"The performances of my works in the last 10 years are probably equal to all the previous years put together. There are so many venues now and there is a completely new public for opera that's grown up outside of the traditional core opera public"
About this Quote
The second sentence shifts from personal fortune to structural change. “So many venues” isn’t just about more stages; it’s shorthand for an ecosystem that used to be narrow and gatekept. Floyd came up in an era when opera’s pipeline was conservative: a small set of houses, a largely inherited audience, a canon that treated new American work like a risky side dish. By pointing to a “completely new public,” he’s describing a demographic and cultural loosening: regional companies, universities, festivals, and adventurous programming that treat opera as an event, not a museum.
The subtext is about legitimacy and belonging. Floyd’s operas, often praised for their American settings and plainspoken drama, fit more naturally in a landscape where opera doesn’t have to perform European prestige to count. His phrasing also carries a gentle rebuke to the “traditional core opera public” - not hostile, just clear-eyed. The future audience isn’t replacing the old one; it’s bypassing its permission.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Floyd, Carlisle. (2026, January 17). The performances of my works in the last 10 years are probably equal to all the previous years put together. There are so many venues now and there is a completely new public for opera that's grown up outside of the traditional core opera public. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-performances-of-my-works-in-the-last-10-years-42955/
Chicago Style
Floyd, Carlisle. "The performances of my works in the last 10 years are probably equal to all the previous years put together. There are so many venues now and there is a completely new public for opera that's grown up outside of the traditional core opera public." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-performances-of-my-works-in-the-last-10-years-42955/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The performances of my works in the last 10 years are probably equal to all the previous years put together. There are so many venues now and there is a completely new public for opera that's grown up outside of the traditional core opera public." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-performances-of-my-works-in-the-last-10-years-42955/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
