Featuring IONE, George Lewis, Lisa E. Harris, Courtney Bryan,
www.iceorg.org
New York, NY (May 18, 2021) — The International Contemporary Ensemble , in partnership with Opera Omaha and FringeArts , presents the Afro-Diasporic Opera Forum online from May 26-28, 2021 with an opening session on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 7pm ET. The
Forum is a free, three-day series of online events produced by
colleagues and collaborators of the International Contemporary Ensemble
in order to celebrate, share, and reflect on three operas that have had a
major impact on the organization and collaborators. They include:
George Lewis’ Afterword (2015), Dr. Tyshawn Sorey’s Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine Baker (2016), Pauline Oliveros and IONE’s The Nubian Word for Flowers: A Phantom Opera (2017). The Forum will end with the screening of Lisa E. Harris’ recent digital opera, Cry of the Third Eye (2020).
These works, which focus on stories of Black experiences, are critical
in pushing the canon forward. Over the three days, conversations and
presentations will contextualize these works, showing the many ways in
which they intersect, and their connection to the past, present, and
future of a reimagined/reinvented opera.
In order to cultivate awareness among presenters,
producers, ensembles, and audiences, the Ensemble will bring these works
into conversation with one another and with leading scholars in the
field. Renowned musicologist Dr. Naomi André is the lead scholar and
conversation partner for this three-day series featuring presenters and
panelists such as Julia Bullock, IONE, George Lewis, Dr. Tyshawn Sorey, and many others (see below for full list).
"This Forum is an exciting articulation of where opera is
going. Let’s understand it for what it's doing now to bring the genre
forward.” – Dr. Naomi André
Throughout this Forum, attendees, presenters, and panelists are guided by the following questions:
- What impact do these works have for opera today?
- What is the role of composer, librettist, and performer?
- How do these operas give us new ways to reimagine and expand what the genre is and meant to be?
Specific topics will emerge from the artists and scholars
present in each session. For many of the presenters/panelists, this is a
first encounter – first time meeting each other and first time engaging
with these operas. The Forum’s goal is to foster openness when engaging
with opera and bring people together. To receive updates and news, please register here .
Program Information
Afro-Diasporic Opera Forum www.iceorg.org/aof Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/afro-diasporic-opera-forum-tickets-149156153069
TUESDAY, MAY 25, 2021 – Prologue
7-8:00pm – Welcome
– Informal gathering for all presenters and attendees
WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021 – ACT I
12:30-2pm – Scene I
– Opening Address: Dr. Naomi André
– Speakers: Dr. Matthew D. Morrison, Dr. Dr. Daniele G. Daude, Dr. Fredara Hadley
3-4pm – Scene II
– Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine: a conversation with Dr. Tyshawn Sorey, Julia Bullock, and Dr. Naomi André
5-6 pm – Scene III
– Speakers: Lisa E. Harris, IONE, Helga Davis, Melanie Bacaling
7-9 pm – Scene IV
– Screening: Afterword (2015) by George Lewis
THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021 – ACT II
11-12:15pm – Scene I
– Speakers: Dr. Naomi André, George Lewis, IONE, Sharan Strange
3-4pm – Scene II
– Speakers: Dr. Courtney Bryan, Dr. Matthew D. Morrison, Dr. Fredara Hadley
– Moderator: George Lewis
7-9pm – Scene III
– Screening: The Nubian Word for Flowers: A Phantom Opera (2017) by Pauline Oliveros & IONE
FRIDAY, MAY 28, 2021 – ACT III
11-12:00pm – Scene I
– George Lewis: The Work of Anthony Davis
3-4pm – Scene II
– Dr. Derrell Acon with introduction by Dr. Naomi André
5-6:30pm – Scene III
– Speakers: Dr. Naomi André, Dr. Derrell Acon, Melanie Bacaling, Lisa E. Harris
– Closing remarks
7-9pm – Scene IV
– Screening: Cry of the Third Eye (2020) by Lisa E. Harris
Artists, Presenters, Panelists
Dr. Naomi André
Professor, Department of Afroamerican and African Studies
Department of Women's and Gender Studies
The Residential College
University of Michigan,
Author: Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement (University of Illinois Press)
George Lewis, composer and scholar, Afterword (2015)
Dr. Tyshawn Sorey, composer, scholar, and instrumentalist, Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine (2016)
Julia Bullock , classical singer, Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine (2016)
IONE, author, performer, director, The Nubian Word for Flowers: A Phantom Opera (2017), Author: Pride of Family (Publisher: Harlem Moon Classics – Penguin Random House)
Dr. Courtney Bryan, composer and instrumentalist, Awakening (2022)
Helga Davis, vocalist & performance artistDr. Matthew D. Morrison, musicologist & dramaturgSharan Strange, librettistMelanie Bacaling, co-curator & associate producing director, Opera Omaha's Amplifying the Black Experience series Dr. Fredara Hadley, ethnomusicologist, recent research focus: Shirley Graham Du Bois’ Tom Tom Dr. Dr. Daniele G. Daude, scholar & dramaturgLisa E. Harris, vocalist, composer, interdisciplinary artistDr. Derrell Acon, activist, performer, & arts leader
The Afro-Diasporic Opera Forum is produced and hosted
by the International Contemporary Ensemble with financial and
organizational support from Opera Omaha, FringeArts, and Arlene and
Larry Dunn.
About the International Contemporary Ensemble
The International Contemporary Ensemble i s an artist
collective that is transforming the way music is created and
experienced. As performer, curator, and educator, the Ensemble explores
how new music intersects with communities across the world. The
Ensemble’s 36 members are featured as soloists, chamber musicians,
commissioners, and collaborators with the foremost musical artists of
our time. Works by emerging composers have anchored the Ensemble’s
programming since its founding in 2001, and the group’s recordings and
digital platforms highlight the many voices that weave music’s present.
A recipient of the American Music Center’s Trailblazer Award and the
Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, the
International Contemporary Ensemble was also named the 2014 Musical
America Ensemble of the Year. The group currently serves as
artists-in-residence at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ Mostly
Mozart Festival, and previously led a five-year residency at the Museum
of Contemporary Art Chicago. The International Contemporary Ensemble was
featured at the Ojai Music Festival from 2015 to 2017, and at recent
festivals abroad such as gmem-CNCM-marseille and Vértice at Cultura
UNAM, Mexico City. Other performance stages have included the Park
Avenue Armory, The Stone, ice floes at Greenland’s Diskotek Sessions,
and boats on the Amazon River.
OpenICE, made possible with lead funding from The Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation, offers free concerts and interactive, educational
programming wherever the Ensemble performs. As the Ensemble in Residence
of the Nokia Bell Labs Experiments in Art and Technology, the
International Contemporary Ensemble advances music technology and
digital communications as an empowering tool for artists from all
backgrounds. Curricular activities include a residency and coursework at
the New School College of Performing Arts, along with a summer
intensive program, called Ensemble Evolution, where topics of equity,
diversity, and inclusion build new bridges and pathways for the future
of creative sound practices. Yamaha Artist Services New York is the
exclusive piano provider for the Ensemble. Read more at www.iceorg.org and watch over 350 videos of live performances and documentaries at www.digitice.org .
No comments:
Post a Comment