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VAGABOND OPERA
European Cabaret! Vintage
Americana! Balkan Belly Dance!
Neo-Classical Opera! Old World
Yiddish Theater! Welcome to the
six-piece, Portland,
Oregon-based Vagabond Opera.
Bohemian Cabaret ensemble
Vagabond Opera is described by
the Washington Post as “A band
of ceaseless charisma, boundless
energy, impeccable musicianship
and more than a little touch of
both the naughty and exotic.”
The group delivers passionate
offerings of Bohemian cabaret
for young and old. Paris hot
jazz, gut bucket swing, tangos,
Ukrainian folk-punk ballads,
klezmer and vigorous originals
meet a world of riverboat
gambling queens, Turkish belly
dancers, and the enigmatic
Marlene Dietrich. Weaving
elements of Kurt Weil, Duke
Ellington and Edith Piaf with
absurdist flair, theatrics and
an old world mood, Vagabond
Opera presents the new wave of
opera–lusty voices singing in 13
languages and presenting a
cabaret of rich musical
phrasing, sparkling lyrics and
indomitable stage presence, all
played with exuberance, skill
and a gritty Vagabond edge. This
is Opera liberated and
reinvented for everyone!
The band’s lineup features
trained operatic tenor and
soprano vocals, accordion, tenor
saxophone, cello, stand-up bass,
and drums. Guest performers
often appear with the ensemble.
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Vagabond Opera is at the
vanguard of a growing popularity in the Neo-cabaret phenomenon,
and through their theatrical performances, lyrics in 13
languages, and an eclectic repertoire, they liberate opera from
its usual construct, expanding musical and theatrical
biodiversity. Vagabond Opera has performed all over the USA and
in Europe. They have been featured on NPR, in the Washington
Post and Jazziz Magazine, and have shared stages and players
with Pink Martini, The Decembrists, Al Franken and the Oregon
Symphony. Vagabond opera has two full-length albums and will be
releasing their third album in the Spring of 2009.
Vagabond Opera was created in
2002 by European-trained opera singer and composer Eric Stern.
Then disillusioned with the classical opera world, Stern created
a new context for opera: Performance on a more intimate scale
incorporating not only opera but elements of Weimar Cabaret,
Arabic and Balkan forms, and the original music that springs
from the ensemble’s fertile creative work. This is not your
granny’s opera, but a visceral artistic ensemble that features
powerful instrumental and vocal performances coupled with a
highly eclectic and theatrical experience.
Vagabond Opera Links: |
