Our Events

Special Event

Poe Meets Opera: Kristin Hevner's The Raven, with Zachary James

Thursday, October 27, 2022 - 7:00 PM | Members' Room | open to the public | free of charge | registration required

Find the recording of this event here (and below.)

The recording of The Raven discussed in the event can be found here.


The Library is pleased to participate as a venue for the Recording Academy® New York Chapter Day of Service on October 27. The Recording Academy®, the leading community of music professionals, celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards®.

In this special event, internationally praised vocalist Zachary James presents highlights from Kristin Hevner's opera The Raven, adapted from the beloved poem by Edgar Allan Poe. The opera was written for him and is on the ballot for the 65th Annual GRAMMY® Awards for Best Opera Recording. Mr. James and Ms. Hevner will also say a few words together about their collaboration on the piece and take questions about their work and the contemporary opera world.

Zachary James, GRAMMY® Winner for Philip Glass's Akhenaten, is described as a "true stage animal" by Opera News. He is an international opera, concert and cabaret singer, stage and screen actor and recording artist known for his “huge, robust bass” which “resonates with force” (Bach Track), “tremendous power and presence” (The Arts Desk, London) and “intrinsically beautiful” “cavernous bass” with “oomph and range” (Opera News). Zach was named as the BroadwayWorld 2010-2020 Vocalist and Performer of the Decade, the 2019 Breakout Opera Artist of the Year by Verismo Magazine, and The Most Innovative Opera Singer of 2019 by The Classical Post, and was identified as an industry leader and accepted an invitation to become and official ambassador for Opera America. He has performed with theatre companies throughout the United States and appeared in concert at Carnegie Hall and with the New York Philharmonic. Learn more at ZachJames.com.

Kristin Hevner compositions have been performed nationally and internationally and span the musical genres of classical opera, electronic dance music, and atonal rock. Kristin has also composed music for national commercials including GEICO, numerous independent films, and for the BBC channel. Her music has been performed in Carnegie Hall, Birdland, and in conjunction with La Scala in Milan. As former Composer-in-residence for the new NYC-based opera company Metropolis Opera Project, Kristin penned four full-length contemporary operas that have been performed off-Broadway. Kristin holds degrees from The Ester Boyer School of Music at Temple University, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and the School for Audio Engineering (SAE), NYC. Kristin also served on the board of directors for “The Look and Listen Festival,” an annual event dedicated to the performance of contemporary music in art galleries. She is head of the composition department at the online music school Next Level Sound.


This event is presented as part of the Recording Academy® New York Chapter Day of Service.