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April 28, 2025 - Portland, OR - New Wave Opera announces their summer and fall 2025 season of female-forward programming, including the west coast premieres of operas written by women about how women are perceived in history.  Coming up first: NWO’s annual SUMMER SPLASH outdoor concert and fundraiser on July 12 at 7:30 pm. Hosted by renowned soprano and voice teacher Susan McBerry in a causal backyard venue, this all-ages concert features opera arias and duets, accompanied by delicious food & drinks. The performance will include previews of our fall production as well as selections by local composers such as Carolyn Quick. Hosted in a cozy West Moreland neighborhood, last year’s event was standing room only, so don’t delay—reserve those seats!
Next, New Wave Opera returns to Portland’s classical music hotspot, Mendelssohns, for HERSTORY, an evening of music inspired by the strength and brilliance of women, past and present! This female-forward program shares excerpts from our fall double bill Atoms & Artifacts by members of the cast, including sopranos Henriët Fourie & Lindsey Johnson and mezzos Lisa Neher & Alishia Garcia. Our fall mainstage show, ATOMS & ARTIFACTS, is an exploration of the perceptions and experiences of historical women. This production features the west coast premieres of two 60-minute operas: Marie Curie Learns to Swim by Jessica Rudman & Kendra Preston Leonard and Alice Tierney by Melissa Dunphy & Jacqueline Goldfinger. The production will take place at the Mago Hunt Recital Hall on the University of Portland Campus. 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! This will be our first production with chamber ensemble and we couldn’t be more thrilled to share the expressive and evocative colors of Rudman’s orchestration with you. In Alice Tierney (Winner, 2020 OPERA America Discovery Grant), 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?
ATOMS & ARTIFACTS is generously sponsored by the University of Portland, Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC), Multnomah County Cultural Coalition (MCCC), and the Oregon Cultural Trust (OCT). Mark your calendars for Summer Splash, Herstory, and Atoms & Artifacts! We look forward to seeing you at the opera!
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