Composer/pianist Jake Heggie was in town for the May 7 West Coast premiere of his most recent large-scale opera, “Great Scott.” The same night, the composer’s first opera, “Dead Man Walking,” was performed by Fresno Grand Opera in a new production that features onetime San Diegan Suzanna Guzman as Mrs. De Rocher, the role originated by Frederica Von Stade, who portrays Winnie in “Great Scott.” Heggie’s “Dead Man Walking” is the most performed American opera of the 21st century. It will be produced next year by Washington National Opera at The Kennedy Center (February), Lyric Opera of Kansas City (March), Pensacola Opera (March) and Vancouver Opera (April). The Vancouver production stars J’nai Bridges, San Diego’s recent Suzuki, as Sister Helen, the nun who counsels De Rocher, on death row for murder. Meanwhile, Houston Grand Opera premieres Heggie’s new opera, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Friday, Dec. 2. And the artist faculty of Los Angeles’ Colburn School presents music by Heggie and others in SongFest! Thursday through Sunday, June 23 to 26. At the April 16 opening of “Madama Butterfly,” San Diego Opera announced its 2016-17 season as follows: Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” (October), the West Coast premiere of David T. Little’s “Soldier Songs” (November), Verdi’s “Falstaff” (February), Peter Brook’s “La tragédie de Carmen” (March) and Verdi’s “La traviata” (April). Tenor Piotr Beczala presents a recital Saturday, Sept. 17 to open the expanded season. Season subscriptions are on sale now. Countertenor Brian Asawa died April 18 in Los Angeles. He was 49 years old and was the first countertenor ever to win the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions. Riches at UCSD UCSD’s Art Power presented the extraordinarily affable pianist Christopher O’Riley, known for his National Public Radio show “From the Top,” at the Price Center’s Loft (his music from Radiohead) April 20, and in a mostly 20th-century chamber music program at the Department of Music’s Conrad Prebys Concert Hall April 21. I attended the April 21 program – works by Bela Bartok, Beethoven, Maurice Ravel and Igor Stravinsky played by O’Riley and members of the New York Chamber Soloists, Curtis Macomber, violin; Peter Seidenberg, cello; and Allen Blustine, clarinet. The estimable collaborators demonstrated commitment, deep understanding of the music and ease of performance style. The program’s unfolding was an interesting journey through time, beginning with Beethoven’s Trio in B-flat Major for Clarinet, Cello and Piano and proceeding through the 20th century in an arc that ended with Bartok’s 1938 “Contrasts” for Clarinet, Violin and Piano, which had resonance with all the program had traversed. O’Riley ended the first half of the program with Bartok’s 1926 Sonata for Piano – what a bombastic, demanding piece! The second half began with Maurice Ravel’s 1897 Sonata for Violin and Cello – an absolutely lovely work. An audience member remarked ere departing, “I’m not particularly fond of Bartok.” I’m not either, but at least I now understand and appreciate his works more than before. UCSD recently drew me north again, this time to the Arthur Wagner Dance building, where I attended a preamble to the Wagner New Play Festival, set through Saturday, May 14. It was titled “Precipitate” and was composed of “Pleasant Beast” & “Knot Knowing,” choreographed and performed by Anne Gehman and Erin Tracy with text by Kristin Idaszak. According to the program note, the work “explores our animal nature, our supposed civilized being and the modern mythologies that live somewhere between.” That’s a lot for one 90-or-so-minute dance work with minimal text and a stated aim to impart perspectives on “what it’s like to be a woman in the world today.” I’ve got news: It’s never been a bed of roses in any world at any time. Despite ingenious design work, the piece is exhausting. The setup scenes and many ideas are engaging – especially the use of accouterments and the immensity of the dance studio – but not enough to keep this viewer from becoming enervated. The hyperactive dancers are reduced to wordless lamentation at the end. So was I. Comfort, no matter how expressed, was not enough. Good news for all arts lovers! Administered by the San Diego Performing Arts League, the long-awaited Downtown Arts Tix booth reopened at Horton Plaza Park May 4. The former booth was torn down when park renovations began four years ago. Since the first booth opened in 1986, Arts Tix, which serves more than 150 performing arts organizations in the area, has sold hundreds of thousands of tickets. You may also buy online at sdartstix.com.