Piedmont Opera is celebrating its 50th anniversary and a new general director. Joseph Mechavich has already established a name for himself with sold-out concerts and new set designs. Mechavich recently spoke with WFDD’s David Ford.
Interview Highlights
On his vision for Piedmont Opera:
"I grew up in Minnesota, which had a vibrant art scene, very much like Winston-Salem, where it's baked in from the time that, if you're born here, from the time you're in kindergarten throughout school, you know about the Winston-Salem Symphony, Piedmont Opera, all the art museums. It is part of the tapestry of the greater Piedmont.
My idea of success is when I am in the pit conducting, to feel an excitement in the house and ownership: This is our team. This is our company — from the patrons. How do I create that? That's by having a connection to them by listening and knowing what they want to see. What do they want to see on stage? What attracts this community to going into the theater, to taking their valuable time out of their week and spending it in a theater? What types of shows do they want to see? That also helps, for me, in cross-pollinating with other organizations."
On continuing local collaborations:
"There are other entities throughout this region where, if we're telling a story, there might be a theme in the story that resonates with what they're doing, whether it's the Intergenerational Center ... there's a myriad of different organizations we can partner with. And it's identifying the pieces that we're going to do, the themes that are in those stories and how we can collaborate. For instance, we have this small skit coming up called Carmen. It's not a small skit; it's very big. And then talking to our brothers and sisters in the Hispanic community, getting them involved, because it takes place in Seville, Spain."
On what people who have never experienced opera may miss:
"Well, I think what's important when we talk about this is that we look back to what opera was really in the 19th century. Every little town had their own opera house, and you weren't going to the opera house just to see a performance by Rossini or Donizetti or Verdi. You were going to the opera to be around and be surrounded with your community. ... You have to remember, it's called an opera house. It's a home, and there are so many companies across the country that have that flavor, where it's a home.
Where you are there just to be with your friends and your neighbors, and you just happen to be experiencing something that's extraordinary on stage. ... Opera is the signature art form that combines all the art forms, music, drama, the visual arts. It is extraordinary the amount of energy that you get when you're sitting in a theater. And these stories are iconic that we tell in the opera houses, new and old. If you try it, you will gain so much from it. You'll see the power and athleticism of the singer, actors, from the chorus to the principal roles, radiating out into the house. It's quite an experience."