In the Minnesota Opera’s performance of Carmen this May, guitarist Daniel Volovets added a new element to the classical score—improvising on the opera’s themes with a flamenco twist that calls to the Romani roots of the main character.
The audience might be surprised to learn that Daniel performed in the opera on a Thursday night and then worked a 24-hour shift on Friday for his psychiatry residency at Hennepin Healthcare before putting in two more performances on Saturday and Sunday. His performance earned praise from the Star Tribune, calling his arrangements “a wonderful touch.” (more…)