National Opera Association Chamber Opera Competition Finals

Name: National Opera Association Chamber Opera Competition Finals
Start: 2026-01-07T19:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-01-07
Location: Boston Conservatory Theater

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Wednesday / January 7, 2026 / 7:00 p.m.

Boston Conservatory Theater

31 Hemenway Street, Floor 2

Boston

02115

United States

(View Map)

Boston Conservatory at Berklee is proud to host the National Opera Association Chamber Opera Competition Finals.

Repertoire

THE HABERDASHER PRINCE

Composer: Rosabella Gregory
Librettist: Dina Soraya Gregory

Brief Synopsis
In a far-off land, a very musical king has a not-very-musical son. Everyone pretends to enjoy the prince’s terrible concerts, but a bold village girl refuses to play along. The king demands her punishment, but the prince shows mercy. Happily, the prince and the peasant girl create an arrangement that showcases both of their true talents.

Few of us make it through childhood without, at some point, feeling pressured to do something we’re not good at. For Prince Panderbash, it is music, despite his father’s virtuosic ability with a rare and difficult instrument: the Gilrabi.

Panderbash is forced on a royal tour, performing concerts around the kingdom. No one dares to say his music is bad, fearful of incurring the King's wrath. Making the best of his predicament, the prince entertains himself with one of the few things he can control: his attire. Each concert sees him perform in a newly handsewn creation. Then one day everything changes when a young girl cries out, “But the prince plays horribly!”

An inherently musical story, audiences are transported to a faraway land to meet a finely dressed narrator. She introduces her audience to the secrets of the Gilrabi. When its strings—represented by the four voices onstage—are bowed correctly, the music is divine; but when bowed poorly, an assault on their ears!

This fairytale has echoes of Hans Christian Anderson’s, The Emperor’s New Clothes. But in that classic tale, we do not get to know the child who calls out the naked emperor. Here, we not only meet the girl before the day of the concert, but watch her transformation. Through her actions, the prince finally confronts his father, lifting the burden of his deception while allowing her to gain the recognition she deserves as a true master of the Gilrabi.

List of Characters (with voice types):
QUERULOUS STRING (QS) / QUEEN / RICH LADY / TEACHER / GUARD / PUBLIC CRIER / SUBJECT 2 – Megan Jacobs, soprano
CLEAR STRING (CS) / VILLAGE GIRL / PAGE / SUBJECT – Aubrey Bosse, mezzo-soprano
PLAYFUL STRING (PS) / PRINCE PANDERBASH / SUBJECT – Noah Gunn, tenor
STATELY STRING (SS) / KING HAMLUK / SEAMSTRESS / PUBLIC CRIER / MASTER OF CEREMONIES / SUBJECT 1 – Xander McRae, bass-baritone

Production Credits:
Director – Daniel Pelzig
Conductor – Andrew Bisantz
Pianist – Jean Anderson
Music Preparation – Jean Anderson and Laurann Gilley
Institutional Host Coordinator – Patricia Au
Chair of Vocal Arts – Isaì Jess Muñoz

THE DRIFTERMAN

Composer/Librettist: Connie Harris

Brief Synopsis:
Danny is the only drifterman left in 1970s Norfolk, a remnant of a forgotten past. Trapped with his grandson on a small boat at sea, he is plagued by a sinister presence.

List of Characters:
DANNY DRY – Jared Kellman-Medina
BILLY – Noah Gunn

LOST GIRLS:
LOST GIRL 1 – Nicole Dipasquale
LOST GIRL 2 – Grace Kang
LOST GIRL 3 – Avery Ross
LOST GIRL 4 – Dee Ypsilantis

CHORUS:
Kat Lutz, soprano
Aubrey Bosse, alto
Omar Ahmed, tenor
Patrick O'Farrell, bass

Production Credits:
Director – Nathan Troup
Conductor – Andrew Bisantz
Pianist – Jean Anderson
Music Preparation – Jean Anderson and Laurann Gilley
Institutional Host Coordinator – Patricia Au
Chair of Vocal Arts – Isaì Jess Muñoz

SO YOU MAY BREATHE IN LIGHT

Composer: Theo Chandler
Librettist: Theo Chandler and Lydia Hwang

Brief Synopsis:
So You May Breathe In Light follows the story of an “Explorer” (baritone), as he is guided by a “Healer” (mezzo-soprano) through the dreamlike world of his own imagination. The Explorer’s journey allows him to acknowledge his long-held shame, and discover a new way of relating to the world. The opera begins with the Healer’s calming voice, as she opens the Explorer’s mind so he may enter into his inner world. Once inside, the Explorer finds himself enveloped by a turbulent vortex of lights. The Healer explains to him that these lights are a visual manifestation of his mind—each light represents a thought. Witnessing this symbol of his rational mind allows him to bring awareness to his recurring thought patterns. He discovers that he has never forgiven himself for a memory he holds—a memory of hurting someone. Rooted in this memory, the Explorer has developed an underlying belief that he is fundamentally harmful, that by existing, he causes others pain. Knowing that there is more to the story, the Healer encourages him to meet his Shadow, the darkest part of himself, the part of himself he has chosen not to see. The Explorer continues deeper into his imagination and is suddenly transported to a dungeon. He begins to panic, assuming his Shadow is his cruelty coming to attack him. To his surprise, the Shadow reveals herself not as a harmful being but as a sickly, withered prisoner. She is the embodiment of his Loving Self (soprano), who he has neglected. In his attempt to protect the world from the harm he believes he causes, he has starved himself of love and connection. Supported by a new perspective, he can begin healing.

Staging:
A fully staged performance of So You May Breathe in Light incorporates projected video on the wall behind the performers as well as on the floor of the stage. The performers are immersed in the projections; the projections are meant to give a sense of setting and atmosphere. In the opera, the Healer remains on the right side of the stage, outside the field of the projections, to signify she is guiding the Explorer from outside his inner world.

List of Characters:
EXPLORER – Patrick O’Farrell
HEALER – Emma Rogers
SHADOW – Ava Dunton

Production Credits:
Director – David Gately
Conductor – Andrew Bisantz
Pianist – Jean Anderson
Music Preparation – Jean Anderson and Laurann Gilley
Institutional Host Coordinator – Patricia Au
Chair of Vocal Arts – Isaì Jess Muñoz

Concert Services Staff

Assistant Director, Concert Services – Luis Herrera
Coordinator, Concert Services – Matthew Carey
Concert Production Manager – Kendall Floyd
Performance Technology Technicians – Sara Pagiaro, Goran Daskalov

Boston Conservatory thanks audience members for viewing this program information online. This paperless program saved 200 sheets of paper, 21 gallons of water, and 18 pounds of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions.