Oberlin

Excerpted from ClevelandClassical.com

"Directing an opera is an enormous task. "Opera equals nuclear fusion," said Jonathon Field, Director of Opera Theatre at the Oberlin Conservatory. But Jason Goldberg, a fifth-year student majoring in vocal performance and opera directing at Oberlin Conservatory, isn't afraid of the challenge.

On April 15 and 16 at 8:00 pm in Oberlin's Fairchild Chapel and on April 17 at 3:00 pm in Case Western Reserve University's Harkness Chapel, Goldberg will present his production of Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, a student-led project in collaboration with CWRU. Goldberg, a New Jersey native, is only the third student in the history of the school to pursue an individual major in opera directing. Having already staged Gian Carlo Menotti's one-act opera The Telephone, Goldberg's production of Dido and Aeneas is his final project.

"When I told Jonathon Field I wanted to produce Dido and Aeneas, he was silent," Goldberg recalled. "Then he said, 'Dido -- why Dido? That's one of the most difficult pieces because you have every element of theater in it!' And I replied, 'That's exactly why I want to do it. You have music, intense drama, dance, and props. There are difficulties in terms of the lighting when switching back and forth between the witches and the court. Then there is so much research involved around the mythology. And it happens to be one of my favorite operas of all time.'"

Read the full article from Cleveland Classical writers Mike Telin and Daniel Hautzinger.