Episode Details

The Pittsburgh Opera is premiering a brand new opera, "Woman with Eyes Closed" this weekend! Composer of the opera, Jennifer Higdon, talks with Jim Cunningham live about her work on the new opera. The story is inspired by a real 2012 art heist in Rotterdam, involving works by Picasso, Monet, Matisse, and many others. The thief hid the paintings from his mother, who then burned them to protect him. Higdon talks about how the opera explores themes of art's value, mortality, and sacrifice. Jennifer highlights the three unique endings the opera could have when audience members see it. She doesn't know what the cast will choose each night, so everyone should see the show more than once! She composed different music for each ending. Higdon says that on the fourth and fifth night, the rehearsal audience and cast, respectively, will choose the ending. Higdon shares her past work with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and her connection to Pittsburgh. She also discusses upcoming projects! Pittsburgh Opera's "Woman with Eyes Closed" is on April 26th, 29th, and May 2nd-4th at the Bitz Opera Factory. All performances are sold out, but there will be a waitlist! Visit https://pittsburghopera.org/season/woman-with-eyes-closed to learn more. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region.  Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.