{"id":127436,"date":"2026-02-17T16:50:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T21:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=127436"},"modified":"2026-02-18T10:36:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T15:36:17","slug":"opera-evolves","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2026\/opera-evolves\/","title":{"rendered":"Opera Evolves"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin magazine-block-editorial-leadin is-style-image-to-text has-media has-media-focus-center-middle has-secondary-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1800\" height=\"1084\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP-26-CFA-Magazine-BLO-Omar.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP-26-CFA-Magazine-BLO-Omar.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP-26-CFA-Magazine-BLO-Omar-636x383.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP-26-CFA-Magazine-BLO-Omar-1024x617.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP-26-CFA-Magazine-BLO-Omar-768x463.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP-26-CFA-Magazine-BLO-Omar-1536x925.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP-26-CFA-Magazine-BLO-Omar-1628x980.jpg 1628w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin-caption wp-prepress-component-caption\"><em>In May of 2023, Boston Lyric Opera presented <\/em>Omar<em>, the story of an Islamic scholar sold into the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Olivia Moon Photography<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Music<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOpera Evolves\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">In recent years, the art form has seen more diverse stories, exciting new initiatives, and renewed commitments to inclusivity. Is opera in its strongest era yet?<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar magazine-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">February 17, 2026<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/authors\/sophie-yarin\/\">Sophie Yarin<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph magazine-block-editorial-introparagraph is-style-dropcap-boxed has-dropcap has-dropcap-color-secondary\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph-content\"><p>Even before she became the new artistic director of the Boston Lyric Opera in 2024, Nina Yoshida Nelsen was an acclaimed mezzo-soprano who was making an impact on the art form. Nelsen (\u201901,\u201903), a 2026 Grammy nominee for her performance in the opera <em>American Soldier<\/em>, had served as artistic advisor to the company since 2021, working with the BLO on issues like diversity in casting and what shows are being produced.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">The BLO was already making strides in representation in its productions. In 2022\u20132023, the company co-commissioned and staged <em>Omar<\/em>, which tells the story of an Islamic scholar from West Africa sold into the trans-Atlantic slave trade at the start of the 19th century. The show went on to win the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in music. \u201cIt\u2019s groundbreaking,\u201d says Ishan Johnson (\u201906), a baritone, chief philanthropic officer at BLO, and member of Boston University\u2019s Alumni Council. \u201cWhen you learn of slavery, you learn it from a Christian point of view. Here, you learn that Muslims were enslaved too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-Michelle-Johnson-Porgy-and-Bess-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-127437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-Michelle-Johnson-Porgy-and-Bess-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-Michelle-Johnson-Porgy-and-Bess-636x424.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-Michelle-Johnson-Porgy-and-Bess-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-Michelle-Johnson-Porgy-and-Bess-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-Michelle-Johnson-Porgy-and-Bess-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-Michelle-Johnson-Porgy-and-Bess-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-Michelle-Johnson-Porgy-and-Bess-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-Michelle-Johnson-Porgy-and-Bess-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-Michelle-Johnson-Porgy-and-Bess-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Soprano Michelle Johnson as Bess in <em>Porgy and Bess<\/em> at the Des Moines Metro Opera in 2022. Photo by Duane Tinkey<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Alums of the School of Music and BU Opera Institute are leveraging their experiences as performers and as arts administrators to open the world of opera to more people\u2014on both sides of the curtain. In its next chapter\u2014in which opera seeks to reach more people and uplift unheard voices\u2014where will it take its audiences, both old and new? \u201cOpera has survived every World War, the French Revolution, plagues, slavery, the Holocaust, the Civil Rights Movement,\u201d says Johnson. \u201cOperas are being produced today during very tumultuous times. Opera is not going anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Diverse Voices and Stories<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">For decades, European standard fare\u2014Verdi, Mozart, Wagner\u2014has been cast with singers of color. But more companies are making commitments to staging new and reimagined works in addition to the beloved canon of Western composers. A 2024 report by the nonprofit OPERA America found new works\u2014particularly those with experimental formats and those that foregrounded contemporary issues\u2014were as attractive to new audiences as they were to veteran opera-goers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote magazine-block-bu-pullquote is-style-modern has-image-focus-center-middle has-secondary-theme\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\">It was a <em>Madama Butterfly<\/em> that could, in fact, have happened. You left that opera with a very different view of the world.<br\/><br\/><\/div><footer class=\"caption\">Baritone, Ishan Johnson (CFA\u201906)<\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Opera houses are also re-envisioning classics in ways that challenge outdated storytelling. In 2023, BLO staged a highly praised production of <em>Madama Butterfly<\/em>\u2014a Puccini opera maligned by contemporary critics for its outmoded and Orientalist depiction of Japanese culture\u2014in a 1940s internment camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">The BLO\u2019s Nelsen, who has sung the role of Suzuki in <em>Madama Butterfly<\/em> about 200 times\u2014and who founded the Asian Opera Alliance to push for a wider variety of roles for singers of Asian heritage, among other changes\u2014was the dramaturg for this production. \u201cIt was a <em>Madama Butterfly<\/em> that could, in fact, have happened,\u201d says Johnson. \u201cYou left that opera with a very different view of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Alexis Peart (\u201923, MET\u201924), a mezzo-soprano, is an award-winning performer, a producer, and an advocate for Black performance and storytelling in the arts. She says that in order to better showcase diverse voices, opera companies must also be aware of blind spots and unconscious biases when it comes to their performers of color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"712\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BLO-Madama-Butterfly-1024x712.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-127438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BLO-Madama-Butterfly-1024x712.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BLO-Madama-Butterfly-636x442.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BLO-Madama-Butterfly-768x534.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BLO-Madama-Butterfly-1536x1068.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BLO-Madama-Butterfly-2048x1425.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BLO-Madama-Butterfly-1438x1000.jpg 1438w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Boston Lyric Opera\u2019s highly praised production of <em>Madama Butterfly<\/em>, featuring Alice Chung and Dominick Chenes. Ken Yotsukura Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">During the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, she remembers, many companies began to look inward to \u201cassess how artists [of color] were presented onstage, what that means for their storytelling, and the implications that it may have.\u201d Some outcomes were tangible, like expanding makeup shade ranges and hiring stylists skilled with textured hair. The industry felt a deeper impact through its reexamination of casting practices and shifts in organizational culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">\u201cIf you\u2019re always casting a person of color in the villain role, what does that say?\u201d she asks. \u201cAre you aware of the subliminal messages that your unperceived bias is creating?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">According to Johnson, the world of arts administration is evolving at a similar pace. \u201cI didn\u2019t meet another Black man in fundraising until about five years into my career, when I met other men who looked just like me,\u201d he says. \u201cI truly am focused on making sure that I am not alone in the spaces I am in\u2014I didn\u2019t always have the power and the influence to make something like that happen, but I can now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>\u201cThe Pay-It-Forward Generation\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Change is happening backstage, too. When Peart was starting out as a professional singer, she was discouraged from participating in arts administration work, which can take the form of anything from producing shows to managing company schedules to soliciting donations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BU-Opera-If-I-Were-You-Alexis-Peart-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-127435\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BU-Opera-If-I-Were-You-Alexis-Peart-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BU-Opera-If-I-Were-You-Alexis-Peart-636x424.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BU-Opera-If-I-Were-You-Alexis-Peart-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BU-Opera-If-I-Were-You-Alexis-Peart-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BU-Opera-If-I-Were-You-Alexis-Peart-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BU-Opera-If-I-Were-You-Alexis-Peart-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BU-Opera-If-I-Were-You-Alexis-Peart-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BU-Opera-If-I-Were-You-Alexis-Peart-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/12\/Opera-Evolves-SP26-CFA-Magazine-BU-Opera-If-I-Were-You-Alexis-Peart-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Mezzo-soprano Alexis Peart as Brittomara in the Boston University Opera Institute\u2019s 2022 production of <em>If I Were You<\/em>. Photo by Annie Kao<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">\u201cFor a long time, there was this idea that if you had other interests, it meant you failed as a singer,\u201d she says. \u201cThere was shame associated with people who did both.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">But singers who straddle both sides of the curtain have an advantage in the industry, Peart says. She notes that working in multiple areas of the field can provide performers with extra income and encourage them to take creative risks. In addition to her residency with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Peart works across a range of arts institutions as an opera and contemporary theater producer, teaching artist, curriculum writer, and arts educator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">\u201cI do a lot of guest lectures on different careers in opera, and I always say that it\u2019s really important to have a balance of skills that you can lean on,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">The presence of singers in opera administration has a positive effect on how all performers are treated, according to Michelle Johnson (\u201907), a soprano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">\u201cWhen I see an [administrator] who was a singer when I was growing up, I know they not only have the business background but they know what we need, as artists, to do our job well,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to the next generation of arts admins, because it\u2019s a whole new vibe. It is so refreshing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Johnson and her husband, Brian Major (\u201908,\u201910), a baritone, take on informal mentorships of up-and-coming singers, offering them auditioning tips, industry advice, and words of encouragement. Johnson also offers voice lessons on a sliding scale, while Major provides professional advice on his social media accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">\u201cWe are part of the pay-it-forward generation,\u201d Major says. \u201cWe had mentors, voice teachers, and coaches who knew we didn\u2019t have anything financially, and they would still help us and give us opportunities to perform. Today\u2019s generation gets its mentorship from social media, [and] finds its way through those platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>A Huge Community<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">While opera welcomes many changes, other new initiatives are meant to embrace its past. Until the mid-20th century, opera was seen as a people\u2019s art form\u2014intended for all audiences, regardless of status\u2014and not the rarefied medium it can sometimes feel like today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">\u201cWhen opera was performed for kings and queens, they would sit in the good section, but there were townspeople who enjoyed it as well,\u201d says Michelle Johnson. \u201cIt was high art, but it wasn\u2019t just for the rich. It was a huge community of people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">\u201cThe origins and heart of opera have always been rooted in community and conviviality,\u201d says Peart. \u201cIt was a social event. People talked through the whole thing, and they had a great time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">BLO\u2019s community programs tap into opera\u2019s popular history. Its Opera Stories series\u2014condensed, participatory operas for young listeners\u2014travels to local libraries and schools. Its summertime Street Stage, a truck that opens up into a mobile stage complete with piano, hosts free, open-air performances around the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote magazine-block-bu-pullquote is-style-modern has-image-focus-center-middle has-quaternary-theme\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\">The origins and heart of opera have always been rooted in community and conviviality. It was a social event. People talked through the whole thing, and they had a great time.<\/div><footer class=\"caption\"><br\/><br\/>Mezzo-soprano, Alexis Peart (CFA\u201923, MET\u201924)<\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">In April, BLO opened its Opera + Community Studios in Boston\u2019s Fort Point neighborhood. The company\u2019s first-ever brick-and-mortar outpost not only serves BLO, but doubles as a much-needed rental space for a variety of uses, including rehearsals and performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">\u201cI did not know, when BLO brought me on, how hard it is to find a space to sing, to act, to dance, to write, to draw,\u201d Ishan Johnson says. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to be an organization that can provide that resource for so many people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-end-of-article\">\u201cWe hope folks understand that opera is not just on the main stage; it\u2019s not just wigs, poofy costumes, and big orchestras,\u201d he adds. \u201cOpera helps to build connections across the cultural ecosystem\u2014it is within the community, and you have access to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\"><\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories is-style-card has-three magazine-block-editorial-relatedstories\">\n\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-title\">Related<\/h3>\n\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"3558\" height=\"2000\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings.jpg 3558w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-636x358.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-2048x1151.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-992x558.jpg 992w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-1500x844.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-1984x1116.jpg 1984w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-1628x915.jpg 1628w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-1600x900.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-1366x768.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-1280x720.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/05\/Connection-Through-Music-Palaver-Strings-854x480.jpg 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3558px) 100vw, 3558px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Ensembles<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2025\/connection-through-music-palaver-strings\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Connection Through Music<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">July 3, 2025<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2025\/07\/El-Caminante-Official-Release-Announcement-Banner.png\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/07\/El-Caminante-Official-Release-Announcement-Banner.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/07\/El-Caminante-Official-Release-Announcement-Banner-636x358.png 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/07\/El-Caminante-Official-Release-Announcement-Banner-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/07\/El-Caminante-Official-Release-Announcement-Banner-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/07\/El-Caminante-Official-Release-Announcement-Banner-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/07\/El-Caminante-Official-Release-Announcement-Banner-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/07\/El-Caminante-Official-Release-Announcement-Banner-992x558.png 992w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/07\/El-Caminante-Official-Release-Announcement-Banner-1500x844.png 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/07\/El-Caminante-Official-Release-Announcement-Banner-1628x916.png 1628w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/07\/El-Caminante-Official-Release-Announcement-Banner-1600x900.png 1600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/07\/El-Caminante-Official-Release-Announcement-Banner-1366x768.png 1366w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/07\/El-Caminante-Official-Release-Announcement-Banner-1280x720.png 1280w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/07\/El-Caminante-Official-Release-Announcement-Banner-854x480.png 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>BU Opera Institute<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/news\/articles\/2025\/opera-institute-el-caminante-record-release\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Boston University School of Music: Opera Institute&#8217;s Recording of El Caminante Released on PARMA&#8217;s GRAMMY\u00ae-winning Navona Records Label<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">August 22, 2025<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share wp-prepress-component-article-share-sharedby-news\"><span class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share-label\">Shared from<\/span> <span class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share-source\"><div class=\"editorial-branding editorial-branding-news bu-prepress-branding-type-text\"><div class=\"editorial-branding-wrap\">News<\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"900\" height=\"1348\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2025\/04\/25-1002-BOSTMAZZOLI-005_crop-900x1348-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/04\/25-1002-BOSTMAZZOLI-005_crop-900x1348-1.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/04\/25-1002-BOSTMAZZOLI-005_crop-900x1348-1-425x636.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/04\/25-1002-BOSTMAZZOLI-005_crop-900x1348-1-684x1024.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/04\/25-1002-BOSTMAZZOLI-005_crop-900x1348-1-768x1150.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2025\/04\/25-1002-BOSTMAZZOLI-005_crop-900x1348-1-668x1000.jpg 668w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>CFA Alumni<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/news\/articles\/2025\/missy-mazzoli-opera-america\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Can Missy Mazzoli Help Reinvent Opera in America?<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">April 10, 2025<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share wp-prepress-component-article-share-sharedby-news\"><span class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share-label\">Shared from<\/span> <span class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share-source\"><div class=\"editorial-branding editorial-branding-news bu-prepress-branding-type-text\"><div class=\"editorial-branding-wrap\">News<\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The BLO was already making strides in representation in its productions. In 2022\u20132023, the company co-commissioned and staged Omar, which tells the story of an Islamic scholar from West Africa sold into the trans-Atlantic slave trade at the start of the 19th century. The show went on to win the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in music. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6143,"featured_media":127439,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[],"bu-publication":[191],"magazine-article-category":[372,377,371],"magazine-topic":[],"news-article-category":[],"news-topic":[],"bu_edition":[448],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/127436"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6143"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127436"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/127436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":127644,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/127436\/revisions\/127644"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/127439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127436"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=127436"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-article-category?post=127436"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-topic?post=127436"},{"taxonomy":"news-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article-category?post=127436"},{"taxonomy":"news-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topic?post=127436"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=127436"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=127436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}