[@ 4 min] Alright, this week…we go Inside the Huddle with Christopher Sokoloski! The American Heldentenor had a breakout year in 2025, coming to international attention singing Captain Vere in the Story of Billy Budd at Aix-en-Provence, followed by an unscheduled role debut as Parsifal at Flanders Opera. Listen for the exact moment when Oliver falls in love…I promise you can hear Oliver’s heart break wide open, and its strange because we know he doesn’t even like Wagner operas.

[@ 34 min] Then, tenor Zachary Wilder takes a Free Throw on being an American in the elite realm of historical performance practice in France! The baroque specialist has a brand new album that weaves together Klezmer, musical theater, jazz, opera, and art song called 'Brooklyn Suite.'

[@ 48 min] And to complete our tenor three-pointer, Anthony Leon returns to take a Free Throw on singing Mozart! León makes his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut in 'Cosi fan tutte' next month.

[@ 59 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…was there any way to know that the Saudi Arabian government can’t be trusted? If you’re Peter Gelb, the answer to that question is apparently, “no…”

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[@ 4 min] Alright, this week…In addition to everything else that’s happening in the world, there’s a War On Opera! We go Inside the Huddle with librettist (and war correspondent) Caitlin Vincent, author of 'Opera Wars: Inside the World of Opera and the Battle for its Future.'

[@ 39 min] Then, in Listener Mailbag, an OBS fan asks us if Caleb Williams is the Pavarotti of football? Glad Ashlee is here to help us answer that one.

[@ 44 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…WNO has officially abandoned the sinking ship that is the Kennedy Center, and a Heritage Foundation flunkie is set to lead the NEA.

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[@ 3 min] Alright, this week…we tip off 2026 with a Free Throw from WIll Liverman. The baritone, composer and pianist has a shot at winning TWO Grammys next month! He’ll share a story on the making of his grammy-nominated album, 'The Dunbar-Moore Sessions.'

[@ 18 min] Then, it’s the first episode of the year, which means new resolutions....and an update on our resolutions from last year. Oliver, did you ever get around to listening to an entire Meyerbeer opera?

[@ 45 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’…Denyce Graves sings her final role, and Yuval Sharon is being forced to edit his LinkedIn profile.

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Happy New Year! This week, enjoy a Replay of some of our favorite segments of 2025!

[@ 2 min] First up, from August, a 'Chalk Talk' on the history of Grammy winning operas and singers...If you had to guess who had more nominations, would you say Leontyne Price or Kathleen Battle?

[@ 32 min] Then, we go Inside the Huddle with Michael Spyres! When he joined us in February, the latest volume of Opera Rara’s Donizetti Song Project had just dropped. Now we are looking forward to his Tristan, opposite Friend of the Show (and mother of twins!) Lise Davidsen.

[@ 47 min] Plus, in a segment that was supposed to be about what makes opera high art vs. audience-friendly fare, the team comes to the defense of operas we enjoy listening to...regardless of their reputation amongst *serious* opera fans.

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[@ 4 min] Alright, this week…it’s the best of OBS, Holiday Edition! The team recommends their favorite performances by opera singers singin’ Christmas…

[@ 11 min] Plus, Ashlee Hardgrave gives us a roundup of the most important remixes of Handel’s Messiah, including A Soulful Celebration and Blue Claw Philharmonic…and since we don’t want any news to spoil the fun, we’ll skip the ‘Two Minute Drill.’

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[@ 5 min] Alright, this week…a field report from the New Opera Dialogues convention with free throws from some of this year’s panelists, including composer Kevin Puts, librettist Mark Campbell, and singer-composer Diana Syrse, and more…

[@ 31 min] And then…as 2025 reaches its final inning, the Team drafts their own BEST OF lists in what will go down in history as one hell of a year…in opera, that is.

[@ 54 min] Plus, in the Two Minute Drill...Christine Goerke takes flight, Riccardo Chailly takes a break, and Jose Cura takes a stand.

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[@ 3 min] Alright, this week…Gregory Spears goes Inside the Huddle! The American composer is in the middle of a banner season, which includes the 10th anniversary of his opera, Fellow Travelers. Find out about his new opera, Sleepers Awake, a reimagining of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, which gets its world premiere this spring...

[@ 35 min] Plus, in the Two Minute Drill...a protestor apologizes for disrupting a performance at the Met, and WE apologize for clowning on Rienzi at Bayreuth…

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[@ 2 min] Alright, this week…Soula Parassidis goes Inside the Huddle! Find out how the Greek-Canadian soprano amassed a loyal Instagram fan base by poking fun at the opera industry, and then pivoted to create a platform to address all the real issues for those who want to enter into this career.

[@ 34 min] Plus, in the Two Minute Drill...it’s curtains for the Royal ballet and Opera, plus more studies show how listening to opera can improve your life, AND the economy...

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