{"id":125007,"date":"2026-06-09T15:19:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T19:19:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=125007"},"modified":"2026-06-09T15:19:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T19:19:39","slug":"interview-composer-rene-orth-talks-10-days-madhouse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/06\/09\/interview-composer-rene-orth-talks-10-days-madhouse\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Composer Ren\u00e9 Orth Talks About 10 Days In A Madhouse"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_125009\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-125009\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-125009\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-06-09T151700.074.jpg\" alt=\"Composer Ren\u00e9 Orth (Photo: Kia Caldwell)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-06-09T151700.074.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-06-09T151700.074-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-06-09T151700.074-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-06-09T151700.074-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-125009\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Composer Ren\u00e9 Orth (Photo: Kia Caldwell)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>From <strong>June 16 to 21<\/strong>, the Luminato Festival, Tapestry Opera, and the Canadian Opera Company (COC), in association with TO Live, will present the Canadian premiere of 10 Days In A Madhouse. The opera is a Tapestry Opera and Opera Philadelphia production and commission, created by composer Ren\u00e9 Orth and librettist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/04\/14\/interview-librettist-hannah-moscovitch-talks-10-days-madhouse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hannah Moscovitch<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The opera is based on the true story of Nellie Bly, a groundbreaking journalist who, in 1887, infiltrated the notorious Blackwell\u2019s Asylum to write a searing expose of its mistreatment of its women inmates, many of whom were not mentally ill at all \u2014 not until their confinement in that institution, at any rate.<\/p>\n<p>LV caught up with Ren\u00e9 Orth to ask her about the project.<\/p>\n<p>From the world premiere of 10 Days In A Madhouse in Philadelphia:<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7VXyAGXwX_M?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h2>Ren\u00e9 Orth<\/h2>\n<p>Ren\u00e9 Orth studied music at the Curtis Institute in Philadephia as the recipient of the Edward B. Garrigues Fellowship. She followed up with a M.M. degree in Music Composition from the University of Louisville as a Moritz von Bomhard Fellow, and she also earned degrees from MediaTech Institute and Rhodes College.<\/p>\n<p>Ren\u00e9 served as the Composer-in-Residence at Opera Philadelphia from 2016 through the 2018\u20132019 season, and was named the very first Resident Composer at Opera San Jos\u00e9 for the 2022\/23 season.<\/p>\n<p>Orth\u2019s music has been performed by Washington National Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Louisville Orchestra, New World Symphony, and Festival d\u2019Aix-en-Provence, and the San Francisco Symphony, among others.<\/p>\n<p>She has written music for a variety of prominent operatic artists, including mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack, Grammy-winning baritone Will Liverman, and mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis.<\/p>\n<p>Orth returned to Opera Philadelphia to present the world premiere of 10 Days In A Madhouse in 2024.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_125010\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-125010\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-125010\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Orth3579-Credit-KiaCaldwell.jpg\" alt=\"Composer Ren\u00e9 Orth (Photo: Kia Caldwell)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Orth3579-Credit-KiaCaldwell.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Orth3579-Credit-KiaCaldwell-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Orth3579-Credit-KiaCaldwell-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Orth3579-Credit-KiaCaldwell-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-125010\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Composer Ren\u00e9 Orth (Photo: Kia Caldwell)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Ren\u00e9 Orth: The Interview<\/h2>\n<p>Orth doesn\u2019t necessarily think of her own work in terms of style and genre.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#8217;t know that I do, or I don&#8217;t like to,\u201d she explains. \u201cI can tell you what I like. I like storytelling. I like lyrical lines. I like drama. I like traditional harmonies. I like technology.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ren\u00e9 says that she enjoys a lot of the traditional classical music canon, and along with Western classical and contemporary music, she listens to electronic dance music. She often writes score settings of music she\u2019s been listening to, along with her own experimentations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like as I&#8217;m writing something, there&#8217;s usually a moment that I like, and I want to mimic it,\u201d she says. \u201cA good friend and collaborator of mine said I\u2019m about fusion. I like taking different ideas and types of music, and putting them together.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>10 Days In A Madhouse<\/h3>\n<p>Orth became aware of Nellie Bly\u2019s remarkable story by chance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was scrolling on social media one day as one does, and it popped up in my feed,\u201d she explains. \u201cI was like this is a gold mine. How is this not an opera?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With its combination of text and music, opera can delve into the emotional and psychological like few other art forms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe really special thing about opera is that the music goes an opportunity to [explore] the psychological journey.\u201d You can dive into the psyche even without talking about it explicitly in the text.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt ticked off a lot of boxes for me,\u201d she says of Bly\u2019s story, which was first published in segments in a newspaper, and later as a book. \u201cThere\u2019s a strong woman at the centre.\u201d It had a number of appealing qualities. \u201cThis was kind of idea that I had at the back of my mind for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Bly went on to write several other pieces that garnered national and even international attention, her ten days at Blackwell\u2019s must have left its scars. In the end, she was not able to convince the asylum\u2019s administrators that she wasn\u2019t suffering from a mental illness, and her employers at the newspaper had to come in and essentially rescue her. Add to that the terrible conditions, including physical abuse by staff alternating with abject neglect, solitary confinement and other extreme measures.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can&#8217;t imagine that she emerged from that whole experience unscathed,\u201d Ren\u00e9 says. Living among a population of disturbed individuals under those conditions can easily convince you of the fragility of mental health. \u201cI have three young kids, and it&#8217;ll take you a week with a newborn that doesn&#8217;t sleep to realize.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HdGFTSN8-ew?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>Story &amp; Music<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cI really like technology and electronic music, and I also have this background in traditional music,\u201d Orth says. She uses both electronic and acoustic music in the opera to depict the various environments and states of mind of the characters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought it would be [interesting] going from one sound world that is strictly acoustic to electronic music.\u201d Sometimes, those two sound worlds blend in the score. \u201cJust to make it muddy and confusing. We\u2019re not sure which sound world we&#8217;re in sometimes.\u201d It mirrors the confusion of Bly and the other characters in the opera.<\/p>\n<p>The story begins with Bly already in the asylum, and essentially goes backwards to just before she goes in. Most of the action, in other words, takes place at Blackwell\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>Bly is of course a real life person, as is Dr. Blackwell. The friend she makes in the asylum, another patient, was added to the story.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe definitely took some liberties,\u201d she says. \u201cThe whole opera is loosely based on the book.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The aspect of social justice appealed to her, as well as its focus on women characters. \u201cThere&#8217;s several things that we talked about,\u201d Orth says. \u201cIn opera, women \u2014 I think very few operas would pass the <a href=\"https:\/\/bechdeltest.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bechdel Test<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Women in distress is a common element of many operas, but in 10 Days In A Madhouse, that aspect has a purpose. \u201cOperas love women in trauma, for the sake of trauma. These are obviously things we wanted to avoid,\u201d Orth explains. \u201cAlso, we just wanted to have a scene where the women are having fun on stage, that&#8217;s not something that we see a lot of in opera.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The story, and Bly\u2019s original book, reveals the shocking and abusive treatment of women and immigrants, people without power and resources, issues that Orth points out are just as relevant today.<\/p>\n<h3>The Success Of The Opera<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cI love opera because of the emotions, the humanity. I just wanted people to feel stuff,\u201d she says. \u201cIf someone feels something, or is moved, by something that I created, that is success for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She enjoyed working with Canadian librettist<strong> Hannah Moscovitch<\/strong> on the work.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean, she&#8217;s the best. She&#8217;s incredible. She&#8217;s a complete genius, and the best collaborator,\u201d Ren\u00e9 says. \u201cI hope we can do it again soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_125011\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-125011\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-125011\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/2025_Luminato_10_Days_in_Madhouse_B7.jpg\" alt=\"10 Days in a Madhouse creative featuring soprano Mireille Asselin (Photo: \u00a9 Dahlia Katz)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/2025_Luminato_10_Days_in_Madhouse_B7.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/2025_Luminato_10_Days_in_Madhouse_B7-300x126.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/2025_Luminato_10_Days_in_Madhouse_B7-1024x431.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/2025_Luminato_10_Days_in_Madhouse_B7-768x323.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-125011\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">10 Days in a Madhouse creative featuring soprano Mireille Asselin (Photo: \u00a9 Dahlia Katz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>10 Days In A Madhouse: Details<\/h2>\n<p>The opera takes the stage at the <strong>Bluma Appel Theatre<\/strong> from <strong>June 16 to 21, 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find tickets and show details for the COC\/Luminato\/Tapestry Opera\/TO Live presentation of 10 Days In A Madhouse [<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/tolive.com\/Event-Details-Page\/reference\/10-Days-in-a-Madhouse-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong>].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a;\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? 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