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Grant Wood at the Opera

Coming to Cedar Rapids on April 12-14th is the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre’s world-premiere of The Grant Wood Operas: Strokes of Genius.

Written by Robert Lindsey-Nassif, Jean-Francois Charles, and Michael Ching, The Grant Wood Operas: Strokes of Genius was inspired by the work and life of Cedar Rapids native, artist Grant Wood. Robert Lindsey-Nassif, Jean-Francois Charles, and Michael Ching are all Iowa-based composers and each of their unique pieces make up the opera. Their works for the opera range from “whimsical, to historical, to experimental.” The opera explores three different aspects of Grant Wood’s life in three one-act works which are performed as a whole.

IPR met up with Michael Ching to hear more about his opera act.

Currently living in Ames, Michael Ching is an opera composer/librettist, conductor, and songwriter. He is most well-known for his opera Speed Dating Tonight!, one of the most popular operas of the 21st century.

Mr. Ching studied composition with Robert Ward at Duke University and Carlisle Floyd at the Houston Opera Studio. He is currently Music Director of Amarillo Opera, Composer-in-Residence at Savannah Voice Festival, and Opera consultant at EC Schirmer. Recently, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Opera Association.

Michael Ching’s Eight Woods and a Van will be featured as one of the acts for The Grant Wood Operas.

For more information on Michael Ching, visit his website at http://operaandbeyond.com/.

For more information on the CROT’s upcoming world-premiere and to buy tickets, visit www.theatrecr.org  or go to the Theatre Cedar Rapids box office, or call 319-366-8591.

Jacqueline Halbloom is a Sr. Music Producer and Classical Music Host