Two piano prodigies at a master class encounter an even greater talent: the virtuoso Glenn Gould, on the cusp of superstardom. The devastating realization that they will never approach their new rival’s level of artistry changes their lives forever. A painful meditation on dreams forsaken and hopes unrealized unfolds in an unusually intimate staging that incorporates multiple levels of the spectacular Theatre at Ace Hotel. Composer David Lang returns to LA Opera for the first time since his spellbinding anatomy theater. (Note: as was the case with anatomy theater, the title of the loser is spelled in lowercase.) In an intimate work for baritone, piano and chamber ensemble, the loser stars Rod Gilfry, in a role he created for the work’s premiere at the pathbreaking Bang on a Can festival.