opera, get your tickets to "La Bohème" now at LAOpera.org.