What are Creative Development Projects?

Creative Development Projects (formerly known as ConNEXTions: The Next Generation of Opera) is "Laboratory for New Work" that cultivates select American composers and librettists with new projects that are nurtured from initial concept to a fully-staged production.  These new operatic compositions go through a succession of libretto development and music workshops. Through this project, new operas and their creators have the chance to develop ideas and explore concepts in a nurturing and risk-free atmosphere, surrounded by a dedicated an talented staff of professionals.  Creative Development Projects are a safe environment to push the boundaries of the operatic form, to experiment with new concepts, and to create the 21st century operatic repertoire.  Through a series of workshops, both public and private, CDP’s turn an idea into a libretto, into a score, and, finally, into a fully-staged opera.

Current projects include:

• ● Love/Hate  Music by Jack Perla; Libretto by Rob Bailis (workshop September 12th, 2010; full libretto workshop October 16th, 2010; world premiere scheduled for 2013)
• ● The Golem   Music by Andrea Clearfield; Libretto by Ellen Frankel (libretto workshop 2010)
• ● Maren of Vardo  Music by Jeff Myers; Libretto by Royce Vavrek (Libretto workshop September 2010; Music Workshop February 13th, 2011, world premiere scheduled for 2013)
• ● The Great Blondin   Music by Ronald Vigue; Libretto by Albert Innaurato  (Workshop 2009)

The first opera developed though the CDP process, The Always Present Present Music by Peter Westergaard; Libretto by Renee Weiss had its world premiere in 2009.   In April 2011, CCOT presented Danse Russe: A Vaudeville Opera with music by Paul Moravec and libretto by Terry Teachout at the Kimmel Center as part of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, alongside the Philadelphia premieres of Stravinsky’s Renard and Ragtime, in collaboration with Kun Yang Lin Dancers and Orchestra 2001.

This season, Slaying the Dragon,  Music by Michael Ching; Libretto by Ellen Frankel, based on the book, Not by the Sword by Kathryn Watterson, will have its world premiere in June 2012.   Workshops are scheduled for September 17 & 18, 2011; January  14, 2012, February 18 & 19th, 2012.