From the Page to Performance: An Exploration of Libretti across the Atlantic
Description
In this exciting episode of BG Ideas, we sit down with Jay Grummel, a BGSU creative writing student and recipient of the Hoskins Global scholarship, as well as BGSU creative writing Professor and Jay’s research advisor, Abby Cloud, to delve into her transatlantic exploration of opera libretti in Europe. Their conversation brings light into the specifics of writing libretti and how it requires a different approach than writing poetry and fiction. Jay outlines the steps of co-creating, along with BGSU alumnus Steven Naylor the opera Souls for Abigail which premiered at BGSU in Spring 2025, detailing their experience working abroad under Iain Bell in London and the collaborative process that made the journey both challenging and rewarding. Listen as Jay explains what adaptation and music can do to a story, and she gives insights into the role of the libretto within an opera production. Together, our guests reveal the advantages of cultural immersion in change-making creative work conducted by a college student.
A transcript for this episode can be found here.
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