The Gift of Contemporary Opera
In a whirlwind 12 days between first rehearsal and closing three performances, our team of seven singers, fourteen instrumentalists, one conductor (myself!), and many more behind-the-scenes absolutely relished the process of mounting David Conte’s The Gift of the Magi in December 2025.
Composer David Conte takes a bow following the performance at Clubhouse SLC on December 17, 2025.
When a conductor – moreover, any musician – approaches a score for the first time, one of the most valuable preparatory steps is often to explore its performance history: recordings, productions, or traditions that have built a tradition of interpretation. With contemporary works, however, those reference points do not yet exist. Instead, the process invites a different but creatively rewarding engagement with the music, where the scope of possible interpretative decisions remains wide open.
That sense of openness was central to Park City Opera’s production of The Gift of the Magi, David Conte’s intimate holiday opera based on O. Henry’s beloved short story. This absence of an established performance tradition allowed us to approach the score not as something inherited, but as a living document, shaped by rehearsal, conversation, and shared imagination between myself as the conductor in conversations with our director, stellar cast and David Conte himself.
In preparing The Gift of the Magi, it was a pleasure to explore David Conte’s broader work and the influences shaping his musical language. I hear the lyricism of Puccini combined with harmonies that blend Copland’s American modernism and the lush tonal palette of French Impressionism. Somehow, David masterfully blends these disparate influences into his own personal voice and creates music that feels warm and intimate, perfectly suited to the holiday season.
We were delighted to welcome David Conte to our opening-night performance on Wednesday, December 17th at Clubhouse SLC. Following the performance, David joined us for a post-show Q&A, responding thoughtfully to audience questions about voice, personal style, and the distinctive expressive power of opera.
David Conte, Benjamin Beckman, Sarah Neal, and Lena Goldstein answer audience questions about contemporary score preparation & interpretation, the influence of a Christmas sound-world in the score, and more following the performance.
I was especially heartened to see so many of our performers – nearly a dozen – remain for the conversation, and I later heard from several artists how rare and meaningful it was to engage directly with the composer about the work. Beyond that singular experience, the musicians found deep satisfaction in grappling with a contemporary score.
Members of the Park City Opera orchestra chat with David Conte following the performance (left image) and members of the orchestra warm up prior to curtain call (right image).
When people think of “opera” in the abstract, they might picture grand houses, formal attire, and foreign-language works by long-dead European masters. While I’m always happy to don a tuxedo for Carmen at the Met, there is something especially meaningful about experiencing living, breathing, intimate contemporary opera close to home, casually with friends and family – particularly during the holiday season.
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Director Lisl Wangermann works with the cast on character interpretation (left image) and performers take the stage on opening night (right image).
