“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” - George Bernard Shaw It is an inherit human need to want to be acknowledged, to be understood, to be heard. Everyone needs to have a voice. Our society listens to respond instead of listening to understand. We do not take the time to actively engage the people in our lives. We move so quickly that all meaning is lost. This is an issue at the heart of Aaron Copland's The Tender Land. On sta

I had the opportunity to sit down with conductor, Joseph A. Hodge this week and learn more about his feelings on The Tender Land and the experience so far. Rachel - I imagine you've conducted many pieces by Aaron Copland in your career! Can you remember the first piece you conducted by him? Joseph - The first piece by Copland that I ever conducted was Appalachian Spring, the chamber orchestra arrangement for 13 instruments—interestingly enough, the same exact orchestration we

Happy Tuesday, opera fans! Our final cast feature is baritone, Jermaine Woodard Jr. Jermaine will be playing the role of Mr. Jenks in The Tender Land. If you do not have your tickets...what are you waiting for?!? Visit Today Tix online or their app and get them today! Jermaine Woodard Jr. is a graduate in Voice Performance from The University of Hartford’s Hartt School studying with Cherie Caluda and Eric Trudel. Jermaine has performed in several opera productions with Virgin

It's Tuesday! Today, we are featuring soprano, Schauntice Marshall who will be playing the role of Mrs. Jenks in The Tender Land. If you don't have your tickets yet, head over to The Tender Land page and click buy tickets. We want to see you on June 2 & 4 at the Aetna Theater! Check back here later this week for more exciting announcements! The Washington, D.C. soprano, Schauntice Marshall, has a golden gift to touch and warm your heart, and has a refreshing sense of wholenes

It's Spotlight Sunday time! Today, we are featuring baritone, Michael McAvoy. He will be playing Top in The Tender Land -- June 2 & 4 at the Aetna Theatre at the Wadsworth Atheneum. To purchase tickets click here. Baritone Michael McAvoy is a Connecticut native and graduate of UCONN, where he earned his Vocal Performance degree studying under Dr. Constance Rock. He won first place in Opera Theatre of Connecticut’s Amici Vocal Competition and later played Curio in their produ

It is Tuesday and time to introduce you to another member of The Tender Land cast. Today's featured artist is tenor, Nigel Rowe. Nigel will be playing the role of Mr. Splinters. If you have not purchased your tickets for the show, you can do so on our website and learn more about the production by connecting to the Tender Land page. Nigel is a native of West Hartford, CT and attended the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, sparking his interest in theatre and classical musi

Happy Spotlight Sunday, everyone! We are very excited to present our featured artist, Janelle Robinson who will be singing the role of Ma Moss in The Tender Land on June 2 & 4 at The Aetna Theatre at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. Tickets are going fast! You can purchase them through our website by clicking here. For the past twenty years, Janelle Anne Robinson has enjoyed an ongoing professional career on the operatic and musical theater stage. Her performances span s

It's Tuesday, which means it is time for more artist features! This time we are happy to introduce Caleb Alexander and Lindsay Cabaniss. Caleb and Lindsay will both be part of the ensemble and covering Mr. & Mrs. Splinters respectively. If you do not have your tickets for The Tender Land you can purchase them now through our website. Just click the red box at the top of the page. Caleb Alexander is a sophomore in vocal performance at the Hartt School of Music. He is looking f

Happy Tuesday! Do you have your tickets to The Tender Land yet? They are on sale! You can link to buy them directly on our website. Today's artist feature is mezzo-soprano, Caroline Midgette-Ismail. Caroline will be playing Mrs. Splinters and covering the role of Ma Moss. Caroline Midgette-Ismail (Mrs. Splinters, Ma Moss/Understudy) is thrilled to debut with Hartford Opera Theater in The Tender Land as Mrs. Splinters and the understudy for Ma Moss. During her career, she has

The Tender Land Tickets are on sale! You can buy your tickets through our website. What better way to celebrate how excited we are for this amazing production than to feature our Laurie Moss, Lisa Williamson. You can see Lisa and the entire cast on stage at the Aetna Theatre at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art on June 2 & 4. In the mean time, here is a little about Lisa. Described by the Washington Post as “silvery of voice” and “a showstopper” for her recent performances