written by

Alex Mansoori

Tenor
Benjamin Britten: My Beloved Is Mine

Benjamin Britten: My Beloved Is Mine

Despite many of his compositions having Christian themes, Benjamin Britten had an ambivalent view of the religion. His partner Peter Pears recalled that when they met, he’s not sure if Britten would consider himself a Christian. Later in life, Britten himself would...

read more
Edward Kleban: Better

Edward Kleban: Better

Like every other theater kid, I lived for the Tony Awards. Growing up in Seattle, it was my big window into what was happening on Broadway. I would glue myself to the TV to watch all the performances and note which cast recordings I would want to get. That habit led...

read more
Kurt Weill: Vie Lange Noch?

Kurt Weill: Vie Lange Noch?

In late 2006, I was amongst the student performers working on the NYFOS@Juilliard “Songs of Peace and War”. The program was coming together, but there was one spot towards the end of Act I that needed to be filled. It came down to two wonderful Kurt Weill songs, “A...

read more
Marc Blitzstein: Stay In My Arms

Marc Blitzstein: Stay In My Arms

To start the week off, I’ve chosen a song by Marc Blitzstein, one of the two composers featured on our NYFOS concert next week. Blitzstein garnered national attention in 1937 when his pro-union musical The Cradle will Rock was shut down by the Works Progress...

read more
Irving Berlin: White Christmas

Irving Berlin: White Christmas

Happy Friday everyone! It’s my last day as your tour guide, and since I’ve been in rehearsals for two separate Christmas shows, I figured I would end with a Christmas song. Not only is the song one of my favorite holiday tunes, but it’s also the best-selling single of...

read more