February | 2019 | MEMETERIA by Thomas May

February 6, 2019 • 7:10 am Comments Off on Dreamers at Cal Performances

Dreamers at Cal Performances

My story on a major upcoming new premiere by Jimmy López in collaboration with Nilo Cruz has been posted here.

Music Makes the Dream Reality:
A New Oratorio Inspired by the Immigrant Experience

It has been a few years since composer Jimmy López and playwright Nilo Cruz first conceived their latest collaboration, the oratorio Dreamers. But the message behind this musical-dramatic reflection on the challenges faced by undocumented immigrants seems to become more pressingly relevant every day. The work, which was commissioned by Cal Performances and receives its highly anticipated world premiere March 17 in Zellerbach Hall, pays homage to the experiences of Berkeley students who were brought to the United States as children and now face uncertain legal status.

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Filed under: Cal Performances, Jimmy López, Nilo Cruz

February 3, 2019 • 1:24 pm Comments Off on Barbara Hannigan’s New York Conducting Debut

Barbara Hannigan’s New York Conducting Debut

BarbaraHannigan_MusacchioIanniello

Here’s my story for the Julliard Journal on the phenomenal Barbara Hannigan:

Even as an internationally acclaimed soprano, Barbara Hannigan is unable to resist challenging herself to ever more-formidable accomplishments. In 2011 she made a bold leap to the podium, debuting as a conductor at the Châtelet in Paris with Stravinsky’s Renard.

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Filed under: Barbara Hannigan, conductors, Juilliard