Dear devotees: On Thursday, Sept. 24, at 7:00 EST, my longtime friend and colleague Will Crutchfield and I will be tackling the daunting topic of “Opera: Going or Gone?” We’ll try to answer three questions: 1) What sort of society is coming into being as we speak? 2) Can opera find a place in that society, and if so in what form? 3) If so again, how can it be sustained—that is, funded? Our  presentation will take about an hour, and will be followed by continued discussion among the attendees, including Q and A. The subject, existential for our artform, is one I’ve been thinking about a lot in recent years, and though I’m sure Will and I are in broad agreement on most aspects of it, we bring sufficiently different professional perspectives to bear that I’m sure the conversation will be lively.

The webinar will be under the auspices of the Jussi Björling Society USA. As I know some of you have seen, I’ve spoken to them before on topics related to singing and production. But the Society, while never losing its tie to its great tenor namesake, has broadened its range of interest to embrace even this question, which is crucial to all of us who love opera and singing, and by extension all the performing arts, which are under growing societal pressures that need to be recognized and confronted. I hope you’ll join us. There’s a donation required, but it’s minimal, and to a very good cause. The link for registration is here.