 A wide shot of pianist Stephen Lewis, singers Allison Knotts, Emilie Faiella, and Lindsey Rae Johnson, in a black box theatre during the workshop with electronic equipment around them. Composer Caroline Louise Miller runs electronics from a table. April 17, 2026 | Portland, OR: New Wave Opera workshopped Caroline Louise Miller's new opera Deep Water at the Lincoln Hall Studio Theatre, putting the score together with four singers, pianist, and electronics for the first time. The company briefly rehearsed and read through each scene of the opera, taking time for discussion with Miller about the characters, storyline, and mood of each section. Miller provided deeper context for the cast, which will guide character preparation in advance of staging rehearsals next month with stage director Christine Freije. Music director and pianist Dr. Stephen Lewis provided musical context and insights on ensemble and interpretation of the score, particularly in moments with advanced notation, extended techniques, and improvisation. Soprano Lindsey Rae Johnson plays Val and mezzo-soprano Lisa Neher plays Bluejay, two queer teenagers who have been cursed to document humanity in a post-apocalyptic future where climate change has drastically altered life on earth. Soprano Emilie Faiella and mezzo-soprano Allison Kim-Yok Knotts play Time Priests, powerful beings to whom Val and Bluejay report, as well as two travelers whom the teenagers observe and document. Faiella takes on a powerful role as the spirit of an extinct bird, singing a clarion call of sorrow and loss in crystalline tones. As a company that exclusively performs works by living composers, NWO is dedicated to giving new works like Deep Water time to develop and grow. The workshop was an important vehicle to do just this: put the music up on its feet, ask questions, provide feedback, and learn additional context to support ongoing preparation of the music. In addition, this workshop gave Miller the chance to hear their work and make adjustments as desired in advance of the formal rehearsal process. The workshop included feedback from writer and editor Audra YiHong Sim and stage director Christine Freije. The full rehearsal process for Deep Water begins next month, with performances June 18-21 at Portland State University Lincoln Hall's Boiler Room Theatre. This workshop of Deep Water was made possible by generous support from Portland State University, Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC), Portland Arts and Culture's Arts Access Fund, and donors to New Wave Opera. To learn more about Deep Water, visit our event page.  The Deep Water Team is all smiles after our workshop. From L-R: composer Caroline Louise Miller, music director & pianist Stephen Lewis, mezzo Allison Kim-Yok Knotts, soprano Emilie Faiella, mezzo Lisa Neher, and soprano Lindsey Rae Johnson.
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New Wave Opera to preview queer fantasy opera Deep Water, a new opera by Caroline Louise Miller, at free concert at TOC Concert Hall  March 1, 2026 – Portland, OR: New Wave Opera (NWO) presents Rising Tides, an exploration of our warming world, the beauty of nature, and the fight for social justice through opera and song, in collaboration with The Old Church Concert Hall’s Free Lunchtime Concert Series. Audiences will hear previews from Caroline Louise Miller's new queer fantasy opera Deep Water, which features teenage oracles Val and Bluejay as they wander a post-apocalyptic world to document the fall of humanity. "The Vapour" is a haunting meditation on the destruction of forest fires. In "Immortality Becomes Tedious, " Val and Bluejay lament how depressing the work is, arguing over the point of it all. New Wave Opera is proud to be performing the world premiere of Deep Water in June 2026. This is your chance to hear excerpts of this compelling and timely opera in advance of the premiere. Miller says about the upcoming performance: “In writing Deep Water, I am continually inspired by the vast complexities of human experience, exploring entanglements of climate grief with the need for love, levity and play. In this upcoming performance, I am especially excited to share the excerpt Immortality Becomes Tedious, in which Val and Bluejay reminisce and lament on the difficulty of remaining the same over centuries while the earth experiences devastating changes. ”  Composer Caroline Louise Miller. Complimenting selections from Deep Water are works inspired by the natural world, social justice, and the climate crisis. Renowned Portland soprano and voice teacher Susan McBerry narrates Upon a Broken World, by Lisa Neher and various poets, contemplating the end of wars, the struggle to maintain hope, and the beauty of day to day interactions. The concert features a bouquet of Portland’s most accomplished composers, including works by Stacey Philipps, Lisa Marsh, Drew Swatosh, and William Campbell. The performing arts play a crucial role in confronting the climate crisis,” says NWO President Lisa Neher. “Statistics and daily obligations can overwhelm and distract us, but the arts bring people together to pause and feel, and that shared experience drives sustained collective action.” In addition, Rising Tides features selections from operas in progress by Pacific Northwest composers. Dianne Davies' "A Solemn Promise," based on the novel North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, is a dramatic showdown between the stern and powerful Mrs. Thornton and the strong-willed outsider Margaret. In Lisa Neher and Bea Goodwin's "No, Nancy! You Can't Say That!" Carolyn Keene, author of the famous Nancy Drew novels, bursts into Nancy's world to stop her from being so independent. Her editors insist that she make Nancy more ladylike. But Nancy fights back and wants to know why she should be anything other than herself. Rising Tides features a team of Portland’s leading performers of contemporary music: soprano Lindsey Rae Johnson, mezzo-soprano Lisa Neher, pianist Stephen Lewis, and renowned soprano and voice teacher Susan McBerry as narrator, with Caroline Louise Miller on electronics. Free Admission, no advance pre-registration required. To learn more about this show and more from the upcoming season, visit NEWWAVEOPERA.ORG.  Stephen Lewis, Lisa Neher, and Lindsey Rae Johnson performing selections from Deep Water at Portland State University in January 2026. Photo by Dianne Davies. Event Info at a GlanceWHAT: Rising Tides
WHEN: Wednesday, April 15, at Noon WHERE: The Old Church Concert Hall, 1422 SW 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97201 and Livestreamed COST: Free RUNTIME: 60 minutes  February 16, 2026 | Portland, OR: New Wave Opera is honored to be one of 274 Portland-based artists and arts organizations awarded a Portland Arts Project Grant from the City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture and the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC)!
This generous support will help bring to life the world premiere of Deep Water, a futuristic fantasy opera by Portland composer Caroline Louise Miller, debuting in June. The work follows two queer teenagers navigating a post-apocalyptic Earth, exploring themes of climate grief, resilience, and hope. "We are grateful to have the City of Portland and RACC's continued support of our work," says New Wave Opera President Lisa Neher. "Thanks to this grant, we can pay artists fairly for their work and offer ticket discounts for students, seniors, veterans, BIPOC, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, and Oregon Trail Card holders. We're thrilled to bring Caroline Louise Miller's timely and powerful opera to Portland-area audiences." Read more about Portland Arts Project grants and the full list of recipients on the Regional Arts and Culture Council Website.  December 4, 2025 – Portland, OR: New Wave Opera (NWO) presents Currents of Change, an examination of our warming world through opera, in collaboration with Portland State University’s Music @ Midday concert series. This free lunchtime concert features exclusive previews of Portland composer Caroline Louise Miller’s opera Deep Water, which NWO will premiere in June 2026. Deep Water is a post-apocalyptic fantasy opera that investigates rage, grief, play, & persistence in the face of gargantuan, destructive forces. Queer teenage companions Val & Bluejay chronicle the fall of humanity during the Anthropocene, acting as witnesses and documentarians and finding resilience through love and play. Deep Water positions 2 queer teenagers in the role of history-creation, defining what is worth preserving.
“The performing arts play a crucial role in confronting the climate crisis,” says NWO President Lisa Neher. “Statistics and daily obligations can overwhelm and distract us, but the arts bring people together to pause and feel, and that shared experience drives sustained collective action.” Audiences will hear arias from Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s Proving Up, a sharp critique of the American Dream, and from Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce’s Fellow Travelers, which dramatizes the 1950s persecution and mass dismissal of gay U.S. government employees. Currents of Change features a team of Portland’s leading performers of contemporary music: soprano Lindsey Rae Johnson, mezzo-soprano Lisa Neher, tenor Brandon Michael, and pianist Stephen Lewis, with composer Caroline Louise Miller running electronics for Deep Water. Currents of Change will be performed in English, with a runtime of 60 minutes. Admission is free and open to the public. This performance is made possible by Portland State University. To learn more about this show and more from the upcoming season, visit NEWWAVEOPERA.ORG. Event SummaryWHAT: Currents of Change
WHEN: Friday, January 16, 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm WHERE: Lincoln Recital Hall | Portland State University 1620 SW Park Ave |Portland, OR | 97201 COST: Free and open to the public RUNTIME: 60 minutes For Media Inquiries, Contact Lisa Neher, President, New Wave Opera
 Alice Tierney cast & creative team. Photo by Ari Finch. New Wave Opera wrapped up a weekend of performances of Atoms & Artifacts, our double bill of operas about the experiences and perceptions of historical women, to enthusiastic crowds at the Mago Hunt Center in Portland, OR. The shows were a double bill of west coast premieres. First on the program was Marie Curie Learns to Swim, by Jessica Rudman and Kendra Preston Leonard, about Madame Curie and her daughter and research partner, Irene, followed by Alice Tierney by Melissa Dunphy & Jacqueline Goldfinger, about a team of archeologists trying to unearth the truth about an 1800's murder victim.
"Both the operas had relatable stories and accessible yet sophisticated music," shared one audience member. Another audience member raved, "I love how much depth the women and queer characters in both operas had. I appreciate how they didn't shy away from expressing real world frustrations in their lives." New Wave Opera broke new ground with Marie Curie Learns to Swim, marking our first production with a full chamber ensemble, directed by Dr. Stephen Lewis. Rudman's evocative and colorful score wowed with shimmering colors suggesting radium and sweeping lines that brought the seashore to life. Alice Tierney's team of modern-day graduate student archeologists brought chuckles to the audience with their opening number, peppered with curse words one might expect from a frustrated team of students. These comical moments were balanced by poignancy, especially in Lindsey Rae Johnson's aria "I might be Alice Tierney," which painted a picture of a woman who never could satisfy society's expectations.
Atoms & Artifacts was made possible through generous support of Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), Portland Arts and Culture Arts Access Fund, the Multnomah County Cultural Coalition (MCCC), Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation, Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation, Oregon Cultural Trust, the University of Portland, and the support of our donors. Alice Tierney was produced through arrangement with Mormolyke Press.
 August 25, 2025, Portland, OR -- This Thursday, August 28 at 3:00 pm Pacific, New Wave Opera returns to All Classical Radio for Thursdays @ Three to perform previews of Atoms & Artifacts! Our artists will perform excerpts from two operas: Marie Curie Learns to Swim, about Madame Curie and her daughter and research partner, Irene, and Alice Tierney, about a team of graduate students attempting to unearth the truth about an 1880’s murder victim. Plus, Stage Director Jeffrey Puukka and Music Director Dr. Stephen Lewis will share their artistic vision for the operas with Thursdays @ Three host Christa Wessel! Tickets for the in-studio performance are sold out (you can join the waitlist here), so mark your calendar to listen online or tune your radio dial to 89.9 FM in the Portland Metro area. Can’t tune in live? Listen to the archived episode for two weeks following each broadcast. New Wave Opera artists Amanda Rose Taddeo, Lindsey Rae Johnson, Henriet Fourie, and Scot Crandal in rehearsal for Atoms & Artifacts. At a GlanceWHAT: New Wave Opera performs live on Thursdays @ Three WHEN: Thursday, August 28, 3-4 pm Pacific WHERE: Broadcast locally on 89.9 FM in the Portland Metro area & streaming online. Audio archive available online for 2 weeks. REPERTOIRE: Marie Curie Learns to Swim (excerpts) Jessica Rudman, composer Kendra Preston Leonard, librettist and Alice Tierney (excerpts) Melissa Dunphy, composer Jacqueline Goldfinger, librettist used by arrangement with Mormolyke Press Atoms & Artifacts Tickets are On Sale Now! Herstory performers (back row): Dan Gibs, Stephen Lewis, Sequoia, Alishia Garcia, Scot Crandal, (middle row): Lindsey Rae Johnson, Nicole Hanig, and (front row): Amanda Rose Taddeo. Photo by Drew Swatosh. August 17, 2025, Portland, OR - New Wave Opera shines at Show Bar at their performance of HERSTORY, an evening of music celebrating the brilliance of women past and present! Audiences loved experiencing this music in the chill atmosphere of Revolution Hall's Show Bar, sipping delicious cocktails and snacking on food from their fantastic menu. New Wave Opera previewed selections from Alice Tierney by Melissa Dunphy and Jacqueline Goldfinger and Marie Curie Learns to Swim by Jessica Rudman and Kendra Preston Leonard, which New Wave Opera will perform in full next month on our show Atoms & Artifacts. Plus, we shared music by living composers from Portland and beyond! Featured on the program were Portland composers Barbara Uhman, Dianne Davies, Theresa Koon, Lisa Neher, and Caroline Louise Miller. The performers are all artists featured in Atoms & Artifacts: sopranos Lindsey Rae Johnson, Nicole Hanig, Amanda Rose Taddeo and Henriet Fourie, mezzos Lisa Neher and Alishia Garcia, tenor Scot Crandal, and baritone Dan Gibbs, plus pianists Stephen Lewis (who will music direct Marie Curie Learns to Swim) and Sequoia (who will perform piano on both operas). Thanks to Revolution Hall, Lisa Lipton, and Drew Swatosh for their support of this event! Singers Alishia Garcia, mezzo, Lisa Neher, mezzo, and Amanda Rose Taddeo, soprano.
Photos by Drew Swatosh. New Wave Opera to perform West Coast Premieres of operas about perceptions & experiences of historical women.  August 4, 2025 – Portland, OR: New Wave Opera (NWO) presents Atoms & Artifacts, an exploration of the perceptions & experiences of historical women. This production features the west coast premieres of two 60-minute operas: Marie Curie Learns to Swim, complete with chamber ensemble, by Jessica Rudman & Kendra Preston Leonard and Alice Tierney by Melissa Dunphy & Jacqueline Goldfinger. In Marie Curie Learns to Swim, famous scientist Madame Curie and her daughter and research partner, Irène, take a vacation to the sea. Irène longs for rest, internally struggling with her fears about the radium they are using in their research, while Marie feels the urgency to return to her lab and continue her groundbreaking scientific discoveries. New Wave Opera is proud to perform Marie Curie Learns to Swim in its complete orchestration with chamber ensemble, conducted by Dr. Stephen Lewis! “As the music director, being in charge of the flow of the opera's performance is electric,” shares Lewis. “I’m not just following my own musical vision, but realizing the combined intentions of everyone involved.” “If you can name one female scientist, it’s probably Marie Curie,” adds New Wave Opera President Lisa Neher. “Her achievements are legendary—but who was she as a person? How did she pursue research when women were barred from science, and what did that persistence cost her?” In Alice Tierney, a team of archeology graduate students excavate the home of 1800's murder victim Alice Tierney. With little evidence to go on, each posits their own theory about who Alice was, and through the magic of opera, their versions of Alice come to life on the stage. But who was the real Alice? How do we sort out fact from fiction? How do our own experiences color the narratives we impose on history? “Melissa Dunphy uses her creative voice in deeply personal and powerful ways,” shares stage director Brandon Michael. “She is an important figure in the future of the operatic art form, and I couldn’t be more excited to bring this piece to our Portland audiences.” “Audiences will love Alice Tierney’s grad student characters—their casual speech and real struggles with dissertations, job searches, leaving home, and endearingly messy relationships,” says New Wave Opera Vice President Lindsey Rae Johnson. Atoms & Artifacts will be performed in English with supertitles. Sunday’s performance will have ASL interpretation, thanks to generous support from RACC. Atoms & Artifacts is generously supported by the University of Portland, Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC), the Multnomah County Cultural Coalition (MCCC), the Oregon Cultural Trust (OCT), the Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation, and the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation. To learn more about this show and more from the upcoming season, visit NEWWAVEOPERA.ORG. Event SummaryWHAT: Atoms & Artifacts WHEN: Friday, September 19, 7:30 pm, Saturday, September 20, 7:30 pm, & Sunday, September 21, 2:00 pm (Includes ASL Interpretation WHERE: Mago Hunt Recital Hall | University of Portland, 5000 N Willamette Blvd | Portland, OR | 97203 TICKETS: newwaveopera.org/atomsartifacts COST: $40 General Admission, $20 Seniors/Veterans/Artists, $15 Students, $5 Arts for All, Free Admission for University of Portland Students/Faculty/Staff with ID RUN TIME: Approx. 2 hrs 30 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission AGES: Recommended for audiences 13 and up. Content includes short comedic profanity and brief mention of sex work For Media Inquiries, Contact Lisa Neher, President, New Wave Opera Atoms & Artifacts Cast & Creative Team
New Wave Opera to perform hERSTORy: feminist arias & ensembles at Revolution Hall’s Show Bar8/2/2025  August 1, 2025 – Portland, OR: New Wave Opera (NWO) heads to Show Bar at Revolution Hall, a community hub with a casual vibe and creative pulse, for Herstory, an evening of music inspired by the strength and brilliance of women, past and present! Audiences can enjoy a signature Show Bar cocktail, glass of wine, or pint of beer with dinner or appetizers from their mouth-watering menu while enjoying dramatic, poignant, and funny arias, art songs, and ensembles on themes of feminism, queer love, motherhood, and persistence in the face of adversity. The program highlights work by local women & LGBTQ+ composers Theresa Koon, Dianne Davies, Lisa Neher, Barbara Ulman, and Caroline Louise Miller alongside mainstay composers of vocal music Libby Larsen & William Bolcom, and Jodi Goble (winner of the 2024 National Association of Teachers of Singing Art Song Composition Award). “Modern compositions give voice to fuller, more authentic experiences of women and LGBTQ+ communities—unlike much of the standard repertoire, which often leans on outdated stereotypes,” says New Wave Opera President and Resident Mezzo Lisa Neher. “At New Wave Opera, we’re passionate about programming living composers because their work reflects the depth and diversity of real lives.” New Wave Opera will also preview selections from September’s upcoming Atoms & Artifacts production, which is a double bill of two west coast premieres: Marie Curie Learns to Swim by Jessica Rudman and Kendra Preston Leonard and Alice Tierney by Melissa Dunphy & Jacqueline Goldfinger. “Show Bar is the perfect venue to explore opera in a low-key, casual environment,” shares NWO Board Member and stage director for Alice Tierney, Brandon Michael. “If you’re a first-time attendee or opera-curious, you can engage at your own pace and you’ll be welcomed with friendly faces from the music community.” Herstory features the cast & pianists for Atoms & Artifacts, an array of Portland’s finest talent: sopranos Lindsey Rae Johnson, Henriët Fourie, Nicole Hanig, & Amanda Rose Taddeo, mezzos Lisa Neher & Alishia Garcia, tenor Scot Crandal, and baritone Dan Gibbs, with pianists Stephen Lewis & Sequoia on the keys. Audiences can get to know the performers they will see on stage in September. No registration is required for this event, just show up anytime between 8-10 pm to hear some great music and enjoy a delicious beverage, dinner, or an appetizer. To learn more about this show and more from the upcoming season, visit NEWWAVEOPERA.ORG. EVENT SUMMARYWhat: Herstory When: Saturday, August 16, 2025 | 8 pm - Late Where: Show Bar at Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St #101 | Portland, OR 97214 Tickets: No Registration Required Cost: $10 Cover at the Door For Media Inquiries, Contact Lisa Neher, President, New Wave Opera
Herstory Performers Lindsey Rae Johnson, Henriët Fourie, Nicole Hanig, & Amanda Rose Taddeo, Sopranos Lisa Neher & Alishia Garcia, Mezzo-Sopranos Scot Crandal, Tenor Dan Gibbs, Baritone Stephen Lewis & Sequoia, Piano |
