Oct 30, 2020
Imagine finding your voice...in an opera house! On Sing LOUDER, host Jake Heggie talks with great artists about the high wire act of life an opera singer.
Bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green is a fast-rising opera star with an inspiring story of survival and perseverance. He has already performed on some of the world’s great opera stages and told his story on major TV and radio programs, including 60 Minutes, The Daily Show, and Fresh Air. His journey is also the subject of the best-selling book “Sing For Your Life”, by Daniel Bergner.
As a child, Speedo spent time living in a trailer park, a bullet-riddled house, and even juvenile detention. In this episode, he shares about some of the people and critical moments that defined his path, as well as the back story to a few of his favorite performances.
You can find Speedo at ryanspeedogreen.com and @ryanspeedogreen on Facebook.
Featured Music:
- Jake Heggie: “Some Times of Day” from The Best Time of the Day
- Giuseppe Verdi: “Confutatis” from Requiem, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra led by Andris Nelsons, at the 2019 Tanglewood Festival
- “Deep River” sung a cappella at the 2017 Ravinia Festival
- Giacomo Puccini: “The Coat Aria” or “Vecchia Zimarra” from Act IV of La Bohème, at the Metropolitan Opera led by Carlo Rizzi
- “Urlicht" from Gustav Mahler’s Second Symphony, with pianist Adam Nielsen at the 2017 Ravinia Festival
- Jonathan Barlow: “Cinder”
Producer: Emily Shaw
Remote Recording Assistance: Seira McCarthy
Mixing: Marisa Ewing
Additional Recording & Technical Assistance: George S. Rosenthal (The Complex Recording Studio)
Executive Producer: Bob Ellis
Photo by Dario Acosta
Sing LOUDER is supported by a non-profit LLC promoting public education about the art of singing. Special thanks to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.