Modern Opera Company started in NYC in 2018 with the goal of helping connect performers and creators of new musicals and operas. Now, based in Los Angeles, CA, Modern Opera Co presents its second season: the world premiere staging of Felix Jarrar’s horror opera, The Tell-Tale Heart. 

This semi-staged presentation is a modern adaptation of the classic Edgar Allan Poe story, told from an LGBTQIA+ perspective. The opera is the perfect event for the Halloween season, and presents chilling imagery alongside gorgeous music!  The show has been written to include performers with larger “niche” voice types - who are normally underused in the modern classical music repertory. It also will serve as a fantastic opportunity for our local artists to collaborate with the composer and for all involved to build their individual professional networks. 

Workshop Details:

We plan to present two semi-staged performances of the show at the historic Highland Park Ebell Club, in Highland Park, CA.  We are seeking donations to cover the cost of the venue, piano rental, rehearsal space rental, advertising, costumes, props, and most importantly, our extremely talented cast and music staff!

Our esteemed Music Director is Chris Moldonado, a prominent pianist, coach, and activist who is the founder of the Opera Singers’ Book Club - a program for singers who seek deep-dive operatic role and style study. He has also spent the last several years creating safe performance and rehearsal spaces for classical musicians who represent marginalized communities. Our show also features five of the top singing artists from the Los Angeles metro area, all of whom have prestigious local, national, and international credits as soloists.

In addition to this stellar cast, we will - for the first time -  be presenting a show with a small chamber orchestra featuring string players from the LA metro area as well! 

Founded in 2018, Modern Opera Company was formed to offer performing artists in New York City the opportunity to gain experience as they presented concert versions of existing 20th Century opera and musical theater works. After two successful seasons, the company expanded to offer opera and musical theater creators a place to workshop and present their works-in-progress to an audience, performed by top-level performers. In 2020, the company relocated to Los Angeles, CA, where it now is solely focused on presenting new operatic and musical theater works. We are currently in the process of obtaining 501c3 status, and it is our intent to expand the musical landscape in Southern California through the presentation of the new works by composers and creators from all over the United States, and to give more paid performance opportunities to talented local artists in the LA Metro area.