Music by:  Calrla Lucero Libretto by:  Jarrod Lee Duration:  45 mins - 60 mins Commissioned by:  Opera Parallèle Premiere: October 2025 SYNOPSIS: A young girl named Celeste is captivated by the call from a bright dying star. With curiosity as her leader and her Mother as guide, she still questions her ability to meet the star before it fades away. Will she allow her self-doubts and expectations of what should happen get the best of her curiosity or will she achieve her goal and see possibilities beyond her wildest dreams? ​ FORCES Singers: Adult Celeste  - Soprano Young Celeste - Mezzo-soprano Big Star  - Baritone Billie Alex Vocal Ensemble Orchestra: Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Violincello, Contrabass, Flute/Piccolo, Harp, Percussion MEDIA

Music by: Kamala Sankaram Libretto by: Kathleen Kelly and Michael Kelly Duration: TBD Commissioned: Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, upcoming 2025 Centered around a dysfunctional family in a wealthy suburb of Washington D.C., Mrs. Pascal’s oldest son Marty is coming from New York City to visit for Thanksgiving. His twin sister, Jackie-O and younger brother, Anthony, eagerly await his arrival, but all are thrown when he arrives with a guest... his new fiancée, Lesly. We soon discover that Jackie-O was recently released from a mental facility. All are concerned that Lesly’s presence will send Jackie-O back over the edge. The evening falls further into chaos when the power goes out from the approaching hurricane. Thanksgiving dinner is ruined and everyone begins to find their way to the truth in the candlelit confusion. The biggest reveal of them all?... an incestuous game the twins play, reinacting the assasination of John F. Kennedy. FORCES Singers: Lesly - Soprano Jackie O - Mezzo-soprano Mrs. Pascal - Mezzo-soprano Anthony - Tenor Marty - Lyric-Baritone Orchestra: TBD Project Statement My first encounter with Wendy MacLeod’s “ The House of Yes ” was through the 1997 film adaptation starring Parker Posey. It stuck with me for many reasons: its darkly absurdist comedy, its depiction of the entitlement of certain members of the upper class, and most importantly, for its anti-heroine, Jackie-O. It was the first time I had seen a female character who was allowed to be brilliant, sarcastic, unhinged, and utterly unlikeable. She was and is a diva of epic proportions. So when Michael and Kathy asked if I would be interested in turning this play into an opera, my answer was an enthusiastic YES!   You may wonder at the continued relevance of a play that premiered almost twenty years ago, particularly in the era of Fleabag and other notable unlikeable female protagonists. To which I would point you toward MacLeod’s original subtitle: A Suburban Jacobean Play . Jacobean theater is characterized by darker themes than those found in Renaissance theater. There is quite a bit of violence, sexuality, and a lot of political cynicism. It’s a mirror of the world around it. And we are still living in the celebrity obsessed culture that existed in 1997. If anything, it has deepened with the impact of social media. Beyond that, the gap between the moneyed classes (like Jackie-O and the entire Pascal clan) and the rest of us has gotten wider as income inequality has continued to skyrocket. The bubble of privilege has become harder to penetrate. MacLeod described this bubble as “people who have cut themselves off from the rest of the world and are living by the rules they've invented.” Increasingly, those rules have ramifications for the world outside of the bubble with the impact of climate change and the influence of money on our current political crises.  As in Jacobean times, art continues to hold a mirror up to the society in which it was created, and this play is sadly still very relevant.   I believe that the impact of the play will be heightened by setting it to music. As audience members, it is easier to distance ourselves from unlikable characters when they are simply speaking. But music creates a powerful emotional connection that can make us feel for even the most terrible villain. Removing the distance between us and them implicates us in their actions. I hope that this opera will renew conversations about the nature of extreme wealth and privilege, as well as conversations about addressing this very timely problem.

Music by: Ricky Ian Gordon Libretto by: Royce Vavrek Duration: 80 minutes Originally Commissioned: Houston Grand Opera, 2017 Premiered: Houston Grand Opera, 2017 This heartwarming, family-friendly story, adapted from the enchanting 1972 TV-movieturned-novel, follows a precocious daughter who struggles to understand her father’s resentment about the holidays and longs for a beautiful Christmas tree like other families have, to “make her house look happy.” The central story of personal loss and eventual healing struck a chord with both Gordon and librettist Vavrek, as each has suffered the loss of family members and, in Gordon’s case, a partner. The final theme of rebirth is one of catharsis and joy, and the resulting opera was especially welcome in a city that had just experienced the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. FORCES Singers: 3 Sopranos, 2 Mezzo-Sopranos, 1 Tenor, 1 Baritone; Chorus: SAT (div.) Orchestration: 1(dbl. Picc.) 1(dbl. E.H.) 2(2 dbl. B.Cl .) 1(dbl. Cbsn.) 2 1 1 0; 1Perc. Pno. Hp. Str. (3.1.1.1.1) Project Statement Royce grew up on a farm in Alberta, Canada. His dad committed suicide. Now, that doesn't happen in the book but the story still resonates with him because it’s about the embodiment of grief in the psyche and how it affects families," Gordon says. "Royce personalized the story in his own way. It's about how the father’s grief affects his relationship with his little girl, who is growing into a woman. She is an agonizing reminder of her mother’s death, and the death of Christmas for him. Christmas is about birth, but for the father, it’s about death. And the end of The House Without a Christmas Tree , it becomes about birth again: ‘My little girl isn’t who I thought she was.‘ That moment when she walks in and the father flips a switch and there is an exquisite tree in the living room, and the music goes up to a B-natural, it's just exquisitely beautiful. Just talking about it, I’m chilled.- Ricky Ian Gordon, Playbill, November 16, 2017 Reviews . . .[a] soul-warming recipe of mittens, snowball fights, caroling, secret Santa gift exchanges, friends, family, and love. . .just the thing, really, to usher in cheer. . . [Vavrek’s] libretto is simple and straightforward. . .the unguarded style soars in Gordon’s arias. . . – Sydney Boyd, Houstonia Magazine Gordon’s melodic, tonal score. . .fall[s] easily on the ears, often bringing to mind the late operas of Richard Strauss in its naturalistic setting of Vavrek’s dialogue. . .he pleasing score, congenial vocal demands and modest scale of “The House Without a Christmas Tree” give it a good shot at achieving staying power, attractive to professional opera companies of all sizes and to conservatories and universities. – Eric Skelly, The Houston Chronicle MEDIA Houston Grand Opera 2017 Photos by Lynn Lane

Music by: Ricky Ian Gordon Libretto by: Lynn Nottage Duration: 150 mins Commissioned by: The Metrolpolitan Opera /LCT Opera/Musical Theater Commissioning Program Premiere: The Newhouse Theater of Lincoln Center Theater, March 2020 I NTIMATE APPAREL, set in 1905 in turn of the century New York, tells the story of Esther, a lonely, single African-American woman who makes her living sewing beautiful corsets and ladies’ undergarments. There is warm affection between her and the Orthodox Jewish man who sells fabrics to her, but any relationship between them, even a touch, is completely forbidden. Seeking love and romance, Esther eventually embarks on a letter-writing relationship with a mysterious suitor laboring on the Panama Canal. When he moves to New York they embark on an unhappy marriage, leading Esther to realize that only her self-reliance and certainty of her own worth will see her through life’s challenges. FORCES Singers: ESTHER (soprano, African-American woman, thirty-five) MRS. DICKSON (soprano, African-American woman, early fifties) MRS. VAN BUREN (mezzo-soprano, white American woman, thirties) MAYME (mezzo-soprano, African-American woman, thirties) MR. MARKS (tenor, Romanian Orthodox Jewish immigrant, thirties) GEORGE (Baritone, Barbadian immigrant, thirties) CHORUS  (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass Voices) Orchestration: Two pianos Reviews: A knock out! Ricky Ian Gordon's lush yet intricate score soars into the timeless atmospere of operatic writing...A joy to hear! -Jesse Green, The New York Times A glorious new opera, filled with emotional grandeur! -Frank Rizzo, Variety Ricky Ian Gordon’s music sets a trotting, melancholy, urbane pace, redolent of early- twentieth-century New York; the melodies, shared between two pianos, sound as if they were inspired by the sight of gleaming, rain-soaked pavement. - Vincent Cunningham , The New Yorker Nottage and Gordon have achieved a fine creative chemistry here. Nottage’s libretto, in verse that fluctuates between blank and rhyming, dovetails beautifully with Gordon’s melodic sense, and Gordon weaves an evocative musical tapestry rich with appropriate period forms like rags, cakewalks, and marches. - Eric Myers , Opera News MEDIA

Cambridge stars and Howard directs The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson at the 2022 Glimmerglass Festival. The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson is a new play with music that premiered at The Glimmerglass Festival in 2021, celebrating the founder of the historic and groundbreaking National Negro Opera Company. The work, written by Mark Twain Award-winning playwright and librettist, Sandra Seaton, includes selections from the repertory of the National Negro Opera Company and original music by award-winning composer Carlos Simon, the John F. Kennedy Center Composer-in-Residence. Alyson Cambridge stars in the title role and Kimille Howard directs.

May 17, 2022 | Oregon ArtsWatch An African American Requiem raises the roof in world premiere performance. The world premiere of Damien Geter’s An African American Requiem delivered a powerful, beautiful, and dramatic plea for justice, mercy, understanding–and a beam of light from the heavens–on Saturday, May 7, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Conductor William Eddins led the Oregon Symphony, an 80-voice choir, soloists Brandie Sutton, Karmesha Peake, Bernard Holcomb , and Kenneth Overton to make an emphatic, emotional statement that resonated long and deep for this performance, which began at 6 pm in order to be broadcast live by 89.9 FM in Portland and WQXR in New York City. Commissioned by the Resonance Ensemble , Geter completed An African American Requiem in 2019, but its performance was delayed for two years because of the pandemic. Unfortunately, the continuing discrimination and violence against Black people across the nation has made the soul-searching impact of the music and text as relevant as ever. The twenty-movement work followed the traditional Latin liturgy and was interspersed with modern texts – civil rights declarations, poetry, and the last words of Eric Garner – and three spirituals: ‘There’s a Man Goin’ Round,’ ‘Kumbaya,’ and ‘Walk Together Children.’ The alternation between Latin and English was similar in some ways to Britten’s War Requiem . S. Renee Mitchell, poet-in-residence for Resonance Ensemble, recited a poem as part of the last movement. The immediacy of the music gripped listeners right away with a stately “Introit” that seamlessly shifted between ominous and hopeful moods. Peake’s velvety mezzo gave the descending lines of the “Kyrie” a slightly relaxed and improvised quality. Sudden punches from the percussion broke up the calm as Sutton cried out “We are living in communities that are like war zones,” and the choir launched into a demonstrative “Dies Irae” with dynamic brass accompaniment. Overton’s resonant baritone continued to build upon the tension until a police siren pierced through and Holcomb exclaimed “I can’t breathe” in the high tenor tessitura and later in a loud whisper as the heartbeat of drums faded and stopped. After the choir sang the “Mors stupebit,” it segued into “There’s a man goin’ round” and a mix of the soloists. The “Quid sum miser” with Peake started a more agitated feeling, which continued into the “Rex tremendae” with the choir impressively sustaining the words “Salva me” (save me). The “Recordare” featured short, accented lines from the choir that the soloists interjected with “I am confused and afraid” from the poem by Antwon Rose, a teenager who was killed by a police officer in East Pittsburgh in 2018. In the “Ingemisco,” Sutton soared with stratospherically high notes, joyfully proclaiming the promise of justice, and the choir followed it with a “Confutatis” that had a dance-like rhythm. The “Lacrimosa” began with the tune of the Star-Spangled Banner, performed in a minor key by principal clarinetist James Shields–catching everyone’s attention when the note corresponding to the word “free” was not played. This was ingeniously wrapped into the text of the “Lacrimosa,” making it one of the most memorable moments of the evening. After a tender “Offertory” from the quartet of soloists came “Sanctus”/“Kum Ba Yah” that offered a tricky syncopation. Next came a slightly jazzy “Agnus Dei,” and a “Lux aeterna” with Overton singing triumphantly of the perpetual light shining on the saints. The choir set up a solemn “Libera Me,” which led to Peake’s sung recitation of “Lynching is color-line murder” from a speech by Ida B. Wells. “In Paradisum” included the spoken poetry by Mitchell and transitioned to an uplifting rendition of “Walk together children,” which concluded the piece with the lines “Don’t you get weary, there’s a great camp meeting in the Promise Land.” Tumultuous applause, bravos, and a standing ovation erupted immediately. Geter, wearing a bright red suit, was showered with loud cheers, capping a momentous event with heartfelt gestures to the musicians, choir, audience, and a big hug for Eddins. The orchestra terrifically conveyed the emotion of the piece under Eddins’ command. The soloists were stellar. The choir (a consortium of singers from the Resonance Ensemble, Kingdom Sound Gospel Choir, and members of regional choirs) was expertly prepared by Resonance Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon, and it sounded spectacular. There were some moments when the orchestra was too loud, but, all in all, the performance was a huge success. The next performance of An African American Requiem will take place at the Kennedy Center on May 23 with the Choral Arts Symphonic Chorus under the direction of Scott Tucker. According to FitzGibbon, the Resonance Ensemble and Choral Arts will make a commercial recording of the requiem later this year. Geter’s star is rising, and if he writes more music like An African American Requiem , he will be shining for a long time to come.

"Soprano Karen Slack gave Freia, the goddess of love and damsel in distress apt emotional drama in her panic and dismay. . . Portraying his foil—the power-hungry, lecherous dwarf and dictatorial lord of the Nibelungs, Alberich—baritone Michael Mayes was equally expressive. . .his thorough commitment to character yielded a portrayal that was difficult to take one’s eyes off of. His dramatic skills were manifest in the dwarf’s many sides—bombastic, belligerent, and comical. . . baritone Joseph Barron as the god of thunder Donner, lent sturdy support" – Texas Classical Review

Song Cycle for Choir, Strings, and Percussion Music and Poetry by: Jasmine Barnes Quotes by: Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman Duration: 12 mins 30 secs Originally Commissioned and premiered by Baltimore Choral Arts Society, 2022 The work pulls inspiration from the Mozart Requiem to reflect on Baltimore today with texts by Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. FORCES Singers: SATB Orchestra: Violin I Violin II Viola Violoncello Contrabass Timpani Snare Drum Xylophone Cymbals Percussion MEDIA

Music by: Kamala Sankaram Libretto b y: A.M. Homes Duration: 30 Minutes Commissioned and Premiered : Washington National Opera Inspired by the Portrait Monument, RISE takes as its inspiration Adelaide Johnson’s 1921 Portrait Monument in the Capitol rotunda, depicting Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and one face left uncarved. In this magical realist take, a girl scout becomes lost in the Capitol while look for a ladies room. She encounters a friendly Capitol Police officer and the ghost of Adelaide Johnson. FORCES Singers: Alicia Hernández (soprano) - girl scout, 11-1 5 years old Officer Victoria Wilson (mezzo soprano) - African-American, 40’s A Powerful Woman/ Adelaide Johnson (soprano/mezzo) The Monument  (coloratura soprano) Alicia’s mother, Maria Hernández (soprano) 40’s The Monument - is made up of Elizabeth Cady Stanton 1815-1902 Susan B. Anthony 1820-1906 Lucretia Mott 1793-1880 Orchestration: 2 flutes (1 = piccolo) 2 oboes 2 clarinets in Bb 2 bassoons 2 horns in F 2 trumpets in Bb 2 trombones (with harmon mute) tuba percussion (2 players) Strings THIS SCORE IS IN C glockenspiel 2-octave crotales snare drum large bass drum vibraphone with motor (bass bow required) 2 bongos castanets large triangle large Tibetan bowl Reviews Bringing to life the often forgotten 1921 Portrait Monument featuring Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony, and one face left uncarved, Sankaram and Homes give a voice to those whose stories have been left out of history." Washington National Opera MEDIA