Introducing the First Single
Living Opera opens a new chapter with the release of O Holy Night, the debut single from Radio Days: The Golden Age of American Song. The project features soprano Soula Parassidis and tenor Norman Reinhardt, artists with international careers across the major stages of Europe, Asia, and North America. Their partnership is defined by technical command, dramatic clarity, and the ability to shape large musical moments with precision.
A Semiquincentennial Project
Radio Days is distributed by Universal Music Group and positioned in advance of the United States two hundred fiftieth anniversary. The album traces the evolution of American song from the first decades of broadcasting through the orchestral pop era that followed. It is produced by Grammy nominated songwriter Jeff Trott and arranged by Oscar winning pianist and orchestrator Patrick Warren, whose writing draws on both cinematic and historic influences.
Why O Holy Night Leads the Release
O Holy Night carries a distinctive place in American media history. On Christmas Eve 1906, the song became the first piece of music ever broadcast over radio when Reginald Fessenden played it on his violin during an experimental transmission from Brant Rock, Massachusetts. Ships along the Atlantic coast, accustomed to hearing only Morse code, suddenly received a human performance. That moment demonstrated radio’s potential to transmit music, emotion, and shared cultural experience across distance.
Choosing O Holy Night as the opening single connects Radio Days to that origin point. The piece represents the transition from isolated communication to a medium capable of shaping collective memory. It also reflects the early spirit of American broadcasting, when performers used limited technology to create a sense of presence and immediacy. Living Opera revisits the carol within this framework, treating it not only as a seasonal work but as a foundational chapter in the country’s musical and technological history.
Living Opera’s Broader Vision
Living Opera aims to reestablish the operatic voice as a central element of contemporary entertainment. Their work integrates classical technique with a visual and narrative language shaped by film, fashion, and modern culture. This combination expands the reach of operatic performance while preserving the discipline and artistry that define the genre.
What Comes Next
With O Holy Night, listeners receive the first indication of how Radio Days blends historical reference, orchestral craft, and vocal precision. The full album and national performance series will follow in the coming months, contributing to the cultural landscape around the nation’s semiquincentennial and offering a renewed perspective on the roots of American musical expression.