Tenor A.J. Glueckert is one of the Adler Fellows who will be important linchpins in the cast of Mark Adamo’s The Gospel of Mary Magdalene. The opera has a large cast, so you’ll see Glueckert and hear his pure, high tenor in a number of roles: He is understudying William Burden in the major role of Peter; he is in several of the ensembles, with a solo line here and there, and has lots of part-singing. Being cheap labor has its advantages in terms of getting experience, but it can be overwhelming as well. A.J. shows us how he keeps his head together (he’s got a great sense of humor, and a storytelling gift).
Stories
A.J. may be young, but composer Kevin Puts has already rewritten a role in his Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night for him. That’s what working with living composers will do for you. He also tells a story about meeting Mark Adamo.
Stories about Mary Magdalene on YouTube
Diving Into Mary Magdalene’s Score
Here, A.J. Glueckert tells us what it’s like to dive into a new score and what he loves about Mark Adamo’s music. The reference to Little Women is to Adamo’s first opera, which has become a repertory item sung by many companies, especially training and conservatory opera programs.
Diving Into Mary Magdalene's Score on YouTube
From Notes to Music
Learning the score is only part one of turning it into beautifully sung music theater, and San Francisco Opera makes sure the Adler Fellows have plenty of access to coaches, from Head of Music Staff John Churchwell to Merola program music chief Mark Morash to Sheri Greenawald, the head of the San Francisco Opera Center. A.J. also studies with master teacher Cesar Ulloa (who you can read about in this SFCV artist spotlight)
From Notes to Music on YouTube