When she came out as a transgender woman, tenor Katherine Goforth wasn’t sure if she would ever work in opera again.
Opera can be conventional and conservative, where gender roles are traditionally defined by the performer’s voice. So what does it mean to be a female tenor who wants to play female roles? That's what Goforth is finding out, having found her voice and her place in the opera world.
Along the way, she’s showing other vocalists what it means to be authentic onstage and off — Goforth was the first recipient of the Washington National Opera’s True Voice Award for transgender and nonbinary singers. She joins The Culture Show host Jared Bowen for a discussion of her experience ahead of her Boston Wagner Society recital on March 15.
From there the show is joined by Kneecap. The Belfast-based rap group known for their fiery social and political commentary is on the rise. With a forthcoming album, an upcoming biopic starring Michael Fassbender and a legal battle with the U.K. government, they join us ahead of their St. Patricks’ Day performance in Boston opening for the Dropkick Murphys.
Finally, celebrate Pi Day with the MIT Museum! Keelin Caldwell, the director of engagement at the museum, joins the show to share details on how the institution — at 314 Main St, no less — is celebrating the big mathematical holiday.
It's all on The Culture Show — listen to the full episode above!
