LA Opera Podcasts: Behind the Curtain

Behind the Curtain LIVE: Los Angeles as Opera: On Gold Mountain

Discover On Gold Mountain, the true story of Fong See, a pioneer of Los Angeles’ Chinatown who immigrated to America to work on the railroad and find his fortune. Author and librettist Lisa See and composer Nathan Wang join Li Wei Yang, curator for the Pacific Rim Collections at The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, for a conversation with music exploring See’s Chinese immigrant family’s extraordinary history and impact upon Los Angeles, and the opera it inspired. The three are joined by soprano Shana Blake Hill, an original cast member of On Gold Mountain, and violinist Shelly Ren. This podcast was recorded in front of a live Zoom audience on November 19, 2020.

On Gold Mountain will be produced in the newly-expanded Chinese gardens of The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens during the spring of the 2021-22 season.

Created in 1986 by a team of visionaries, LA Opera has become a leader in artistic innovation, while honoring the great historical legacy of opera. Through the powerful art form of opera, we celebrate the diversity and pioneering spirit of our great city.