Upending Preconceptions: Aiden Feltkamp

Opera Uprising

In this episode of Opera Uprising we talk about: * Libretto Creation * The Priestess of Morphine * Voice type inclusivity * Writing for Trans Voices * Including LGBTQIA+ Stories

Find out more about Aiden Feltkamp Anthology of New Music: Trans & Nonbinary Voices, Vol. 1

Website: aidenkimfeltkamp.com Twitter: @TransCherubino

Bio: Aiden K. Feltkamp (they/he) began their artistic life at the age of 5 playing a quarter-size cello and now they’re "upending preconceptions about voice and gender" (New York Times) as a trans nonbinary writer. Aiden’s written work spans the serious and the ridiculous, the real and the surreal. Some of their favorite projects include: an opera with Dana Kaufman about Emily Dickinson’s queerness, an interactive fiction experience about alien communication coded in Javascript (“Hello, Aria”), new English translations of Jewish lesbian erotic poet Marie-Madeleine’s work (The Priestess of Morphine with Rosśa Crean), and a four-part series decoupling gender and voice types. Most recently, their work has been commissioned by Cantus, Amherst College, and the International Museum of Surgical Sciences, and has been published in Crêpe & Penn, Bait/Switch, and NewMusicBox. Before pursuing their medical transition, Aiden performed opera professionally, specializing in Baroque opera and new music. Their most fulfilling roles include Hansel, Prince Orlofsky, Cherubino, Ottavia in L’incoronazione di Poppea (especially in a Baroque gesture production with director Drew Minter), and Elizabeth in the World and NY premieres of Griffin Candey’s Sweets by Kate. They continue to train their new voice and have recently performed as Figaro in ChamberQUEER’s abridged Le Nozze di Figaro. As an equity and inclusion specialist, they consult for performing arts organizations, funders, universities, and businesses. Aiden has worked with Johnson & Johnson, Yelp, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, OPERA America, the League of American Orchestras, and the LA Phil. Currently, they wrangle composers and arts administrators as the first-ever Director of Emerging Composers and Diversity for the American Composers Orchestra.

Aiden is a Turn the Spotlight fellow (20/21 cohort), mentoring with Kathleen Kelly. As part of the fellowship, they curated New Music Shelf's Anthology of New Music: Trans & Nonbinary Voices, Vol. 1. They graduated from Bard College Conservatory’s Graduate Vocal Arts Program (under the direction of Dawn Upshaw) with a Masters of Music, and received their B.S. in Vocal Performance from Hofstra University. They hold certifications in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Cornell University) and Data Science (BrainStation). They currently live in Jersey City with their partner, cat, parrots, and robot dog.