Source/Filter Music: The Maestro

Presented by Source/Filter, this witty and inventive performance reimagines Domenico Cimarosa’s comic intermezzo Il maestro di cappella (The Maestro)—a sharp satire of ego, rehearsal chaos, and the absurdities of the music world.

In this production, baritone Caleb Yanez Glickman stars as the overconfident conductor who lectures and berates his orchestra while simultaneously attempting to lead it. With a new hybrid English–Italian libretto by Glickman and Source/Filter Artistic Director Britta Sterling, Glickman’s character becomes hilariously tangled in language, rhythm, and pride. The role demands both vocal virtuosity and comic timing, as he sings, conducts, and unravels in real time. The performance features a 17-piece orchestra.

Performed without microphones and minimal staging, The Maestro thrives on intimacy and spontaneity—musicians in concert black, the “maestro” in flamboyant costume, and the sound of a real orchestra responding to his every whim. Cimarosa, who was Italy’s most popular opera composer towards
the end of his career, wrote The Maestro between 1786 and 1793.

The first half of the program includes a selection of works for stage and screen by Italian and Italian-American composers, curated to complement Cimarosa’s humor and lyricism. Highlights include music by Gioachino Rossini, Dominic Argento, Gian Carlo Menotti, Michael Giacchino, Jeanine Tesori, and more, featuring soloists Rachel Yeo (soprano), Rae Shrum (mezzo-soprano), and Eric Castro (baritone) alongside pianist Milena Gligić.

Founded in 2022 by a collective of local artists and spearheaded by Britta Sterling and Rae Shrum, Source/Filter Music was born out of a desire to create interesting, unique site-specific musical projects in Los Angeles that spotlight the works of local, living composers as well as seldom-performed works by beloved composers to showcase the exceptional talents of local musicians and performing artists.

Caleb Yanez Glickman (baritone), an accomplished conductor, opera singer, and pianist, is also a violinist and flutist, giving him a deep understanding of the orchestra. He was recently appointed Music Director of Opera Modesto, which brings opera to California’s Central Valley. From 2022-2024, he served as music director of the Hollywood Youth Orchestra, an El-Sistema-inspired program. He has conducted several productions with Pacific Opera Project, quickly becoming one of their mainstay conductors. Glickman has also worked with the Spoleto Festival USA, Opera Southwest, Lyric Opera of Orange County, Opera in the Ozarks, Opera Saratoga, Savannah Opera, Washington National Opera and Fargo-Moorhead Opera. He earned a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Vocal Performance and Conducting.

A playful blend of classical precision and theatrical absurdity, this event captures Source/Filter’s mission: to celebrate live music as both art and experiment, where the line between performance and play beautifully blurs.

ARTISTS:
Caleb Yanez Glickman, baritone
Rachel Yeo, soprano
Rae Shrum, mezzo-soprano
Eric Castro, baritone
Milena Gligić, pianist
17-piece orchestra

PROGRAM:
CIMAROSA Il maestro di cappella ("The Maestro") + a selection of vocal and instrumental works by Italian-American composers, curated to complement Cimarosa’s humor and lyricism