Vinkensport, or The Finch Opera (world premiere, chamber version)

The second half of a double-bill–also featuring US premiere of Williams and Chatterton’s Rocking Horse Winner–will feature the world premiere of a new chamber version of Vinkensport, or The Finch Opera. Originally commissioned by Dawn Upshaw for the Graduate Vocal Arts Program at the Bard Conservatory where it premiered in 2010, this opera was one of the earliest collaborations between David T. Little and Royce Vavrek, whose critically acclaimed works also include JFK and Dog Days. Vinkensport is a bittersweet comedy in one act that explores the nature of competition and the need to win through the frame of an obscure Flemish folk sport, Finch-Sitting. We see a motley assortment of contestants battle to see who has the most melodious bird. As they compete, the joys, sorrows, delusions and all-too-stark realities of their trainers are revealed. Opera Saratoga has commissioned a new performing edition of Vinkensport, which will receive its world premiere as part of the 2018 Summer Festival.