Brendan Cooke
Saving Opera, One Voice at a Time
I'd love to discuss the dying art-form of Opera, and what we can do to ignite some interest, rather than the funeral pyre. The Baltimore Opera Company met its demise due to mismanagement of funds (easy to do in a business that inherently loses money) and inability to reach younger audiences. The alarming trend amongst opera companies and symphony orchestras is to "dumb down" the product, in the hopes of bringing in new audiences. This watered down product is often less inspiring, therefore less effective at bringing in new audiences. The theory of our new organization is that by eliminating many of the costly elements of opera (sets, orchestra, costumes) we are able to put a product before the public that is affordable, and effective. It's our hope that when grand opera emerges from the ashes here in Baltimore, we will be able to continue as an "adult educational outreach" organization, helping to support the culmination of all art forms, opera.
About Brendan Cooke:
Brendan is the general director of Baltimore Concert Opera, and organization formed in the wake of Baltimore Opera's demise. He sang (and still does occasionally) professionally for many years, and settled in Baltimore with his wife, mainly because of the Baltimore Opera company. The loss of the BOC has left a hole in the artistic and financial lives of many folks in Baltimore, and in January of '09, Brendan and some friends started the Baltimore Concert Opera. We are dedicated to providing local singers with opportunity (when possible) and to building a younger, more dynamic audience for opera.
