We’re coming back! After the pandemic forced cancellation of our annual San Francisco concert for two years, we return with a special program on May 22, 2022 at our new home at the magnificent Presidio Theater. Come join us for an absorbing program of works by three Bay Area composers who’ve used their art to address important questions facing us today.
Tres minutos – the struggle of a family separated by a border
Experience the world premiere of Tres minutos, the one-act opera we’ve commissioned from composer Nicolas Benavides and librettist Marella Martin Koch with librettist Hector Vega. It tells the story of Nila and her brother Diego, who share family bonds but not citizenship. Allowed a brief supervised reunion at the US-Mexico border that separates them, they wrestle with questions of identity, duty and belonging. The compelling work explores the intimate human dimensions of an important issue for our time.
Veritas – a plea against religious intolerance
The soulful music of Bay Area composer Shinji Eshima – combined with the vivid imagery of sculptures by Al Farrow as captured by video producer Kate Duhamel – makes an eloquent statement about the frightful consequences of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and religious intolerance of all kinds.
Stormy Seas – five true stories of young courage
The California premiere of Sahba Aminikia’s Stormy Seas tells the true stories of five child boat refugees – from Nazi Germany, communist Cuba, war-torn Vietnam, Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, and an Ivory Coast orphanage – who braved perilous waters in search of safe shores and new lives.