Guerilla Opera Presents New Operas at the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts, 4/16

On Saturday, April 16, 2016 Guerilla Opera's residency with New Music Brandeis at Brandeis University culminates in a semi-staged performance of short chamber operas by Brandeis University graduate composers in collaboration with creative writing students. This performance is during the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts in Slosberg Hall at Brandeis University and is made possible by the Brandeis Arts Council. Admission to this performance is free. Visithttp://www.brandeis.edu/arts/festival/index.html for more information on the festival.

The year-long residency, Guerilla Opera's Student Opera Development Workshop, included several meetings - a libretto reading, vocal demonstration and piano reading by Guerilla Opera's cast, a meeting with the artistic director, Mike Williams, and a production meeting with stage director Nathan Troup and scenic designer Julia Noulin-Mérat - from September 2015 through the performance in April 2016.

Guerilla Opera's Student Opera Development Workshop is approximately 60 minutes in duration. All the operas are sung in English and scored for soprano, mezzo-soprano, baritone, clarinet, saxophone, and percussion.

The chamber operas to be performed are: "The Moose" with music and libretto by Jeremy Rapaport-Stein (MFA '16), "Hsing" with music and libretto by Ernest Ling ('16), "Your voice xx not HIM" with music by Victoria Cheah (Ph.D. '16) and libretto adapted from text by Percy Bysshe Shelley, "FAMILIAR_WASTE" with music by Daniel Allas (MFA '16) and libretto by Raphael Stigliano (Creative Writing '18), and "Last Lousy Winter in Rockville" with music by Luke Blackburn (MFA '16) and libretto by Anne Kat Alexander (Creative Writing '18).

Featured Cast and Ensemble:
Brian Church, baritone
Aliana de la Guardia, soprano & General Manager
Thea Lobo, mezzo-soprano
Rane Moore, clarinets
Mary Joy Patchett, saxophones
Mike Williams, percussionist & Co-Artistic Director

Creative Team:
Nathan Troup, stage director
Julia Noulin-Mérat, resident scenic designer & Director of Design and Production
Chris Brusberg, lighting designer
Neil Fortin, resident costume designer
Sam Filson Parkinson, assistant stage director
Amanda Otten, stage manager

UPCOMING 2015-2016 SEASON PRODUCTIONS

Beowulf by Hannah Lash (Fri-Sun, May 20-22 and Fri & Sat, May 27 & 28, 2016)
Beowulf, with stage direction by Andrew Eggert, is a modern-day adaptation of the well know epic poem, in which Beowulf is a doctor caring for his elderly mother and suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder upon his return from a recent war. He discovers that his mother is being abused by the nursing home staff and removes her determined to care for her himself. Beowulf investigates what it means to be a hero.

This world premiere opera is scored for soprano, tenor, baritone, violin, clarinet, sax, and percussion. It is estimated to be 80 minutes in duration and is sung in English. All performances of Beowulf are in The Zack Box at The Boston Conservatory. Tickets are now available at https://www.bostonconservatory.edu/event/guerilla-opera-beowulf.
Guerilla Opera is an experimental opera company whose mission is to commission new chamber operas written specifically for their ensemble of artists, and to perform in intimate theatrical settings without the use of a conductor or formal music director. Visit our website at http://www.guerillaopera.com for more information about our ninth season!

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