Spark Commissioning Club

Arizona Spark Commissioning Club – Dr. Judith G Wolf, Founder

The Arizona Spark Commissioning Club was founded in 2014 by Dr. Judith G. Wolf to encourage the development of new operas, in support of Arizona Opera’s increasing focus on presenting contemporary work. Conceived as an intimate group of individuals with an interest in the development of original operas, the group meets regularly at the home of Dr. Wolf for dinner, drinks, conversation, listening, and learning. In early 2016, through a competitive process led by Arizona Spark and the Arizona Opera staff—and with Riders of the Purple Sage composer Craig Bohmler as a consultant—Arizona Spark selected the creative team of composer Clint Borzoni and librettist John de los Santos to develop a full act of their opera concept, The Copper Queen, to be presented by members of the Marion Roose Pullin Opera Studio in a public workshop. Over the next two years, Arizona Spark helped shepherd the piece through two additional workshops: one in Phoenix, and a live-streamed workshop from the National OPERA America Center in NYC in April 2018. Thanks to the success of this robust process, in January 2019, The Copper Queen was officially announced as Arizona Opera’s second world premiere, originally schedule to open the company’s 2020/21 Season. It is now being adapted as a feature length film that will premiere in October 2021.