One of the best things about regional opera companies such as Walnut-Creek-based Festival Opera is that they are nimble, versatile and courageous. Related Articles Adapting like quicksilver without sacrificing quality due to the Bay Area’s bountiful supply of talented vocalists and musicians, Festival Opera maintains a home season but also branches out to second homes, such as this fall’s Artist Recital Series at the Piedmont Center for the Arts. This year’s Piedmont performances ( ) will feature “knockout recital partners,” said Zachary Gordin, Festival Opera’s general and artistic director.
In a recent interview, he said the repertoire is still being solidified as he works with each duo to select songs that tell meaningful stories based on each program’s special themes. The series opens Sept. 22 with “Lucky in Love,” followed Oct.
27 by “Nothing to Fear” and “Muses and Musings of an Impresario” (featuring Gordin himself) on Nov. 17 ( ). “In each recital, the singer and pianist have developed what I call ‘musical telepathy,’ which means they have nuanced breathing, body language and a sympathetic understanding of each other,” Gordin said.
This is especially true in the first recital (Sept. 22’s “Lucky in Love”) of mezzo-soprano Kindra Scharich and pianist Jeffrey LaDeur, whose past work together demonstrates keen alertness. Gordin said LaDeur is exquisitely aware of how Scharich might let a phrase decay and the organic variations in he.
