Sometimes when I look back on past episodes of Countermelody, I surprise myself with how good they were, even in the early days when I was still trying to figure everything out. This episode, first po

In February our beloved Elly Ameling turns 92. I cannot think of another classical singer who recorded more Christmas albums over the course of her career. One of the most obscure of these is the 1980

While I was growing up, Gilda Cruz-Romo was a fixture on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera. At the time, I did not fully appreciate her, as I thought of her as a second-string singer on the roster.

One of the great personal revelations for me in the early years of producing Countermelody was discovering the great Chinese American bass Yi-Kwei Sze (). As the first Chinese singer to pursue a ca

If you have never heard of Gilbert Price, this episode will remedy that situation. With a voice that was easily produced, full-ranged, tonally refulgent, and technically poised, the three-time Tony no

Yesterday was World AIDS Day and many of the people I admire and follow on various social media platforms made beautiful and heartfelt posts in commemoration of this day and all the many souls that ha

Because we American expats in Germany often celebrate Thanksgiving on the weekend after our compatriots in the US, I offer you today a second Thanksgiving episode, this one featuring the extraordinary

If you, like many of us, are struggling to find things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving, I have put together an episode featuring a national (and international) treasure, the exquisite soprano Rob

As a supplement to my ongoing series on great contraltos, and as a contrast to another outstanding Czech singer, soprano Hana Jank, recently featured on the podcast, I have been actively planning for

I am taking a short break before posting the final in my Mexican Opera Singers miniseries to bring you a compilation episode that is sure to get your blood flowing. Ive entitled it Mezzos on the Ver