Rene Orth

Rene Orth – “a master composer” with a “sophisticated sound world” (Classical Voice North America) – writes music described as “always dramatic, reflective, rarely predictable, and often electronic” (Musical America). She recently completed a three-year tenure as Composer-In-Residence at Opera Philadelphia.

Upcoming premieres for the 2025-26 season consist of a solo cello piece for Sarah Rommel at Yellow Barn; a violin and bass clarinet piece for Yvonne Lam and Mingzhe Wang; two songs for soprano, viola, and piano that will tour with Curtis on Tour; and an 8-minute scene as part of a larger commissioned work for Opera Philadelphia’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Recently, Opera Philadelphia presented the “triumphant world premiere” (Wall Street Journal) of 10 Days in a Madhouse, co-commissioned by Opera Philadelphia and Tapestry Opera, which subsequently won the 2024 Best New Opera Award from the Music Critics Association of North America, was a finalist in the 2024 International Opera Awards for “Best World Premiere,” and listed as #1 in The Washington Post’s “Best of Classical Music in 2023.”

Other distinctions include grants and awards from OPERA America, American Composers Forum, Kentucky Foundation for Women, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. www.reneorth.com.