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The empowering story of one family's unwavering faith
Composer Benjamin Britten based Noah's Flood on a 15th-century play which recounts the Old Testament story of one family coming together (along with a boat full of animals) to brave a storm that would change the world forever. This exciting opera brings together a cast of hundreds to explore themes of peace, love and perseverance.
Heralded for his "stentorian voice" by Singerpreneur, Ben Lowe has quickly become a household name in the opera world in Southern California and abroad. A highly sought-after operatic performer and concert soloist, Lowe made his European concert debut in Siena and Florence, Italy, as soloist in the Verdi Requiem with Unione Corale Senese "Ettore Bastianini."
Mr. Lowe kicked off the 2022/23 season at Opera Santa Barbara in Tosca and returned to perform in An American Dream. Lowe also presented a recital of Schubert’s Winterreise at OperaDelaware, returning to that company to sing Baron Douphol and cover Germont in La Traviata.
Mr. Lowe made his New York debut in 2017 performing in the East Coast premiere of Matthew Aucoin’s operaCrossing. In 2019, Mr. Lowe joined OperaDelaware as a Young Artist for their Festival Season, performing leading roles inDead Man WalkingandTrial by Jury. Past achievements include being a finalist in both the Palm Springs Opera Guild and the Loren L. Zachary Society competitions, and winner of the 2016 Marilyn Horne Song Competition. Mr. Lowe studies under Maestro Vladimir Chernov and is a graduate of Cal State Dominguez Hills and UCLA.
From: Los Angeles, California. LA Opera: Inez in Dulce Rosa (2013, debut); numerous roles to date including the Third Lady in The Magic Flute (2014, 2016), Flora in La Traviata (2014, 2019), La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi (2015); Sarah Osbourne in anatomy theater (2016); Paquette in Candide (2018); Purpose in Las Tres Mujeres de Jerusalén (2022). Upcoming: Mrs. Noah in Noah's Flood (2024).
Peabody Southwell has established herself as a multifaceted artist in a range of creative endeavors. As a Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano recognized for her “stylistic mastery and ripe, sensual sound” (Opera magazine, UK), she has performed principal roles for LA Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Carnegie Hall, Seattle Symphony, LA Philharmonic, New World Symphony and San Francisco Symphony and has been conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, James Conlon, John Adams and Robert Spano.
She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 2018 in Nico Muhly's Marnie.
A champion of new music, she is slated to premiere works for composers Ashley Fure, Ted Hearne, Laura Kaminsky and Jodie Landau. A native of Los Angeles, she frequently appears with LA Opera. Most notably, she performed the central role in the 2016 world premiere of David Lang's anatomy theater, in an "electrifying" (Wall Street Journal) performance, leading Musical America to note, "Southwell gave another demonstration as to why she has become one of the most fearless, versatile young singing actresses on the stage today." As a director, designer and dramaturg she prioritizes bold collaboration across the arts in productions, installations and experimental events described by the Los Angeles Times as "the future of classical music."
From: New York City, New York. LA Opera: Lt. Ratcliffe in Billy Budd (2014, debut); many subsequent appearances including Aye in Akhnaten (2016); Noah in Noah's Flood (2017); Krishna in Satyagraha (2018); Alcindoro in La Bohème (2019); Reinmar in Tannhäuser (2021); Suleiman in Omar (2022); Physician in Pelleas et Melisande (2023); Baron Douphol in La Traviata (2024); Voice of God in Noah's Flood (2024).
Patrick Blackwell continues to expand his impressive repertoire in opera, oratorio and musical theater. His career has seen him engaged by many of the leading opera companies and orchestras of the U.S. and Europe, including appearances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglewood Festival, Munich Philharmonic, Lyric Opera of Chicago and LA Opera. He trained at the Juilliard School and began his career as a young artist with the Santa Fe Opera, Houston Opera Studio, the Merola Opera Program with San Francisco Opera, Opera Music Theatre International with Jerome Hines and Aspen Opera.
In July 2023, he appears with the Opera Festival of Chicago in An Italian Soirée and as Leone in Verdi's Attila. His appearances for the 2023/24 season include a return to LA Opera as Baron Douphol in La Traviata and a debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Don Fernando in Fidelio.
He has appeared in concert with the Munich Philharmonic in Porgy and Bess conducted by Lorin Maazel and in the title role of Porgy on a European tour with NY Harlem Productions. His association with this piece is extensive, having appeared as Porgy and other roles with Utah Opera, the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, Fresno Grand Opera, the Castleton Festival, conducted by Lorin Maazel, and on tour throughout the United States.
On the concert platform, Mr. Blackwell is highly sought after as the bass soloist in Verdi’s Requiem. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in the world premiere of Earnestine Rodgers Robinson’s Crucifixionin addition to performing works by Mozart at the Arts Festival in North Korea, the Fauré Requiem with the Fresno Philharmonic and Osride in Mose in Egitto by Rossini with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center.
In the United States, Mr. Blackwell’s operatic engagements have included Leporello in Don Giovanni, Colline in La Boheme, Zuniga in Carmen for New York City Opera, First Nazarene in Salomeand Bartolo in The Marriage of Figarofor Utah Opera, Sarastro in The Magic Flute for Fresno Grand Opera, Ferrando in Il Trovatorefor Knoxville Opera, the King in Aïdaand Melitone in La Forza del Destinofor New Jersey State Opera and Tom in Un Ballo in Mascherafor New Orleans Opera.
With Chicago Lyric Opera Mr. Blackwell’s roles have included Burnah in Amistad, Henry Davis in Street Scene, Cal in Regina and the Duke of Verona in Roméo et Juliette.
Recent engagements include Zuniga in Carmen with San Diego Opera and Méphistophélès in Faust with Valley Opera & Performing Arts.
James Conlon has been LA Opera's Richard Seaver Music Director since 2006.
Since his debut that year with La Traviata, he has conducted 67 different operas and more than 455 performances to date with the company.
(Click here to visit James Conlon's Corner, where you can find essays, videos and conversations he has created especially for LA Opera.)
Internationally recognized as one of today’s most versatile and respected conductors, James Conlon has cultivated a vast symphonic, operatic and choral repertoire. Since his 1974 debut with the New York Philharmonic, he has conducted virtually every major American and European symphony orchestra, and at many of the world’s leading opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera. Through worldwide touring, an extensive discography and filmography, numerous writings, television appearances, and guest speaking engagements, Conlon is one of classical music’s most recognized and prolific figures.
Conlon has been Principal Conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Torino, Italy (2016–20); Principal Conductor of the Paris Opera (1995–2004); General Music Director of the City of Cologne, Germany (1989–2003), simultaneously leading the Gürzenich Orchestra and the Cologne Opera; and Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (1983–91). Conlon was Music Director of the Ravinia Festival (2005–15), summer home of the Chicago Symphony, and is now Music Director Laureate of the Cincinnati May Festival―the oldest choral festival in the United States―where he was Music Director for 37 years (1979–2016), marking one of the longest tenures of any director of an American classical music institution. He also served as Artistic Advisor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (2021–2023). He has conducted over 270 performances at the Metropolitan Opera since his 1976 debut. He has also conducted at leading opera houses and festivals such as the Vienna State Opera, Salzburg Festival, La Scala, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Mariinsky Theatre, Covent Garden, Chicago Lyric Opera, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.
As Music Director of LA Opera, Conlon has led more operas than any other conductor in company history. Highlights of his LA Opera tenure include the company’s first Ring cycle; initiating the groundbreaking Recovered Voices series, an ongoing commitment to staging masterpieces of 20th-century European opera suppressed by the Third Reich; spearheading Britten 100/LA, a city-wide celebration honoring the composer’s centennial; and conducting the West Coast premiere of The Anonymous Lover by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a prominent Black composer in 18th-century France.
Conlon opens his 18th season at LA Opera conducting Mozart’s Don Giovanni directed by Kasper Holten. His groundbreaking Recovered Voices initiative, dedicated to rescuing works from historical neglect or censorship, returns to the company with a double-bill featuring the company premiere of William Grant Still’s Highway 1, USA in a new production directed by Kaneza Schaal, and a revival of Zemlinsky’s The Dwarf (Der Zwerg)—an opera that launched the Recovered Voices initiative in 2008—directed by Darko Tresnjak. He also conducts Verdi’s La Traviata—the first opera he led as Music Director of LA Opera—continuing his multi-season focus on the works of the great Italian composer. To date, Conlon has conducted more than 500 international performances of Verdi’s repertoire. Conlon closes his LA Opera season honoring the 100th anniversary of Puccini’s death, conducting Turandot, Puccini’s final opera composed in 1924.
Additional highlights of his season include returning to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to lead Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and conducting Wagner’s Lohengrin at Deutsche Oper Berlin. He also returns to Switzerland’s Bern Symphony, where he is Principal Guest Conductor, to lead three programs including Schubert and Beethoven symphonies, a celebratory New Years Day concert, and a season finale with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5.
Conlon is dedicated to bringing composers silenced by the Nazi regime to more widespread attention, often programming this lesser-known repertoire throughout Europe and North America. In 1999 he received the Vienna-based Zemlinsky Prize for his work bringing the composer’s music to a broader audience; in 2013 he was awarded the Roger E. Joseph Prize at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion for his efforts to eradicate racial and religious prejudice and discrimination; and in 2007 he received the Crystal Globe Award from the Anti-Defamation League. His work on behalf of silenced composers led to the creation of The OREL Foundation, an invaluable resource on the topic for music lovers, students, musicians, and scholars; the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices at the Colburn School; and a recent virtual TEDx Talk titled “Resurrecting Forbidden Music.”
Conlon is deeply invested in the role of music in civic life and the human experience. At LA Opera, his popular pre-performance talks blend musicology, literary studies, history, and social sciences to discuss the enduring power and relevance of opera and classical music. He also frequently collaborates with universities, museums, and other cultural institutions and works with scholars, practitioners, and community members across disciplines. He frequently appears throughout the country as a speaker on a variety of cultural and educational topics.
Conlon’s extensive discography and filmography spans the Bridge, Capriccio, Decca, EMI, Erato, and Sony Classical labels. His recordings of LA Opera productions have received four Grammy Awards, two respectively for John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles and for Kurt Weill’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. Additional highlights include an ECHO Klassik Award-winning recording cycle of operas and orchestral works by Alexander Zemlinsky; a CD/DVD release of works by Viktor Ullmann, which won the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik; and the world-premiere recording of Liszt’s oratorio St. Stanislaus.
Conlon holds four honorary doctorates, was one of the first five recipients of the Opera News Awards, and was distinguished by the New York Public Library as a Library Lion. He received a 2023 Cross of Honor for Science and Art (Österreichische Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst) from the Republic of Austria, and was named Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana by Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic. He was also named Commandeur de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture and, in 2002, personally accepted France’s highest honor, the Legion d’Honneur, from then-President of the French Republic Jacques Chirac.
Mr. Conlon’s first season as Artistic Advisor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra includes three weeks of concerts, starting with an October 2021 program of music by historically marginalized composers. The featured works are Alexander Zemlinsky’sDie Seejungfrau (The Mermaid), which is the piece that sparked Mr. Conlon’s interest in suppressed music from the early 20thcentury, and William Levi Dawson’sNegro Folk Symphony, which reflects a theme that will recur throughout Mr. Conlon’s advisorship—the bringing of attention to works by American composers neglected due to their race. He returns in February 2022 for performances including Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony and the final scene of Wagner’sDie Walküre, with guest artists Christine Goerke and Greer Grimsley. The BSO season concludes in June 2022 with Mr. Conlon conducting an orchestra co-commission from Wynton Marsalis, Rachmaninoff’sRhapsody on a Theme of Paganiniwith Beatrice Rana, and Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony (“Leningrad”). As Artistic Advisor, in addition to leading these performances, Mr. Conlon will help ensure the continued artistic quality of the orchestra and fill many duties off the podium, including those related to artistic personnel—such as filling important vacancies and attracting exceptional musicians.
Additional highlights of Mr. Conlon’s season include Bach’sSt. Matthew Passionat Rome Opera, Wagner’sThe Flying Dutchmanat New National Theatre, Tokyo, the Paris Opera’s Gala lyrique with Renée Fleming, and concerts with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (Dawson’sNegro Folk Symphonyand works by Beethoven and Bernstein), Gürzenich Orchester Köln (Sinfoniettas by Zemlinsky and Korngold), Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra (works by Shostakovich and Zemlinsky), and at Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Mr. Conlon’s 2021/22 season follows a spring and summer in which he was highly active amidst the re-opening of many venues to live performance. These engagements included concerts with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and RAI National Symphony Orchestra. He also led a series of performances in Spain scheduled around World Music Day (June 21). In Madrid, over a period of two days, he conducted the complete symphonies of Schumann and Brahms in collaboration with four different Spanish orchestras: the Orquesta Nacional de España, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, and Joven Orquesta Nacional de España (JONDE). He subsequently conducted JONDE at the Festival de Granada and Seville’s Teatro de la Maestranza. Additional summer 2021 engagements included the Aspen, Napa, Ravello, and Ravinia Festivals.
In an effort to call attention to lesser-known works of composers silenced by the Nazi regime, Mr. Conlon has devoted himself to extensive programming of this music throughout Europe and North America. In 1999 he received the Vienna-based Zemlinsky Prize for his efforts in bringing that composer’s music to international attention; in 2013 he was awarded the Roger E. Joseph Prize at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion for his extraordinary efforts to eradicate racial and religious prejudice and discrimination; and in 2007 he received the Crystal Globe Award from the Anti-Defamation League. His work on behalf of suppressed composers led to the creation of The OREL Foundation, an invaluable resource on the topic for music lovers, students, musicians, and scholars; the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices at the Colburn School; and a recent virtual TEDx Talk titled “Resurrecting Forbidden Music.”
Mr. Conlon is an enthusiastic advocate of public scholarship and cultural institutions as forums for the exchange of ideas and inquiry into the role music plays in our shared humanity and civic life. At LA Opera, he leads pre-performance talks, drawing upon musicology, literary studies, history, and social sciences to contemplate—together with his audience—the enduring power and relevance of opera and classical music in general. Additionally, he frequently collaborates with universities, museums, and other cultural institutions, and works with scholars, practitioners, and community members across disciplines. His appearances throughout the country as a speaker on a variety of cultural and educational topics are widely praised.
Mr. Conlon’s extensive discography and videography can be found on the Bridge, Capriccio, Decca, EMI, Erato, and Sony Classical labels. His recordings of LA Opera productions have received four Grammy Awards, two respectively for John Corigliano’sThe Ghosts of Versaillesand Kurt Weill’sRise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.Additional highlights include an ECHO Klassik Award-winning recording cycle of operas and orchestral works by Alexander Zemlinsky; a CD/DVD release of works by Viktor Ullmann, which won the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik; and the world-premiere recording of Liszt’s oratorioSt. Stanislaus.
Mr. Conlon holds four honorary doctorates and has received numerous other awards. He was one of the first five recipients of the Opera News Awards, and was honored by the New York Public Library as a Library Lion. He was named Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana by Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic. He was also named Commandeur de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture and, in 2002, personally accepted France’s highest honor, the Legion d’Honneur, from then-President of the French Republic Jacques Chirac.
Eli Villanueva, a talented and passionate musician, director and educator, brings his magic to every project on which he works. His uniquely energetic and joyful approach draws out consistently remarkable performances from community members and students new to performing, as well as from seasoned professionals. In his 20th season as Resident Stage Director and teaching artist for LA Opera Connects, Eli teaches and directs as many as 2,000 students annually in original productions including, the acclaimed In-School Operas, Opera Camp, and the Community Opera at the Cathedral conducted by Music Director James Conlon.
Mr. Villanueva’s compositions are praised for their appeal to audiences and performers alike. His commissioned works of One-Act operas include Then I Stood Up which premiered in 2017, The White Bird of Poston, Friedl and The Festival Play of Daniel, an adaptation of the 13th-century liturgical play, Play of Daniel. In addition, music ranging from solo to choral works can be found through publishing companies, Fred Bock Music, Laurendale Associates, and Cherry Lane Music.
Natalie Iscovich is thrilled to be working with LA Opera. She was the choreographer for Las Tres Mujeres de Jerusalén in 2022 and Moses in 2023 at the Cathedral. Natalie is a Los Angeles-based professional theatrical performer, dancer, choreographer and teacher. She received her BFA in dance performance and choreography from Chapman University. She has partnered with LA Opera Connects since 2021, during the midst of social distancing and masking, aiming to bring three operas, in dance form, to LAUSD elementary and high school students. In the summer of 2022, she choreographed the world premiere of the new musical Witnesses with CCAE Theatricals in San Diego, and has recently been awarded for her work with the production. As a performer she has been a part of various live productions, as well as film and television.
Credits include the national tour of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (associate choreographer), Macbeth with LA Opera, Aida with the Pacific Symphony. Television: The Thundermans (Nick). Film: The Sound the Soul Makes. Regional: Cabaret (MCRE), Mamma Mia! (associate choreographer), West Side Story (MCRE), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (MTW), The Full Monty, Beauty and the Beast, The Addams Family, Tarzan, Side Show, Seussical: the Musical (3DT), In the Heights, Kiss Me, Kate and Bye Bye Birdie (CMT).
She is passionate about education and creating environments for dancers and people to become the best version of themselves. She is a certified yoga and pilates instructor and has learned the importance of injury management and supporting artists with their physical and mental well being. She is honored to work at The Artist Collective LA, where she engages with young aspiring professionals to hone their artistry.
Charlie Kim has served as music director, pianist, vocal soloist, and teaching artist since 2014. He was also the Assistant Conductor for Moses in 2023 at the Cathedral. He has been music director for the in-school performance tours of LA Opera Connects' original one-act operas throughout LAUSD elementary and secondary schools. He is a featured in-house artist for such LA Opera Connects series as Opera for Educators and Saturday Mornings at the Opera. He is active in the community recitals, frequently seen at the Huntington Library, J. Paul Getty Museum, City of Hope, the Keck School of Medicine of USC, UCLA Semel Institute, and several other key community-partner LA Opera Connects organizations.
Charlie can be seen on stage as a vocalist, pianist, and/or conductor with such companies as the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Pacific Opera Project, and the San Fernando Valley Master Chorale. He currently serves as adjunct voice faculty at Los Angeles Valley College and maintains a private voice and piano studio. Charlie is a member of SAG-AFTRA, AFM, and AGMA.
The opera opens with the congregation singing “Lord Jesus, think on me” as Noah enters.
The spoken Voice of God tells Noah of His intention to flood the earth and destroy all on it except Noah and his family. God tells Noah to build “a ship.” Noah agrees and calls on his family to help. His sons and their wives enter with tools and materials and begin, but Mrs. Noah and her close friends, the Gossips, mock the project. God tells Noah to fill the Ark with animals, and they enter in groups from all parts of the church, singing “Kyrie eleison!” Noah orders his family to board the Ark, but Mrs. Noah and the Gossips refuse, preferring to drink. The sons carry Mrs. Noah on, and the Gossips run off screaming. Rain begins, building to a great storm. The inhabitants of the Ark sing “Eternal Father, strong to save,” joined by the members of the congregation for the second and third verses.
When it is calm, Noah sends out a raven, which never returns. He sends out a dove, which returns with an olive branch. Everyone leaves the Ark, singing “Alleluia.” God promises never to send another flood, with the rainbow as a sign. The cast file out singing “The spacious firmament on high,” joined by the congregation for the last verse. Noah is left alone to receive God’s tender blessing.
Performances take place at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (555 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012).
