JOIN US FOR A LIMITED ON-DEMAND PRESENTATION.

MONDAY, NOV. 25, 4PM - TUESDAY, NOV. 26, 4PM.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW

Mannes Opera at The New School’s College of Performing Arts Presents the N.Y.C. Premiere of David T. Little’s Vinkensport, or The Finch Opera, and Kamala Sankaram’s The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace 

Vinkensport, or The Finch Opera - N.Y.C. Premiere
Music by David T. Little, Libretto by Royce Vavrek 

The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace
Music by Kamala Sankaram, Libretto by Rob Handel
Commissioned by Opera Ithaca

Live performances: Friday, November 8 at 7:30pm and Saturday, November 9 at 2:00pm. Free with registration.
John L. Tishman Auditorium | 63 Fifth Ave., N.Y.C.

View the program here, including composer bios, cast and creative team.

Mannes Opera at The New School’s College of Performing Arts presents a duo of one-act operas by Mannes faculty members and prolific composers David T. Little and Kamala Sankaram. The Opera in Concert Double Bill features the New York City premiere of David T. Little’s complete Vinkensport, or The Finch Opera with libretto by Royce Vavrek, and Kamala Sankaram’s The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace with libretto by Rob Handel, directed by New School Drama alumna Alison Pogorelc and conducted by Christopher Allen, on Friday, November 8 at 7:30pm and Saturday, November 9 at 2:00pm, at the John L. Tishman Auditorium (63 Fifth Ave.). This event is open to the public and free with registration. 

Vinkensport, or The Finch Opera (2010/2018), composed by David T. Little on a libretto by Royce Vavrek, receives its New York City premiere of the complete work in these performances. Vinkensport is a bitter-sweet comedy in one act, which explores obsession, desire, and the need to prevail, through the frame of an obscure Flemish folk sport, “finch-sitting” -  trained finches race to sing the most “susk-e-wiets” over the course of an hour. As they compete, the joys, sorrows, delusions and all-too-stark realities of their trainers are revealed. The New York Times reports, “Vinkensport has an exuberant, rhythmically vibrant score by David T. Little with an infectious opening chorus,” while Opera Magazine writes, “Vavrek’s interweaving of the human characters is extremely touching and allows for nice musical counterpoint. Little’s music is tuneful but sophisticated and original.” By arrangement with B&H Music Publishing Inc. d/b/a Hendon Music, Inc., a Boosey & Hawkes Company, publisher and copyright owner.

The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace (2019), composed by Kamala Sankaram with a libretto by Rob Handel, follows Ada, Countess of Lovelace and Lord Byron's daughter, who has been asked to help Charles Babbage with his work on the Difference Engine. She struggles between her work in mathematics and upholding her reputation as a wife, mother, and public figure. The revolutionary concepts that she put forth in her notes about the potential ability of the Engine to carry out an algorithm led Ada to be considered the world’s first computer programmer. ArtsKnoxville writes, “Sankaram's deliciously tonal score is loaded with poise and charm that feigns minimalism to suggest binary math, but wanders through some intriguing stylistic territory that has flavors and textures of jazz, blues, classical, and 19th century romanticism, among others.” The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace was commissioned by Opera Ithaca and is presented through special arrangement with UIA Talent Agency and Just a Theory Press.

“In 1916 David Mannes hired Ernest Bloch to be the very first composition faculty member at the brand new Mannes School of Music. Fast forward to today, with this program of works by David T. Little and Kamala Sankaram and one cannot miss how the tradition of world class composers teaching and studying at Mannes is stronger than ever. I cannot wait to attend this double bill, with two brilliant composers and colleagues who are a big part of the rapid evolution of opera in the United States,” said Richard Kessler, Executive Dean of the College of Performing Arts and Dean of Mannes School of Music.

Under the leadership of Managing Artistic Director Emma Griffin, Mannes Opera is a dynamic training program for operatic artists, marked by a curiosity for new and a devotion to craft. The program utilizes opera as a medium for exploration, improvisation, and creation, providing students with extensive performance opportunities and practice.

Mannes Opera’s season opens on October 18 and 19 with a jewel box production of W.A. Mozart’s Don Giovanni, arranged by Danyal Dhondy, realized by Griffin and Mannes faculty member Cris Frisco at a crisp 100 minutes. Additional highlights include SCENEWORKS FALL24 on December 6 and 7 at the Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street, offering a delightful serving of operatic scenes; program to be announced. On March 7 and 8, Mannes Opera presents Handel’s Alcina at The Gerald W. Lynch Theater, directed by Sam Helfrich and conducted by Mannes alumnus Geoffrey MacDonald. On May 9, Mannes Opera gives an invite-only workshop presentation of Hildegard, a new opera by Sarah Kirkland Snider, in collaboration with Beth Morrison Projects.

Performances by students and faculty at the College of Performing Arts break new ground, pushing the boundaries of convention and reinventing traditional forms. Additional highlights for the College this season include (Un)Silent Film series presenting Tod Browning’s classic film Dracula with Philip Glass’s score performed by Orange Road Quartet, the Cuker and Stern Graduate String Quartet-in-Residence, with pianist and guest conductor Michael Riesman on October 25; the Namekawa-Davies Duo (Maki Namekawa and Dennis Russell Davies) in Pianographique featuring music by Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, and Steve Reich, with real-time visualizations by Cori O’Lan, on October 26; performances by celebrated Mannes/School of Jazz Ensembles-in-Residence The Westerlies, Sandbox Percussion, and JACK Quartet throughout the season, including Sandbox Percussion’s world premiere of Michael Torke’s BLOOM on December 11; the New School Studio Orchestra performing Duke Ellington’s The Nutcracker Suite on December 5; and multiple performances of the Mannes Orchestra at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, including Richard Einhorn’s Voices of Light to the silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc with The New York Choral Society on November 1, the U.S. premiere of Augustus Hailstork’s Ndemera on December 9, and Sandbox Percussion in Viet Cuong’s percussion concerto Re(new)al paired with John Zorn’s violin concerto Contes de Fées performed by Stefan Jackiw on April 11. The New School Studio Orchestra presents the U.S. premiere of jazz great Carla Bley’s rarely heard landmark album Escalator Over the Hill on May 2.

For a complete overview of performances at The College of Performing Arts at The New School, read the 2024-2025 season press release here.

Presenting approximately 900 performances each year by students, faculty and guest artists, nearly all of which are free and open to the public, the Mannes, Jazz, Drama season provides an incredible performing arts resource for the greater New York community and beyond. Performances at The New School’s College of Performing Arts are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Some events require advance registration. View the full calendar of performances at the College of Performing Arts – including Mannes School of Music, School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, and School of Drama – for details on how to attend.

MANNES OPERA
Under the leadership of Managing Artistic Director Emma Griffin, Mannes Opera is a dynamic training program for operatic artists, marked by a curiosity for new and a devotion to craft. The program utilizes opera as a medium for exploration, improvisation, and creation, providing students with extensive performance opportunities and practice.

Recent notable productions include Grace McLean’s In the Green, Cavall’s La Calisto, Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters, Die Zauberflöte, Rachel J. Peter’s Mermaid in the Jar, and Kate Soper’s Here Be Sirens.  With our commitment to developing and supporting new opera, we have workshopped Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s The Listeners, Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith’s The Righteous (in collaboration with Santa Fe Opera), and David T. Little’s Agamemnon (in collaboration with Theatre for a New Audience).

Our mission is to empower students to become versatile and self-assured professional artists, equipped with the skills and agency to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of the performing arts. Mannes Opera is committed to fostering artistic excellence and innovation, guided by the rich traditions of the past and a bold vision for the future.

 
Mannes Opera’s 2024/25 Season opens with a jewelbox production of Don Giovanni created by Griffin and Mannes faculty member Cris Frisco, presented in a crisp 100 minutes, on October 18 and 19. The Opera in Concert double bill on November 8 and 9 features works by Mannes faculty members and prolific composers, David T. Little - Vinkensport, or the Finch Opera, New York premiere - and Kamala Sankaram The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace, directed by New School Drama alum Alison Pogolrec. On March 7 and 8, Mannes Opera presents Handel’s Alcina at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater, directed by Sam Helfrich and conducted by Mannes alumnus Geoffrey MacDonald. On May 9, Mannes Opera gives a workshop presentation of Hildegard, a new opera by Sarah Kirkland Snider, in collaboration with Beth Morrison Productions.

 
We look forward to seeing you!