NYT: Glyndebourne Opera Festival revives 'The Wreckers' starring CCM alum Karis Tucker

The New York Times features the Glyndebourne Festival Opera's revival of The Wreckers by British composer Ethel Smyth, which features UC College-Conservatory of Music alumna Karis Tucker (MM Voice, '16). The mezzo-soprano plays Thurza in the opera, which runs May 21-June 24 at the Festival. 

The feature story, by NYT writer Andrew Dickson, shares some of the history of the opera and Smyth. The Wreckers originally premiered in 1906, but has only been staged professionally a few times. Glyndebourne is performing a new edition during this year's Festival.

"In the first decades of the 20th century, Smyth was probably the most famous female composer of her generation, but now her work is almost never heard," writes Dickson. "She was championed by Mahler and by the conductor Thomas Beecham, who proclaimed The Wreckers a masterpiece and put it on at the Royal Opera House in London. In 1903, Smyth became the first woman to have a work staged at the Metropolitan Opera (and, astonishingly, remained the only one until 2016)."

Tucker gives viewers a glimpse into the production in a behind-the-scenes video by Glyndebourne. The opera is conducted by Robin Ticciati with stage direction by Melly Still. From August 2022 The Wreckers will be available to watch on demand on Glyndebourne Encore (subscription required for access); learn more.

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Feature image at the top: Karis Tucker as Thurza in Glyndebourne's Opera Festival's The Wreckers. Photo by Richard Hubert Smith.