RECENT NEWS
“There is so much opportunity in Handel's works to explore gender from a non-binary point of view, and in our production, this has meant that characters often portrayed as weak and in distress take actions to control their own futures, and "male" characters can be masculine while still expressing emotion and affection in ways that are typically seen as more feminine.”
“…gender has always just been a construct, and history tells us that power and love are what humans seek.”
“Medea makes some epically bad decisions, and is pretty evil, BUT: she’s a barbarian. She views the world differently, she views love differently. One of her most interesting lines is ‘love is strongest when changed to fury.’ What?! I mean, to a warrior in a kill-or-be-killed society, that kind of makes sense. It’s in her nature to be this way. It’s hard to be mad at a dog for chasing chickens, amirite?! She does feel remorse for the loss of her brother and children and also feels reticence to kill Teseo. Luke Skywalker would have seen the good in her, even if she had no place in his world.”
“We’re set in an ancient land where women are warriors. All the women are strong and hold their own. I think that’s the lesson; it’s not a new concept to be a strong woman, we just have to keep empowering each other.”
“…each woman in the project is inspiring to me, they’re all so talented and smart and strong! I notice that communication and the voicing of ideas and opinions about character and musical ideas is very open and productive for us. There is free expression of ideas and risk-taking with staging and acting that seems unfettered by ego and fear. I feel like I can try new things with my portrayal and I will be supported, even if I make a creative choice that falls flat in that moment.”
“You can find edge in even the most ‘stereotypical’ of characters. Clizia is usually played as girly and flighty, but if you read the libretto, her words have wit and bite, she can dish it as well as she can take it, and she can make quite the incontrovertible argument!”
“I’m most looking forward to singing “Triste” from Cinco canciones populares argentinas by the Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera. I’ve never heard anything like this piece before and I’ve pretty much been listening to it nonstop! It’s based on a type of folk song that originated in Andean yaraví, and the way it evokes the yearning and serene hopelessness of unrequited love is breathtaking.”
“Well, aside from the fact that the all-Spanish program itself is unique and hard to see in the NYC classical music scene, I would say people should come because they'll see a group of singers who all truly love what we're singing. Musicians produce concerts for tons of different reasons, but I can bet that the chance to sing this particular music is what made us all want to be a part of this project.”
“I'm pretty hardcore about early music. Did my undergrad and grad degrees in it, and basically knew it was my life's passion from about age 16 onwards. People often seem to think of that as a narrow focus, but I've never thought so: devoting myself to that period lets me embrace it more holistically, getting deep into not just the music, but the art and literature, the social contexts, the architecture... really every aspect of historical aesthetics is relevant to interpreting classical music.”
“Singing a piece from Ecuador is actually very emotional for me, since I mostly identify with Ecuadorian culture and am closest to that side of my family. As of recent, I have been craving to go to Ecuador (I have never been) to have a better understanding of where my family comes from and to practice speaking the Spanish language in a place where I would be forced to. Learning about Gerardo Guevara and his music has made me want to do this even more and has added to my Ecuadorian pride.”
“My first musical experiences were guided by my father. My father is a Music Teacher in Venezuela. There are pictures of him playing the guitar and me singing at age 4. I have been very fortunate because music has saved my life and my family’s life, music has kept us going through the bad times my country is going through.”
“Mis primeros pasos musicales fueron gracias a mi padre. Mi papá es Profesor de música en Venezuela. Hay fotos de mi padre tocando la guitarra y yo cantando a los 4 años. He sido muy afortunada pues siento que la música salvo mi vida y la de mi familia especialmente por las circunstancias de mi país y el lugar donde crecí.”
CantantiPROJECT Celebrates Music You Can Move To From Latin America and Spain with All-Spanish Concert CANTAMOS
PRESS RELEASES
CantantiPROJECT Celebrates Music You Can Move To From Latin America and Spain with All-Spanish Concert CANTAMOS
Award-Winning Writing Duo Gives Voice to Kiki di Montparnasse, Iconic 1920s Model and Muse
Young Artists of Cantanti Project Bring Oldest Surviving Opera EURIDICE to Life in NYC
From the earliest surviving opera, to a world premiere, from recitals to dance parties, this will be our most ambitious season yet. We look forward to working with friends old and new to make it all happen.
REVIEWS
"a celebration of feminine pride and empowerment ... inspiring ... captivating"
"the fearless and endlessly creative Cantanti Project underwent the project of restoring Caccini's work to vibrant life"
"a heart-wrenching, self-reflecting performance of a striking composition... an extraordinary experience"
"Caccini's EURIDICE may be four centuries old, but tonight is seemed fresh and new."
"The thoughtfulness of each singer was evident, not only in their choice of repertoire and their performance, but also in their eloquent essays..."
"laced with subtle comedic moments and tasty dramatic turns"
"one of those rare moments in theater where brilliant music and great directing worked together to create sublime operatic magic"
"Nothing gladdens our heart more than seeing a "Sold Out" sign at the opera. No, opera is not dying in NYC, but it is taking new forms."
With small opera companies dwindling in New York City because of lack of funding, it is unusual to see a small company spring up, survive, and grow. The Cantanti Project has defied these odds and recently presented a fully staged production of Handel’s Alcina on February 28, 2016.
ARTISTS
“There is so much opportunity in Handel's works to explore gender from a non-binary point of view, and in our production, this has meant that characters often portrayed as weak and in distress take actions to control their own futures, and "male" characters can be masculine while still expressing emotion and affection in ways that are typically seen as more feminine.”
“…gender has always just been a construct, and history tells us that power and love are what humans seek.”
“Medea makes some epically bad decisions, and is pretty evil, BUT: she’s a barbarian. She views the world differently, she views love differently. One of her most interesting lines is ‘love is strongest when changed to fury.’ What?! I mean, to a warrior in a kill-or-be-killed society, that kind of makes sense. It’s in her nature to be this way. It’s hard to be mad at a dog for chasing chickens, amirite?! She does feel remorse for the loss of her brother and children and also feels reticence to kill Teseo. Luke Skywalker would have seen the good in her, even if she had no place in his world.”
“We’re set in an ancient land where women are warriors. All the women are strong and hold their own. I think that’s the lesson; it’s not a new concept to be a strong woman, we just have to keep empowering each other.”
“…each woman in the project is inspiring to me, they’re all so talented and smart and strong! I notice that communication and the voicing of ideas and opinions about character and musical ideas is very open and productive for us. There is free expression of ideas and risk-taking with staging and acting that seems unfettered by ego and fear. I feel like I can try new things with my portrayal and I will be supported, even if I make a creative choice that falls flat in that moment.”
“You can find edge in even the most ‘stereotypical’ of characters. Clizia is usually played as girly and flighty, but if you read the libretto, her words have wit and bite, she can dish it as well as she can take it, and she can make quite the incontrovertible argument!”
“I’m most looking forward to singing “Triste” from Cinco canciones populares argentinas by the Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera. I’ve never heard anything like this piece before and I’ve pretty much been listening to it nonstop! It’s based on a type of folk song that originated in Andean yaraví, and the way it evokes the yearning and serene hopelessness of unrequited love is breathtaking.”
“Well, aside from the fact that the all-Spanish program itself is unique and hard to see in the NYC classical music scene, I would say people should come because they'll see a group of singers who all truly love what we're singing. Musicians produce concerts for tons of different reasons, but I can bet that the chance to sing this particular music is what made us all want to be a part of this project.”
“I'm pretty hardcore about early music. Did my undergrad and grad degrees in it, and basically knew it was my life's passion from about age 16 onwards. People often seem to think of that as a narrow focus, but I've never thought so: devoting myself to that period lets me embrace it more holistically, getting deep into not just the music, but the art and literature, the social contexts, the architecture... really every aspect of historical aesthetics is relevant to interpreting classical music.”
“Singing a piece from Ecuador is actually very emotional for me, since I mostly identify with Ecuadorian culture and am closest to that side of my family. As of recent, I have been craving to go to Ecuador (I have never been) to have a better understanding of where my family comes from and to practice speaking the Spanish language in a place where I would be forced to. Learning about Gerardo Guevara and his music has made me want to do this even more and has added to my Ecuadorian pride.”
“My first musical experiences were guided by my father. My father is a Music Teacher in Venezuela. There are pictures of him playing the guitar and me singing at age 4. I have been very fortunate because music has saved my life and my family’s life, music has kept us going through the bad times my country is going through.”
“Mis primeros pasos musicales fueron gracias a mi padre. Mi papá es Profesor de música en Venezuela. Hay fotos de mi padre tocando la guitarra y yo cantando a los 4 años. He sido muy afortunada pues siento que la música salvo mi vida y la de mi familia especialmente por las circunstancias de mi país y el lugar donde crecí.”
“But when everything has come together and you actually get the pay-off of sharing music with an audience, it makes everything else make sense! You never know the ways that music can speak to someone, and it's a real privilege to be able to connect to people in such a personal way.”
I saw the images from Hubble of the Pillars of Creation that were released in the mid-90s and thought they were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen! I ended up decorating my living room in pictures of planetary nebulas taken by Hubble.
“I got into singing after I "borrowed" my parents' Phantom of the Opera Original London Cast Highlights. I can't remember why I picked up that particular CD, but I was hooked after listening to it and then graduated to the complete recording and knew every single word. It was life-changing.”
I began seriously considering a career in opera in high school. I was in a rock band, but was guided toward more classical repertoire by my high school choir teacher and private voice instructor at the time. I can't thank them enough!
“I used to figure skate until I was injured in middle school. During my time off from skating, I went to see my first opera with my mom and have loved opera since!”