O Music of the Powers!

Friday, November 6 at 7:30PM
Saturday, November 7 at 2:30PM

Opera Up Close

Created and directed by Byron Jones, this year’s Opera Up Close presents O Music of the Powers!, an imaginative evening of songs, arias and spoken text exploring love, loss, doubt, trust, faith and the transformative power of music. Inspired by the timeless story of Orpheus, this innovative production weaves together music and literature spanning nearly 2,000 years, from an ancient Greek melody to contemporary works by living composers.

Featuring selections by Monteverdi, Mozart, Undine Smith Moore, H. T. Burleigh, Harold Bruce Forsythe, Robert Owens, Marques L. A. Garrett and Dave Ragland, alongside texts by Shakespeare, Georgia Douglas Johnson, Rainer Maria Rilke, Madhu Ragavendra and others, the program brings diverse musical and literary voices into conversation. Highlights include a new composition by Cedric Allder ’28 (Bachelor of Music in Composition), written especially for the production, as performers explore the connections between storytelling, music and the shared human experience.

Created and directed by Byron Jones
Musical preparation by Maja Tremiszewska

Suggested Show Rating: PG-13

Performers make full use of the space, including the aisles and other audience areas.