Visit the official As One Opera website
Since its premiere in 2014 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the acclaimed As One has become the most-produced modern opera in America.
TOP row: the original production at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Caine College of the Arts, Urban Arias. MIDDLE row: West Edge Opera, Seattle Opera, International Opera Projects (Berlin). BOTTOM row: Pittsburgh Opera, Opera Colorado, Long Beach Opera
As One Reviews
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simple and effective storytelling — finding beauty in a story that not long ago couldn’t be told.” Full review at the Rutland Herald In the USA, the chamber opera about a trans woman is one of the most performed contemporary musical theater works. The German theatrical premiere of “As One” made it brilliantly clear why this is the case… (It) is looking forward to establishing itself in Germany after this masterly staged premiere.” Full review from Neue Musikzeitung [PDF]
Well recorded, with its approachable score and winning protagonist, As One is a striking and deceptively simple look at identity, honesty and the human condition.” Full review in Opera News [PDF]
Laura Kaminsky’s mostly luminous score elicits a radiant performance from the six performers … The Fry Street Quartet accompany with elegance and subtlety. A remarkable achievement.” “Gramophone Selects As One as One of Best Classical Recordings of 2019″ 4 out of 4-star review review [PDF] from BBC Music (9/19) Bold in its proposition and also extremely carefully-crafted.” Full review at concerto.net (5/30/19) As One has become one of the major works of American opera in the 21st century … The work has been the most produced new opera in North America since its debut in September of 2014 and its revival by the New York City Opera this summer bears out why.” Full review at Operawire (6/1/19) The spectacularly musical, touchingly dramatic, surprisingly funny and profoundly moving chamber opera, As One, by Laura Kaminsky, Kimberly Reed and Mark Campbell, made its long-overdue return to New York … From the first notes of the “overture” — really the introduction to the dialogue that we will be hearing between Hannah Before and Hannah After — we are enveloped in Kaminsky’s wonderfully varied, rhythmically fascinating score.” Full review at Broadway World (6/3/19) As One takes audiences on a journey of understanding.” PRIZM (7/30/18) … a ringingly, fundamentally human story…” Full review at MinnPost (3/20/18) a sweet miracle … both beautiful art and real-world connection.” Full review at Minnesota Playlist (3/20/18) a beautiful, heart-breaking, inspirational, ultimately hopeful story gorgeously told through music.” Full review at Cherry & Spoon (3/20/18) It is no wonder that As One is the most produced contemporary opera today … [AsOne] is an intimate depiction of coming to age and understanding yourself as a human.” Full review at Twin City Stages (1/15/18) energetic and jubilant … brilliantly set.” Full review at icareifyoulisten.com (1/15/18) Hannah’s story, although a struggle, is also uplifting (finally – an opera with a happy ending!)” Full review at Honolulu Star Advertiser (1/15/18) Ms. Kaminsky, Mr. Campbell and Ms. Reed have crafted a beautiful, informed work that might have been pulled out of today’s headlines … the entire artistic team admirably keeps the tension, interest, and emotional honesty urgently tumbling forward throughout the eighty-minute duration.” Full review at OperaToday.com (11/22/17) … a vulnerable and intimate journey … Full review at schmopera.com (11/20/17) [Much] of the success of As One is due to Kaminsky’s consistently compelling music. The vocal lines for both Hannahs are skillfully crafted, often sung together, with Hannah After’s solo lines soaring into tessitura heights.” Full review in Chicago Classical Review (11/18/17) As One does a compelling job of describing a transgender’s struggle with sexual identity … It humanizes one of the world’s least understood and most often mistreated minorities at a time when the substantial progress made by minority groups is under attack.” Full review at BroadwayWorld.com (11/14/17) … As One is an important piece. Too few films or plays have tackled this theme and opera provides the character a means to sing directly to us about feelings — a candor that would be hard to duplicate in other medium … As One is timely but it is also eye-opening and beautifully executed.” Full review at stageandcinema.com (11/14/17) … Kaminsky’s consummate skill [in] handling instrumental texture and color. In her complex yet miraculously varied orchestration I heard the brilliant structural architecture I associate with Dmitri Shostakovich’s great string quartets modified by a more ingratiating melodic line that American composers such as Ned Rorem and John Corigliano have cultivated.” Full review at SanDiegoStory.com (11/11/17) Mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert and baritone Kelly Markgraf in San Diego Opera’s production of As One. Photo: Karli Cadel As One addresses timeless themes of inner conflict — in this case, the quest for identity, acceptance and love — and makes them intensely personal and universal.” Full review at San Diego Union-Tribune (11/11/17) … this show chooses to have what is happening lived in front of you, instead of gestured or fully acted out. This helps create the emotional connection with the audience and leads to a truly empathetic experience for all.” talktheatretome.com (11/11/17) There are so many moving, touching moments, so many universals in this journey of transition (from Hannah Before to Hannah After) — one bifurcated soul coming together.” Full review at patlauner.com (11/10/17) Two voices tell a deeply human story “As One.” Full review in the Chicago Tribune (11/19/2017) As One approaches admirable universality.” – Los Angeles Times Full review in the LA Times (5/16/17) Sexuality is, surprisingly, almost incidental. No one grows up easily. … We all have issues with family. The point of As One is that we all are one.” Full review in the Los Angeles Times (5/16/2017) As One is the hottest title in opera right now, at least among the titles written in the last 100 years.” Full review in the Denver Post (2/25/17) As One will have had at least 10 major productions by the end of this year, making it the most commonly produced new opera in the United States.” Full review at triblive.com (2/15/17) Luis Alejandro Orozco and Ashley Cutright in the Atlas Performing Arts Center production of As One in Washington D.C. Photo: C. Stanley Photography … As One, both inspiring and groundbreaking, innovative yet relatable, is built to travel, and deserves to.” Full review in the Seattle Weekly (11/16/2017) … a piece that haunts and challenges its audience with questions about identity, authenticity, compassion and the human desire for self-love and peace.” Full review in Opera News (9/4/14) As One forces you to think, simultaneously challenging preconceptions and inspiring empathy … [with] winning humor and a satisfying emotional arc.” Full review in The New York Times (9/5/2014) Laura Kaminsky is responsible for both concept and music, and her remarkable score always seems to be in perfect harmony with the libretto. The music fits naturally onto the text, her lyrical vocal writing giving the words room to expand … As One is everything that we hope for in contemporary opera: topical, poignant, daring, and beautifully written.” Full review in the New York Classical Review (9/5/2014) Samantha Attaguile as Hannah After and Jonathan WIlson as Hannah Before in As One, staged by Chicago Fringe Opera. (Victor LeJeune / HANDOUT) … a thoughtful and substantial piece as well as that rarest of operatic commodities — a story that lends itself to dramatization in music … effective, direct music … Kaminsky writes well for the voice.” Full review in the Washington Post (10/6/2015) … an attractively scored, affecting 80-minute work.” Full review in the San Jose Mercury News (8/12/2016) As One has already received that rare thing for a new work — a handful of productions around the country. But it still seems spanking new and a worthwhile risk, both in artistry and theme … As One charters new territory in theme and content of ‘what makes an opera.’ It is a fascinating and promising chamber work and deserves serious attention.” Full review in DC Theatre Scene (10/7/2015) … a chance to expand your horizons.” – New York Classical Review Best of 2014: Honorable Mention | Full review Musically, Kaminsky’s dramatically charged music has a tonal ambiguity that allows each scene to go where it needs to, and in a clear dramatic trajectory … this seasoned, socially-aware composer admirably tends to subvert her exterior personality to whatever the piece at hand needs.” Full review at WQXR’s Operavore (9/5/2014) Their singing, acting and remarkable cohesiveness made a challenging topic deeply humane and moving, which is what opera does best when it happens.” Full story at slate.com “The Uses of ‘Trans’ in Art” … satisfies in an entertaining and delicately moving way.” Full review in the New York Observer (9/10/14) Operavore: The Second Annual Excellence in Opera (‘Freddie’) Awards: | Full review It quickly moves from just retelling autobiographical experiences to something more universal.” Full review in the Pittsburgh City Paper (2/15/2017) With her opening chords Kaminsky reveals her post-minimalist musical tendencies, and yet the warmth of her melodic gift put strongly in mind the 19th-century Czech composer Antonin Dvorak.” Full review in People’s World ( 5/26/17) A thoughtful piece of musical theater [with] depth, substance, and poignancy.” (5/19/2017) Laura Kaminsky’s score, tonal but edgy, melodically subdued and rhythmically forward …” Full review by John Yohalemat at Parterre Box (9/5/2014) The most poignant moments of As One are when these voices meet: the low and the high, the masculine and the feminine, trying to relate and find peace with one another. The device cleverly and effortlessly reveals the duality of someone grappling with gender identity, a concept difficult to represent in a theatrical (or cinematic) setting.” Full review … in out.com (9/11/2104) Transcendent” Full review BiGayNews.com (3/28/18)
Full review at Gramaphone (9/19)
[As One] gives important — and with recent marked rise in anti-trans hostility — voice to the transgender experience.”
As One Interviews
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Listen here or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, or additional platforms. for Stingray Brava, a TV channel broadcasting all over Europe Interview with As One baritone Kelly Markgraf and mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert Interview with As One librettist Mark Campell in the Denver Center for Performing Arts Newcenter (2/13/2017) Danielle Marcelle Bond as Hannah After and Lee Gregory as Hannah Before in the Long Beach Opera production of As One. (Keith Ian Polakoff / Long Beach Opera)As One, A Conversation with Composer Laura Kaminsky | NJSO Pride Celebration | 46:00
Disruptive Media Interview | 43:00
Huffington Post Interviews As One lead Michael Kelly
Q & A: Composer Laura Kaminsky On the Development of As One in Opera Wire
A Conversation with Kaminsky at University of Michigan | 22:52
Conversation with the As One creative team | 13:15
KPBS Interview | 4:45
“As One is a Modern Opera About Transitioning” at kpbs.org
“Coming Together As One” in the San Diego Jewish Journal
“Transforming the Face of Self Discovery”
“BWW Interview: Kaminsky, Campbell and Reed Are As One” in BroadwayWorld.com
“From creation of transgender opera, As One, to UrbanArias’ quick embrace” at DC Theatrescene.com
“As One Groundbreaking opera of transgender youth’s emergence”
As One opera tells a universal story about a transgender woman in the The Jewish Chronicle
As One News
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Full story at BroadwayWorld.com Brooklyn, NY – The American Opera Project (AOP) will honor International Transgender Day of Visibility with “As One: The work Continues …” at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City. The one-hour live and livestreamed event, taking place on March 31, 2022 at 7 pm ET. My team and I often say that our chamber opera As One is a story of ‘not-the-norm in getting an opera born’. It’s funny, though, that for such an unusual gestation, As One has become the most produced contemporary opera in North America, according to OPERA America … Read the full story at Operawire. Opera News critics reviewed 222 CDs and DVDs from last year, from performances of Broadway classic to modern choral works. These are the 25 you need to hear. “A strikingly and deceptively simple look at identity, honesty and the human condition.” – Clive Paget See complete Best of 2019 reviews from Opera News [PDF 479K]
Full article at The New York Times Laura Kaminsky, Mark Campbell, and Kimberly Reed’s chamber opera As One was the 14th most-performed opera in the United States and Canada in the 2016-2017 season according to the Winter 2018 issue of OPERA America magazine and the only opera composed by a woman. Here in Chicago there were things to regret, of course, but classical music lovers had much else to be grateful for, good things that perhaps could happen only here. To commemorate the highs and lows, we present our 41st annual Rheingold Awards. The envelopes, please: Most arresting recent operas: Laura Kaminsky’s As One, about the psychological odyssey of a transgender woman, by the alt-ensemble Chicago Fringe Opera; and Philip Glass’ “The Perfect American” (Walt Disney through a Glass darkly) and Stewart Copeland’s surreal “The Invention of Morel,” both of them by Chicago Opera Theater. See all of John’s Highs and Lows at The Chicago Tribune When Long Beach Opera brought Laura Kaminsky’s “As One” to Southern California for the first time Saturday night, it was as one more. This is the ninth production of the opera, which had its premiere less than three years ago at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and has since been performed across the United States as well as in Montreal and Berlin. This year alone, Pittsburgh Opera and Opera Colorado have mounted As One. Full story in the Los Angeles Times As One is the hottest title in opera right now, at least among the titles written in the last 100 years. The musical tale of a transgender woman’s personal evolution is somehow right on time — an accomplished bit of art-making, with considerable entertainment value, that thrusts itself smack into the current political and social discourse. Full story … Performed at Washington Hall in Seattle’s Central District Seattle Opera is excited to bring a different kind of opera experience to a historic venue in the heart of our city! This November, join us at the iconic Washington Hall in Seattle’s Central District for the intimate chamber opera As One, a contemporary exploration of a transgender protagonist’s journey told through two voices. With empathy and humor, we experience Hannah’s youthful challenges in a small town, her struggles with family, her discovery of the larger trans community, and her inspiring journey to be true to herself. As One is performed by a baritone and a mezzo-soprano with string quartet. A chamber opera for two voices and string quartet As One is a brave new work in which two voices — Hannah after (mezzo-soprano) and Hannah before (baritone) — share the part of a sole transgender protagonist. Fifteen songs comprise the three-part narrative; with empathy and humor, they trace Hannah’s experiences from her youth in a small town to her college years on the West Coast, and finally to Norway where she is surprised at what she learns about herself. As One was commissioned and produced by American Opera Projects and premiered at The Brooklyn Academy of Music in September 2014. International OperaProjects is very proud to present its European premiere in Berlin. “A piece that haunts and challenges with questions about identity, authenticity, compassion and the human desire for self-love and peace.” – Opera News As One is everything that we hope for in contemporary opera: topical, poignant, daring, and beautifully written.” – New York Classical Review As One forces you to think, simultaneously challenging preconceptions and inspiring empathy with winning humor and a satisfying emotional arc.” – The New York Times “Hannah. Like every other boy. Unlike every other boy. Music and Concept by Laura Kaminsky STARRING Luis Alejandro Orozco as Hannah Before and Ashley Cutright as Hannah After By arrangement with Bill Holab Music At the Oakland Metro, in the Jack London Square area Read the complete story at the West Edge Opera website Reed explains, “It’s not unusual for me to be the first transgender person someone has known. I’m happy to be in that position, because the best way to dispel misunderstanding and increase empathy for The Other is to simply get to know someone. … For this video essay, I wanted to let you get to know a real, live trans person. I decided to record the day leading up to the premiere of an opera, As One, for which I created a film and co-wrote the libretto.” by Catherine Reese Newton “Whether you’re someone concerned with social issues who hasn’t had much exposure to opera, or an opera buff who hasn’t given much thought to transgender issues, a performance on the Utah State University campus Tuesday will offer a chance to expand your horizons.” The chamber opera As One, composed by Laura Kaminsky with a libretto by Mark Campbell and trans filmmaker Kimberly Reed, makes use of the genre’s tendency toward sung self-revelation to sketch out a somewhat broad psychological profile of the transgender experience. The piece comprises three parts that follow a fairly predictable coming-out-story trajectory: stirrings and initial self-awareness; exploration, societal challenges, and community affiliation; and finally, self-acceptance and pride. Read the full article The Uses of Trans in Art A rich addition to the repertoire … formidable on all fronts … As One is everything that we hope for in contemporary opera: topical, poignant, daring, and beautifully written.” Artistically distinguished, socially important … says so much with relatively modest means.” As One, … satisfies in an entertaining and delicately moving way.” A piece that haunts and challenges its audience with questions about identity, authenticity, compassion and the human desire for self-love and peace.” As One forces you to think, simultaneously challenging preconceptions and inspiring empathy…[with] winning humor and a satisfying emotional arc.” From September 4 to 7, at BAM Fisher in Brooklyn, the distinguished commissioning organization American Opera Projects presents the world premiere of As One, a musical drama for two singers depicting the complicated path of a transgender individual from childhood to adulthood. Hannah Before and Hannah After are portrayed by two rising young American singers, Kelly Markgraf and Sasha Cooke, who happen to be married in life. As One offers music by Laura Kaminsky, composer-in-residence at American Opera Projects. More … In this chamber opera for two singers and string quartet, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and baritone Kelly Markgraf depict the experiences of its sole protagonist, Hannah. Music and Concept by Laura Kaminsky September 4 and 6, 7:30 p.m. Film by Kimberly Reed“As One” Goes to Kentucky in April 2024
Kentucky Opera extends its season at the Opera Center with “As One.” Currently the most-produced contemporary opera in the world, empathy and humor are at the forefront of this story of self-discovery. A baritone and a mezzo-soprano portray the sole transgender protagonist, Hannah, as she forges a path for herself while facing societal expectations.
American Opera Project Honors Int’l Transgender Day of Visibility with “As One: The Work Continues …”
Opera America Interview: “As One” – A True Voice for Trans Singers
It’s an exciting time for As One. The seven-year-old opera’s 49th production — and the first one featuring a nonbinary baritone (Rahźe Cheatham) and trans mezzo-soprano (Tona Brown) — took place on Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20.
“A person embarking on a quest to find — and live — their truth”: Opera Hit Comes to London
by Laura Kaminsky in “Classical Music,” Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021
Kaminsky Among 30 LGBTQIA Opera Leaders
Francisco Salazar’s story in Operawire honed in on the accomplishments of 30 individuals and the way they have used their voice to push diversity and education in the industry.
As One CD One of Best New Opera Recordings of 2019 According to Opera News
As One CD is Opera News Critic’s Choice
View complete story [PDF]
6 Strong Female Opera Characters Who Don’t Play by the Rules
Perhaps the greatest show of strength is the ability to remain true to one’s identity in the face of prejudice and alienation. Laura Kaminsky’s opera As One follows the path of an unnamed male character who transitions to become Hannah, a transgender woman. Full story …
As One #3 on Billboard Classical, Followed by Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, John Luther Adams
In less than two weeks since it’s release, “As One” has risen to #3 on Billboard Classical.
New York Times Feature on Transgender Opera Singers
Transgender Opera Singers Find Their Voices. For these musicians, transitioning can mean risking their careers — and their art.
“Bright Shiny Things” Label Releases Original Cast Recording of As One
As One, by Laura Kaminsky with a libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed, performed by baritone Kelly Markgraf (Hannah before), mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke (Hannah after) and the Fry Street Quartet. Conducted by Steven Osgood.
Kaminsky’s As One in Opera America’s Top 25 for 2017–18 Season
Laura Kaminsky’s As One awarded the #11 spot on Opera America’s top 25 operas for the 2017-18 season. As One is The most produced opera in the U.S. and Canada.
Pavarotti and As One Lead This Week’s CD/DVD Releases
As One, by Laura Kaminsky with a libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed, performed by baritone Kelly Markgraf (Hannah before), mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke (Hannah after) and the Fry Street Quartet. Conducted by Steven Osgood.
Out of the Closet and Into the Limelight
LGBTQ audiences have long been drawn to the opera. Now they can see their stories on stage.
As One Returns to New York for Pride Month, 5 Years After BAM Premiere
Part of New York City Opera’s annual Pride Series. Co-produced with American Opera Projects and Kaufman Music Center
Kaminsky’s As One to Premiere at New York City Opera, 2018–19 Season
Read the full announcement by Ryan McPhee in Playbill
August 28, 2018
As One, the Most Performed New Opera in North America, is Coming to Cincinnati Opera
The Cincinnati Enquirer writes, “The size of As One is not its only progressive component. From the beginning, this opera was destined to stand out and challenge the status quo of both opera and society.” Read the complete story at the Cincinnati Enquirer.
As One 14th Most Produced Opera in U.S., Canada in 2016-17, Surpassing Turandot and The Barber of Seville
As One is the most frequently produced contemporary opera with two dozen productions scheduled since premiere at BAM in 2014.
Chicago Tribune’s Best of 2017 includes Fringe Opera’s Production of As One
John von Rhein, Contact Reporter, Chicago Tribune, December 26, 2016
As One, the every(wo)man transgender opera
by Mark Swed of the L.A. Times, May 16, 2017
Denver Post: Kaminsky’s As One Chamber Opera “hottest title in opera right now”
By Ray Mark Rinaldi in the Denver Post, February 25, 2017
Interview: The Natural and the Political: A Conversation with Laura Kaminsky and Rebecca Allan
In the lead-up to the Pittsburgh (and Pennsylvania) premiere of “As One,” David Bernabo of the web magazine glassblock.com, interviewed composer Laura Kaminsky and visual artist Rebecca Allan. Kaminsky is married to Rebecca Allan, who is represented locally by the James Gallery. The three of them linked up for a discussion about how two artists maintain their shared lives domestically and artistically. How do they navigate these spaces? How does collaboration work out? But they found themselves quickly moving on to the work itself — and especially the political nature of much of their individual and collaborative output. Full story …
Kaminsky Returns to Seattle for Production As One at Seattle Opera, Nov. 2016
A Transgender Story. A New Opera Experience.
Nov. 11, 13, 17, 18, & 19, 2016
As One in European debut with International Opera Projects in Berlin, July 7, 9, 2017
International Opera Projects in association with American Opera Projects and by arrangement with Bill Holab Music present As One.
Urban Arias brings As One to Washington DC – Oct. 3, 4, 9, 10, 2015
As One tells the story of a transgender protagonist, as she endeavors to resolve the discord between her Self and the outside world.
Aligned, at peace, with her own body.”
Libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed
Film by Kimberly Reed
Robert Wood, conductor
Octavio Cardenas, director
Adam Crinson, scenic design
Sarah Riffle, costume and lighting design
West Edge Opera Presents West Coast Premiere of As One July 26, 31, Aug. 8, 2015
Music and Concept by Laura Kaminsky, Libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed
The opera is clearly a political statement, but it’s done gracefully, through the personal revelations of the main character. The libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed is very straightforward – a plain-spoken description of the character’s thoughts. Pivotal moments in the character’s life, from childhood to integrated adult, are each revealed in arias that move quickly from incident to incident. We learn things: about the confusions of an interior life as an individual follows a path that is radically different from socially determined ones, about learning to hear and commit to the interior voice and about the great diversity of life.
As One Librettist Kimberly Reed Featured in Video for The New York Times
As One co-librettist and transgender filmmaker Kimberly Reed has created a video for The New York Times showing a day in her life – specifically April 7, when the American Opera Projects-commissioned opera opened at Utah State University. In the video, Reed shows glimpses of the various ways she has introduced the quotidian stories of transgender individuals – through documentaries, news interviews, spoken word performances, and now the critically-praised opera As One.
As One Goes to Utah for its Second Production
“Two voices, one human experience.”
The Salt Lake Tribune | Apr 03 2015
Slate.com Reviews “Trans” Character Hannah from As One Opera
Excerpted from The Uses of Trans in Art
by J. Bryan Lowder, a Slate assistant editor
As One Premieres at BAM in a Sold-Out Run to Great Acclaim
American Opera Projects congratulates composer Laura Kaminsky and librettists Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed on the resounding success of As One.
– New York Classical Review
– WQXR/Operavore
– New York Observer
– Opera News
– The New York Times
Opera News Interview with Laura Kaminsky on Premiere of Musical Opera As One
Brian Kellow speaks with American Opera Projects’ composer-in-residence Laura Kaminsky about As One, her musical drama for two singers, which premieres this month at BAM.
Mezzo Soprano Sasha Cooke and Baritone Kelly Markgraf Share Role of “Hannah,” the Protagonist in As One Premiering at BAM Sept. 4, 6, and 7, 2014
Commissioned and developed by American Opera Projects
Libretto by Mark Campbell & Kimberly Reed
Film by Kimberly Reed
Performed by Sasha Cooke & Kelly Markgraf and the Fry Street Quartet
September 7, 3:00 p.m.
BAM Fisher – Fishman Space
321 Ashland Place, Brooklyn, NY
Scenic & Lighting Design by David Jacques
Costume Design by Sara Jean Tosetti
Music Direction by Steven Osgood
Stage Direction by Ken Cazan
American Opera Projects As One – Free Special Preview/Workshop – June 17, 2014
Tuesday June 17, 7:30 pm
Bam Fisher Hillman Studio
321 Ashland Place, Brooklyn, NY 11217