We spoke to Anya Kosachevich (MM ’25), who sings the 2nd Woodsprite. Anya told us about the production, how she stepped into this character’s shoes, and why she considers this a must-see production.
One of Antonín Dvořák’s most successful operas, Rusalka is inspired by Slavic folklore and Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. Rusalka is a water nymph who falls in love with a human prince. To win his love, she makes a deal with the witch Ježibaba and sacrifices her voice and immortality to walk in the mortal world. The story follows Rusalka through a journey of desire, loss, and transformation.
ABOUT ANYA KOSACHEVICH (MM ’25)
Anya is originally from Parsippany, New Jersey. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from New York University and is currently a second-year Master’s student at Manhattan School of Music, where she studies with Susan Quittmeyer. Anya’s MSM performance credits include Roméo et Juliette (Ensemble), MSM Opera Theatre at Verdi Square (featured soloist), Opera in Concert: Cendrillon Act I (Fairy I), and Graduate Opera Scenes. She is thrilled to be part of MSM’s production of Rusalka and has greatly enjoyed working with the creative team and everyone who has brought this production to life.
Don’t miss Anya as the 2nd Woodsprite APR 25 and 27!
Music by Antonín Dvořák Libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil
Kelly Kuo (MM ’98), Conductor John de los Santos, Director and Choreographer
Tickets Required $30 adults, $15 non-MSM students and seniors
Neidorff-Karpati Hall 130 Claremont Avenue New York, New York 10027
Anya: In our production, Rusalka is set in a women’s psychiatric hospital, where patients are mistreated and dehumanized. Rusalka is one of the patients—fragile and dreamlike—and the opera explores her descent into fantasy. What follows is a tragic blend of hallucination and heartbreak as she imagines love where, in reality, there is only indifference. The opera exposes the cruelty that women faced in these institutions and transforms a fairy tale into a raw, emotional critique of power, mental health, and isolation.
Anya: I am the 2nd Woodsprite, but in our version, I am one of the hospital patients. Another layer to my character is that I am the Prince’s sister whom he had committed to the institution. Living in this confined, oppressive world, I cling to the distant love and care from my brother while also facing unjust punishments and treatment. Stepping into this character’s shoes meant exploring what it feels like to be silenced, dismissed, and punished for simply existing outside expectations. I’ve worked on grounding her in both vulnerability and quiet resistance.
Anya: The biggest challenge has been portraying psychological trauma without falling into caricature. There’s a delicate line between acting out a “crazy character” and truthfully portraying a character who’s been institutionalized and stripped of any human rights. We also had to find ways to express this emotional intensity through the music and original text, so a lot of expression had to come from movement, silence, and internal work.
Anya Kosachevich in Graduate Opera Scenes, Fall 2023
Anya: This is a production of Rusalka that audiences have never seen before. Our Rusalka is not an escape into a fairy tale—it asks you to sit with discomfort, taking in all of its raw, relevant, and emotionally devastating sequences. Dvořák’s lush, gorgeous score remains as achingly beautiful as ever, even as the story shifts around it.
Anya: I decided to study at MSM because of the impressive faculty and staff, as well as the performance opportunities. I knew that I wanted to stay in New York City, and what better way to immerse yourself in opera and classical music than by being in one of the biggest hubs for the industry? I am so grateful I made the decision to study at MSM because I’ve noticed more growth as a performer and singer here in just two years than I have anywhere else.
“I am so grateful I made the decision to study at MSM because I’ve noticed more growth as a performer and singer here in just two years than I have anywhere else.” Anya Kosachevich (MM '25), Vocal Arts
“I am so grateful I made the decision to study at MSM because I’ve noticed more growth as a performer and singer here in just two years than I have anywhere else.”
Anya Kosachevich (MM '25), Vocal Arts
Anya: I think my character would really love online forums and blogging, anonymous or not — it would be a place where she could freely voice her thoughts without judgment.
Anya: I’d ask Dvořák how he would feel knowing his music is being used to tell a story so radically different, yet rooted in the same emotional truths. Would he still recognize his Rusalka in our version?
Anya: Haunting, emotional, enchanted.
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