René Orth is a composer whose music critics have praised for its dramatic force and immediacy. Classical Voice North America describes her as a “master composer” with a “sophisticated sound world,” while The Washington Post has noted the “unexpected immediacy” of her musical voice.

Orth recently completed a three-year tenure as Composer-in-Residence at Opera Philadelphia and previously served as the inaugural Resident Composer at Opera San José. During the 2023-24 season, Opera Philadelphia presented the world premiere of 10 Days in a Madhouse. The work won the 2024 Music Critics Association of North America Award for Best New Opera, was a finalist for “Best World Premiere” at the 2024 International Opera Awards, and was named #1 on The Washington Post’s “Best of Classical Music in 2023.” With a libretto by Hannah Moscovitch, the psychological drama follows journalist Nellie Bly through her internment at Blackwell’s Asylum, examining madness and the societal biases imposed on women.

Orth’s music has been performed by Washington National Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Berkeley Symphony, New World Symphony, and Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, among others. Recent projects include vocal and chamber works for Daniela Mack, Will Liverman, J’nai Bridges, and Raehann Bryce-Davis, as well as the chamber opera Love, Loss, and the Century Upon Us, developed with the Chautauqua Institution. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Orth’s honors include grants from OPERA America, the American Composers Forum, and the Kentucky Foundation for Women. Learn more at www.reneorth.com.