Press
Gans-Morse’s music deftly combined influences from the early Renaissance and Baroque (and even a bit of Dixieland jazz)… Contemporary opera is alive in Oregon, and not just that, it’s vital, addressing contemporary issues with determination and compassion.
James McQuillen, The Oregonian
Coverage of Dreams Have No Borders
“The opera is a masterwork. It is a bright mosaic of ancestral Aztec and the Virgin of Guadalupe imagery, soul-stirring string and chamber music that vibrates with sad, but harmonic vocal sincerity and poetry brimming with pleas, endearment and hope. It reaches into your solar plexus and doesn’t let go.
“It is a work that should be shown in schools, at festivals celebrating Hispanic and Latino heritages, in cinemas across the country, and especially to those who work in government and immigration. It isn’t just art; it teaches us about the resiliency of the human spirit. We need that now.”
Critic Lucie K. Scheuer, formerly of the LA Times, writing for Ashland.news
Ashland Sneak Preview
Jeffrey Gillespie for the Ashland Sneak Preview, fall of 2021 (This is a print-only publication. Click the two images to enlarge)
Coverage of How Can You Own The Sky?
Two years in the making, the music of “How Can You Own the Sky?” is the fruit of an extraordinary collaboration aimed at bridging two cultures, addressing horrific events of the past and contributing to the process of healing and understanding.
Eliot Sekuler, Oregon Coast Today
In August, the Siletz Bay Music Festival… performed a piece commissioned in 2018 from the powerhouse duo of composer Ethan Gans-Morse and librettist Tiziana DellaRovere (these two have been holding down the southern end of the Oregon School of Composition for years)
Oregon Arts Watch 2023 in Review: What we heard this year
Oregon ArtsWatch
Oregon Coast Today
Oregon ArtsWatch
Medford Mail Tribune
“How Can You Own The Sky? provides emotional catharsis on par with the great masterworks of the past. The dramatic score is brought to life through first-class orchestration and connects seamlessly with the poetry. Both the musicians and the audience were deeply touched by the experience.”
Martin Majkut, Conductor
Coverage of Six Feet Apart: Stories of Resilience and Transformation
Club Mod
All Classical Portland
August 2021
Covid Stories Set To Music Get (Online) World Premiere
The Jefferson Exchange
August 2021
Coverage of Tango of the White Gardenia
Oregon ArtsWatch 9/13/18: ‘Tango of the White Gardenia’: breaking the code
“Its messages are loud and clear and humane, and the art is fine enough to carry them. We need compassion, not competition when it comes to relationships. Not only can Tango of the White Gardenia turn people onto the sometimes-alienating ancient art form of opera, it also suggests that we can become better people.”
Angela Allen, Oregon ArtsWatch
Gans-Morse’s compositions are injected with pathos, short musical breaths, pauses that come alive with intense musical phrasing and incredible depth.
Lucie K. Scheuer, Ashland News
Coverage of The Canticle of the Black Madonna
Previews
9/4/14 Portland Monthly
‘The Canticle of the Black Madonna’ Wants to Redefine Opera
9/3/14 Willamette Week
Battle Cry: A new opera explores the traumatic aftermath of combat
9/2/14 The Oregonian
New opera, ‘The Canticle of the Black Madonna,’ takes on PTSD
7/2/14 Medford Mail Tribune
Local opera about PTSD draws national attention
6/19/14 Oregon ArtsWatch
Preview: Bringing Anima Mundi’s “Canticle of the Black Madonna” to life
Reviews
Roundup of Reviews
Read a roundup of all reviews on the opera’s website
James McQuillen of The Oregonian
An Oregon-grown opera addresses modern tragedies with rich music and compassion
Igor Levental, formerly of Opera News and Opera Canada
Review of The Canticle of the Black Madonna (PDF)
James Bash of Northwest Reverb
“The Canticle of the Black Madonna” – a fine effort by a new opera to tackle serious subjects
Rowan Wolf of OpEd News
Can the Power of Love Heal the Wounds of War? Veterans Meet the Black Madonna
Additional media appearances & profiles
Oregon ArtsWatch
Music as Social Voice
Oregon Public Broadcasting
National Opera Association
Oregon Quarterly
All-Classical Portland
The creators of The Canticle of the Black Madonna
Jefferson Public Radio
Afghanistan, PTSD, and The Gulf Spill–in Opera
OpEd News
University of Oregon School of Music
Alum’s Opera Spreads Awareness
Classical music is often rightly accused of ignoring the here and now. Fortunately, many younger composers are using classical and postclassical forms to help us understand the sometimes-unpleasant realities of the world we live in.
Brett Campbell, formerly of The Wall Street Journal, writing about Ethan Gans-Morse in Eugene Weekly in 2013.