Supplemental Information: Episode 6
Gender and the Death Trope in Judith Weir’s The Black Spider
Luis Matos-Tovar (Florida State University)
Release Date: Thursday, May 28, 2026
Production Credits
Team Lead: Matthew Ferrandino
Production Lead: Zachary Lloyd
Peer Reviewers: Colleen Renihan and Evan Ware
Music Credits
SMT-Pod Theme Music: Maria Tartaglia
Closing Music: Yike Zhang
Bio: Luis is a second-year doctoral student in Music Theory at Florida State University where he teaches undergraduate theory and aural skills. He is originally from San Diego and has taught music courses at Southwestern Community College and played as the substitute bass trombonist of the La Jolla Symphony Orchestra in the 2023–2024 season. His research interests focus on hermeneutical approaches to ludomusicology, large forms in nineteenth-century chamber music, and Feminist Music Theory. He has presented papers on form, ludomusicology, and contemporary approaches to living composers at regional, national, and international conferences. Luis enjoys playing video games, cooking, reading, and traveling.
Keywords: gender, opera, death trope, children’s opera, harmony