Harvest Festival for Opera Music Theatre

New repertoire for experienced opera voices

Harvest investigates why the traditional opera repertoire offers few leading roles to aging singers. There are also significant differences by voice type. Often, highly experienced singers fade into the background. Yet, they bring a wealth of experience and expression to the stage. You will discover the value of these voices in this project.

In-depth characters on stage

Singers Claron McFadden and Andrew Watts perform specially written monodramas. Together with pianist Miles Walter, they bring these new works to life. These are not minor supporting roles, but characters with depth and strong personalities. The composers worked closely with the singers. Their voices, characters, and stage of life served as the inspiration. This resulted in short, powerful monodramas. Each monodrama has its own musical world that takes you along.

Experience and reflection

Harvest is more than a concert. Between the performances, you will see short films. Filmmaker Bowie Verschuuren created film portraits and interview excerpts. These films show not only the artist, but also the person behind the talent. The singers talk about their rich experience. They reflect on the benefits of aging. While in society, growing older often means becoming less visible, Harvest celebrates the power of experience and the value of mature talent.