OperaGenesis

Below is an article from Classical Music Magazine (January 2007) about the Genesis Foundation.

In the beginning

When banking supremo John Studzinski turned his hand to helping develop young opera talent he was initially met with some harsh criticism. However he determined not to give up, and is now about to present a new selection of works from his transformed OperaGenesis programme. Andrew Stewart reports.

A Statement by John Lloyd Davies, Head of Opera Development at ROH2

For almost a hundred years contemporary opera has been the problem child of the opera world. What was once a living and accessible art form, reflecting the time and world in which it was created, has become a narrow, academic field, rarely reaching a wider audience. Where once the arias of Don Giovanni were busked on the streets of Prague, and Verdi's tunes were pirated for barrel-organs, today new opera is the preserve of a tiny group of enthusiasts and specialists.

Varjak Paw

One of the highlights of the spring programme has been the continuing work in partnership with The Opera Group on the new opera Varjak Paw, by composer Julian Philips and writer Kit Hesketh Harvey (of ‘Kit and the Widow’). Workshops during March 2008 culminated in a showcase performance of scenes from the opera to an invited audience at the Jerwood Space. This was followed by a question and answer session with Julian and Kit, and a chance to see the set model for the world premiere production.

The international opera libretto-writing competition in which OperaGenesis has been closely involved over the last eighteen months was extremely successful, with over 130 entries.

Full details of the progress of the competition, the judging (where the panel included John Lloyd Davies) and the results are on the website: http://www.operalibretto.org, which also has an English language section.

Dominic Muldowney’s VOX – composing for voice has progressed with further sessions in December 2007 and February 2008.

OperaGenesis and all the people who attended the courses are delighted with the work and with the progress made by a talented and eclectic group of composers, ranging from theatre practitioners (eg Helen Porter) to electronic sound designers (eg Daniel Bjarnsson) to Harvard post-graduates (eg Sasha Siem).

In its new initiative to find original approaches to opera and music theatre for the 21st century and also new audiences for the lyric stage, OperaGenesis has worked with French composer Jean Philippe Calvin to complete a one-act, absurdist piece based on the Eugene Ionesco play, La Cantatrice Chauve or The Bald Soprano.

In late January, Classical Music Magazine did a cover story about the Genesis Foundation’s recently developed OperaGenesis programme. Andrew Stewart met with John Studzinski and attended some of the Genesis workshops to build up a picture of its work. With the permission of Classical Music Magazine, you can read this article on our site.

View Classical Music Magazine Article.

Jean-Philippe Calvin is a young French composer who is working with the Genesis Foundation to develop an opera based on Eugene Ionesco's absurdist play La Cantatrice Chauve. After the successful completion of its workshop phase via the OperaGenesis programme, Genesis will co-produce this opera in Paris for 2009. Jean-Philippe has recently composed a piece of music, Sophia, which he has dedicated to the Founder and Chairman of the Genesis Foundation, John Studzinski.

20 April 2005 - The Genesis Foundation and ROH2 are pleased to announce the launch of OperaGenesis, a new partnership for the development of contemporary opera based at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.

With this project, Genesis and ROH2 join forces to support creative artists emerging in the field of opera. OperaGenesis will also explore new approaches to supporting the development of contemporary music theatre and build audiences for the future.

The OperaGenesis Project with the Royal Opera House 2005-2009

OperaGenesis, the programme funded by the Genesis Foundation at the Royal Opera House (ROH2), reached its conclusion in Autumn 2009, having brought together more than 30 creative teams over the previous four years.