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, a 12-minute song for soprano, viola, and piano to be taken on 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 named as #1 in The Washington Post’s “Best of Classical Music in 2023.”  The New York Times wrote, “opera needs works like “10 Days,” which treats the medium with affection and respect while also chafing at its tropes throughout history.” With a libretto by Hannah Moscovitch, this psychological drama follows the trailblazing reporter Nellie Bly through her internment at Blackwell's Asylum, exposing, as Bly did historically, notions of madness and societal biases against women. The opera, conducted by Daniela Candillari, starred Kiera Duffy, Raehann Bryce-Davis, and Will Liverman.

 

Other recent premieres include a Vocal Arts DC song cycle, At First, Now, Always,  for mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack; “A Prayer,” a duet for mezzo-soprano J’nai Bridges and baritone Will Liverman’s Grammy nominated album, Show Me the Way; an electronic dance piece “I Praise the Dance” for mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis’ debut album, Stand the Storm; and a chamber opera, Love, Loss, and the Century Upon Us, with librettist Jerre Dye and The Chautauqua Institution as part of a larger work called A Summer Place.

 

Distinctions include grants and awards from OPERA America, American Composers Forum, Kentucky Foundation for Women, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

 

Rene currently resides in Valencia, Spain with her husband and 3 young children. www.reneorth.com