Proving Up
Feb
16
to Feb 19

Proving Up

Leah Hollingshead will play the Littler Daughter in Butler Opera Center's upcoming production of "Proving Up." This hour-long operatic thriller dramatizes the psychological and physical struggle of an American homesteader family in 1870’s Nebraska to acquire the deed for their new parcel of land. If they can fulfill the requirements of the 1862 Homestead Act, they will “prove up”.

Premiered in 2018, the piece brings Karen Russell’s haunting short story to life. The Washington Post called this latest collaboration between Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek “harrowing...powerful...a true opera of our time.”

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Infinity Songs (world premiere) composed by Sophie Mathieu
Sep
23
7:30 PM19:30

Infinity Songs (world premiere) composed by Sophie Mathieu

UT’s New Music Ensemble will perform the world premiere of Infinity Songs, a 4 movement song cycle for singer, narrator, ensemble, and electronics.

The work is a collaboration with astrophysicist Haochen Wang (PhD candidate, MIT), and poet Ryan Paradiso (MFA student, UT Michener Center for Writers), who have written a scientific text and a series of poems, respectively, about the life cycle of stars. Both texts will be featured in the work (poem sung by the singer and the scientific text spoken by the narrator), with the hopes of exploring the intersections between science and the arts.

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Eva and the Angel of Death
Apr
23
to Apr 24

Eva and the Angel of Death

  • Austin Public Library (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

A new opera by Austin-based composer Thomas Yee and librettist Aiden Feltkamp, Eva and the Angel of Death portrays the true story of Eva Mozes Kor, a child survivor of the Holocaust and Josef Mengele’s medical experiments. Fifty years after her liberation, Kor returned to Auschwitz to announce her message of forgiveness, peace, hope, and healing.

Saturday, April 23, 2022 at Sundown
Sunday, April 24, 2022 at 2 pm

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"Is That a Hat Box?" From Dominick Argento's Postcard From Morocco
Dec
1
to Dec 2

"Is That a Hat Box?" From Dominick Argento's Postcard From Morocco

Dec. 1, 2021, 7:30 - 9 pm

Dec. 2, 2021, 7:30 - 9 pm

Leah will play “Lady With a Hand Mirror” in this scene as part of the Butler Opera Center’s Fall Opera Scenes program. Set in a train station in an exotic locale in 1914, Postcard From Morocco is a study of the human psyche. In liminal spaces, anonymity strips us of our normal titles and hierarchies. Argento’s one-act opera explores how this impacts our interactions with others.

In this scene, two characters pressure a third to reveal more than she’s comfortable with, and find themselves uneasy with the ramifications. Equally cringe-worthy and amusing, this piece will gratify anyone who’s ever gone out of their way to avoid a nosy neighbor.

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Less Than <10
Nov
20
8:00 PM20:00

Less Than <10

New music collective Less Than <10 returns for their first concert of the 21-22 season. Founded in 2020 as a response to the pandemic, Less Than <10 aims to support Austin musicians with live digital performances and conversations that shine a light on the social, economic, and interpersonal ramifications of the current public health crisis.

This first concert of the season will feature excerpts from Nathan Nokes’ chamber opera The Sound of Paper Words, which chronicles the protagonist’s attempts to navigate the American educational system with undiagnosed dyslexia.

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Gaetano Donizetti's "The Elixir of Love"
Oct
22
to Oct 31

Gaetano Donizetti's "The Elixir of Love"

Oct. 22, 2021, 7:30 - 10 pm

Oct. 24, 2021, 4 - 6:30 pm

Oct. 29, 2021, 7:30 - 10 pm

Oct. 31, 2021, 4 - 6:30 pm

In vino veritas! Donizetti's bubbly romantic comedy follows Nemorino, a shy and hapless peasant, in his pursuit of the betrothed heiress Adina. After meeting a charlatan and purchasing a magic "elixir of love" – in truth, just a bottle of cheap Bordeaux – Nemorino is sent down an unlikely path that may in fact prove the powerful efficacy of wine in love. Sensual, sentimental and bright, The Elixir of Love is a triumph of sincerity that features one of the best-loved romanzas, "Una furtiva lagrima."

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