PBS Airs Minnesota Opera's SILENT NIGHT Tonight

Minneapolis-Minnesota Opera's production of Kevin Puts' Silent Night, a company commission which earned its composer the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in Music, will be broadcast nationally on PBS, presented by tpt National Productions, tonight, December 13 at 9pm ET (check local listings).

Minnesota Opera presented the world premiere of Silent Night in November 2011, at Ordway in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was composed by Kevin Puts with a libretto by Mark Campbell,based on the screenplay for Joyeux Noël by Christian Carion for the motion picture produced by Nord-Ouest Production. The opera recounts a miraculous moment of peace during one of the bloodiest wars in human history. On WWI's western front, Scottish, French and German officers defy their superiors and negotiate a Christmas Eve truce. Enemies become brothers as they share Christmas and bury their dead. William Burden starred as the soldier whose voice inspired peace - if only for a day.

Silent Night was conducted by Minnesota Opera's Music Director Michael Christie and staged by Academy Award-winning director Eric Simonson. Silent Night, which was recently honored with a regional Emmy nomination, was the first commission of Minnesota Opera'sNew Works Initiative, a landmark program designed to invigorate the operatic repertoire with an infusion of contemporary works.

"A major objective of the New Works Initiative is to see that the new works we produce enter the repertoire and reach an audience far beyond our own local market," said President and General Director Kevin Ramach. "One strategy was to record and distribute some of these new operas to amplify their reach to new audiences in our community and worldwide. Working with the talented director Joe Brandmeier, Minnesota Opera developed a new capacity for capturing the essence of these new works digitally, and we're very excited that millions of Americans have the opportunity to watch this Pulitzer Prize-winning opera in December."

Visit mnop.co/silent-night for a digital program, photos, videos, artist biographies and more.

Minnesota Opera's New Works Initiative
Minnesota Opera's New Works Initiative supported the American premiere of Jonathan Dove's The Adventures of Pinocchio and revivals of Dominick Argento's Casanova's Homecoming and Bernard Herrmann's Wuthering Heights, as well as the commission ofDoubt, composed by Douglas J. Cuomo with libretto by John Patrick Shanley. This season, the Initiative makes possible The Dream of Valentino, newly revised by Dominick Argento. Two more commissions have been announced, as well - The Manchurian Candidate, also composed by Kevin Puts with a libretto by Mark Campbell, will have its world premiere in March 2015, and The Shining, composed by Paul Moravec with a libretto by Mark Campbell and based on the novel by Stephen King, will have its world premiere in May 2016.

About Twin Cities Public Television (tpt)
As one of the nation's leading public media organizations, tpt uses television, interactive media and community engagement to advance education, culture and citizenship. Over its 50+ year history, tpt has been recognized for its innovation and creativity with numerous awards, including Peabody awards and national and regional Emmys. Based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, tpt is one of the highest rated PBS affiliates in the nation, reaching more than 1.3 million people each month through multiple broadcast and online channels. The organization's particular areas of focus include: the educational readiness of children; serving the needs and unleashing the potential of America's aging population; engaging a new generation in the power of public media; and being the preferred media partner for organizations that align with their mission to "enrich lives and strengthen [the] community through the power of media." TPT National Productions is the national productions division of Twin Cities Public Television and is a significant content producer fo the public television system.

Minnesota Opera combines a culture of creativity and fiscal responsibility

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enrich audiences and contribute to the vitality of the community.