Hannis Brown

Composer and Music Producer

Hannis Brown appears in the following:

Handel's Agrippina: Nice Romans Finish Last

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

In order to be a Roman Emperor, you have to be entirely cold-blooded. So what happens if you’re not?

F*&% Robert Moses. Let’s Start Over

Monday, May 17, 2021

We’re finally back in the streets -- but are we ready to reimagine how we share public space? This week, a trip through the century-long fight between cars, bikes, and people.

Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress: I Walk the Line

Wednesday, May 05, 2021

Have you heard the one when Johnny Cash, Igor Stravinsky, and William Hogarth walk into a podcast? Well, you will this week on Aria Code.

Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro: Count On a Reckoning

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

A powerful man abuses his privilege then lashes out when he learns women are not his playthings. Classic Mozart comedy? Yes! Real life? Most definitely.

Rossini's Barber of Seville: On a Wig and a Prayer

Wednesday, April 07, 2021

Gioachino Rossini’s most famous opera The Barber of Seville is more than a comedic romp. Underneath the zany plot and cheerful music is a story about a woman’s determination to be free.

Verdi's Aida: There's No Place Like Home

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

There’s no place like home, the saying goes, but Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida realizes she’ll never see her homeland again.

Listen: "Nessun Dorma," Puccini's Anthem of Hope

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

“Nessun Dorma” has long been opera’s crossover hit. But in the last year, it’s become something more -- an anthem of hope.

What Do You Have to Lose?

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Share your story with us. We want to hear from you!

“It’s My Party”

Monday, August 24, 2020

For our first LIVE episode we take calls and reflect on last week’s Democratic National Convention by exploring what it means to be a member in a party divided.

Revisiting Caught: 'You Just Sit There and Wait for the Next Day to Come'

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Solitary confinement has been proven gravely dangerous for young people. For some, it represents another way to survive, but often at the expense of making it home. Where is Z now?

Revisiting Caught: 'They Look at Me Like a Menace'

Thursday, August 06, 2020

Just one diagnosis can make or break a seemingly endless cycle of incarceration, but for 16-year-old Z, it’s complicated. And frustrating. Our presentation of Caught continues.

Revisiting Caught: 'I Just Want You to Come Home'

Thursday, July 30, 2020

What happens once we decide a child is a criminal? We return to Caught as the nation continues to grapple with long-standing systemic racism in our policing and justice systems.

The Laws of Soil and Blood

Friday, July 17, 2020

Afro-Italians like Bellamy Ogak are not born citizens by law. Their story is a reminder why U.S. birthright citizenship is a radical idea: It ended slavery.

Zoned for Resistance

Friday, July 10, 2020

Chicago’s Little Village has been hit hard by COVID-19, but after a botched demolition left it coated in dust, one lifelong activist and her community are standing together while apart.

Juneteenth, an Unfinished Business

Friday, June 26, 2020

As the nation grapples with a reckoning, we pause to celebrate Juneteenth. Our holiday special, for Black liberation and the ongoing birth of the United States.

Rossini's La Cenerentola: Opera's Cinderella Story

Wednesday, February 05, 2020

Gioachino Rossini’s operatic version of the Cinderella story may not have any enchanted mice or pumpkins, but there’s plenty of magic in the music.

The Trump Inauguration’s ‘Unconscionable Contract’

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Prosecutors are investigating whether the Trump family business overcharged Donald Trump's inaugural committee — a story first reported by Trump, Inc.

Turning Politics Into Money

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

For generations, the Trump family has used government and politicians as a path to profit. As president, Donald Trump has taken things even further.

Puccini's Turandot: Bewitched, Bothered, And Beheaded

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Past trauma can have a dramatic effect on your desire for love and intimacy. It's true for Puccini’s Turandot, the ice princess who cuts off her feelings – and the heads of her suitors.

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess: Rise Up Singing

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

The most famous American opera opens with one of the most famous American songs: “Summertime.” The Gershwins’ haunting lullaby from Porgy and Bess is a simple tune with a complex story.