I’ve had a wonderful three years working with Opera Philadelphia. I’m always amazed how kind, knowledgeable, and generous everyone in the organization is, and I leave the Composer in Residence program with some sadness, but mostly a great deal of energy. It is difficult to summarize the immense effect this program has had on me and my work, but I will try to give some sense of my activities.

The first couple of years were a giant laboratory of learning experiences – observing rehearsals, taking voice lessons, being exposed to the behind-the-scenes work of the company, and most importantly, writing. During this time I wrote a song cycle for mezzo, horn, cello and piano called Three Immigrant Songs, and I think eight opera scenes for various workshops. This was a wonderful chance to experiment with different facets of operatic writing (for example, trying out different approaches to setting recitative) without the pressure or looming deadlines of a large-scale commission. This also gave me the invaluable experience of working with different librettists, like Mark Campbell (the librettist of the Pulitzer-prize winning Silent Night), who is a deep fount of opera wisdom. One of my favorite aspects of the residency in general was the access that it provided to mentors and advisors in the field, including directors, singers, producers, librettists and dramaturges.