Artwork & Arias
Artwork & Arias
Spend an evening experiencing connections between opera and the visual arts with the program series “Artworks and Arias,” presented by the Contemporary Art Museum and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. This musical program, curated by OTSL Gerdine Young Artist Edmond Rodriguez, explores the power of unapologetic voices, from the operatic stage to museum galleries to the street. Rodriguez’s selections and voice put forward an opportunity for vulnerability to become a shared experience of healing, speaking one’s truth, and building the world we want to live in. This program was curated in response to Ayana Evan’s exhibit “Nobody’s Gonna Love You the Way I Do” now on view at CAM.
Musical Program:
- “Comfort Ye” from Messiah by George Frideric Handel
- “Happy Were He” from Gloriana by Benjamin Britten
- “Hold Fast to Dreams” by Florence Price
- “Jardín Antiquo” by Carlos Guastavino
- “Alegría de la Soledad” by Carlos Guastavino
- “Love to Me” from The Light in the Piazza by Adam Guettel
Thank you to our partner:
Event information
Date
Thursday, November 5th
Program
Exhibition tour: 7:30 p.m.
Musical program: 8 p.m.
Venue
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM)
Tickets
Free general admission
Featured Artists
Tenor Edmond Rodriguez is returning to OTSL this season as a Gaddes Festival Artist. You may have seen him last season as a Gerdine Young Artist in Romeo and Juliet singing Benvolio, The Light in the Piazza singing the waiter, or A Streetcar Named Desire singing the Young Collector. In 2026, Edmond debuted at Carnegie Hall with MidAmerica Productions. He was recently in the world premiere of The House on Mango Street at Glimmerglass Festival. He has been a featured soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and is an active session singer in Los Angeles film and television industries, with credits including Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Encanto, Nope, and Wicked. Edmond holds a master’s degree in voice from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and is represented by Encompass Arts.
Jonathan Heaney is a pianist and vocal coach based in St. Louis, Missouri. He frequently collaborates with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, most recently serving as Associate Music Director for Joshua’s Boots. Upcoming engagements include serving as Repetiteur for Cinderella and A Little Night Music during OTSL’s 2027 Festival Season. He also performs regularly with Union Avenue Opera and Winter Opera St. Louis. Heaney’s previous professional affiliations included The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, On Site Opera, Seagle Festival, and Brevard Music Center. He holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s degree in vocal accompaniment from Manhattan School of Music.
