Conducting LOLA’s Good Country by Keith Allegretti and Cecelia Raker

As someone who only dabbles within the operatic medium, I wouldn’t in a million years have predicted that my final pre-Covid conducting engagement (Dido & Aeneas with Local Opera / Local Artists (LOLA) in February 2020) and my first post-shutdown conducting gig would both happen to be operas. But here we are, and I’m absolutely thrilled to team up once again with my LOLA peeps for a workshop performance of Good Country by Keith Allegretti (music) and Cecelia Raker (libretto). 

Good Country is a new chamber opera based on true accounts of Charley Parkhurst, a trans stagecoach driver during the California Gold Rush. The music and text alone is truly beautiful, though even more so when brought together by the fantastic cast I’ve had the pleasure of working with all week.

I couldn’t imagine a more joyous return to in-person conducting after a forced 18-month hiatus. We go live in KMFA’s Draylen Mason Theater today at 5pm, and you can join us here: https://youtu.be/9QQq9IrEjO8