Spring Update!
Well this season has brought nothing but surprises. It began with my last performances of Lohengrin in the Role of Ortrud. After 23 years, 79 performances and 5 different countries it has indeed been “Good Innings”! The last show in Chemnitz was wonderful and I am grateful to all my Lohengrin family over the years for making this opera so special it has been quite a ride. Now it’s time for new adventures!
Sing Sistah Sing! Tales of Transatlantic Freedom made it’s US debut in February as part of Black History Month in Boston at the iconic Museum of Fine Arts. This was a special occasion and benefit for the National Center for Race Amity. It was wonderful to have so many family and friends there the show was really special.
More good news for Tales of Atlantic Freedom! We have been invited to the Charlotte Shout! Festival in North Carolina, where we will be performing in the Pianodrome (yes that Pianodrome) in the Historic Grace AME Zion Church. The Pianodrome is doing its first international creation working with the community to create their own version of the iconic theatre founded in Scotland. We continue to expand our work with Yard Heads as producers and the team, Howard and I are excited to bring the show to a new Festival. If you are in the Charlotte area #JoinTheCelebration. Watch this space for new exciting announcements about the show coming soon!
OMOS the short film made its debut last year in Dundee, Edinburgh and Perth, we moved on to Glasgow opening the Glasgow Short Film Festival complete with a Q&A and a cabaret performance with Rhys’Pieces (our director) and myself. It was a BLAST, my first film festival and the audience loved the film. OMOS returns to Berlin on the 15th of July for another showing and Cabaret at SchwuZ - for this show I will be performing with Albert Horne.
Directly following the OMOS premier comes the world premier of the opera Catriona and The Dragon with the Lammermuir Festival. This is a festival local to me in East Lothian and one I have admired for their amazing programming and the community outreach that is intrinsic to the festival since it began. With Lliam Paterson composer, Laura Attridge Libretto/Director and Sian Edwards conducting with local choirs from Dunbar Voices, and a mixed professional/amateur orchestra - this is sure to be an amazing event! It is also my first fully staged opera engagement by a Scottish company (I know right!). I am honoured to be among this wonderful constellation of artists. Performances are on the 5th of April at Dunbar Parish Church. Book your tickets here.
Treemonisha is getting closer! Please see the developments on the project here and if you are in Toronto in June, please join me at the Luminato Festival for one of our shows. This new retelling of the opera is sure to be exciting and groundbreaking. See the Andrea Baker Mezzo section for dates and more information. https://www.volcano.ca/treemonisha
I am also thrilled to return to perform with the Chineke! Orchestra at the Milton Keynes International Festival on the 22nd of July. The concert celebrates the 250th anniversary of Amazing Grace with a new work by Roddy Williams for the occasion I am honored to be one of the soloists. Please see the Andrea Baker Mezzo section for more information.
Spring is most certainly coming in with a BANG! I hope to see you at a performance!
#JoinTheCelebration
-Andrea