Puccini’s La bohème has long occupied a place on opera’s “Top 10” list of most frequently performed works. This timeless classic illustrates the joys, sorrows and conflicts of artists and everyday people. The course will examine the literary roots of this unforgettable story and consider the musical and dramatic elements that ensured Puccini's opera a permanent place in the canon.

About Your Instructor — John Glover
A composer by trade, Glover has received numerous awards and grants for his music. Commissions from organizations such as Baltimore Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, the Dueck Three, People’s Light and Theater Company, and the American Conservatory Theater have distinguished him as an emerging voice in contemporary music. He has written program notes, articles and online courses for organizations such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall and OPERA America. Glover received his undergraduate training in composition with a focus in saxophone performance from Indiana University and his master’s degree in composition from the University of Southern California. He currently resides in New York City with his cat Professor Higgins, who holds a tenure track position in shadow chasing. Glover is also the Operations Manager for the American Composers Orchestra.

Richard Wagner's epic Der Ring des Nibelungen was a quarter century in the making and changed the course of operatic history. It also remains the ultimate challenge for a company to produce. In conjunction with Los Angeles Opera’s first complete staging of the cycle and Opera Conference 2010 in Los Angeles, this course will provide a comprehensive entry into the complex, labyrinthine and endlessly fascinating world that Wagner created through his extraordinary synthesis of the arts. In keeping with the Ring's scope, this course will offer eight full lectures, covering: background on Wagner, his musical methods and mythological sources; the history of Ring productions; and individual introductions to each of the cycle's four operas.

About Your Instructor — Thomas May
May is a full-time freelance writer and educator. He serves as the English language editor for the Lucerne Festival and is a contributing writer to the San Francisco Symphony program book. His work regularly appears in the programs of other leading opera companies and orchestras — including those of the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Washington National Opera, Boston Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic, among others. He is also the program annotator for the New World Symphony and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. May's features and profiles appear in Playbill, Encore and LISTEN, while his criticism can be found in Opera Now and on the Web site crosscut.com. May has lectured on composers from Wagner to Philip Glass, and he has been the instructor for two of OPERA America's online courses, Nixon in China and Brief Encounter. His books include Decoding Wagner: An Invitation to His World of Music Drama and The John Adams Reader: Essential Writings on an American Composer, both from Amadeus Press.