Portland Opera Commissions New Opera Jubilee By Composer Damien Geter and Librettist Lorene Cary

Portland Opera has announced that the company has commissioned a new opera to be created by composer Damien Geter and librettist Lorene Cary. Connecting the heroic story of the original Fisk University Jubilee Singers with their current, Grammy-winning descendants, Jubilee investigates Black legacy, love, death, trauma, and joy.

"The Fisk Jubilee Singers are one of the most important threads that bind together the fabric of American music and culture," says composer Damien Geter. "Their performances brought the spiritual-which serves as the foundation for much of America's popular music even today-into the concert hall. Yet their story and artistry are still unknown to many Americans. So, Lorene and I choose to share it in the same manner they expressed themselves: through song, and with the grandeur they deserve: through opera."

"Damien Geter's understanding of the spirituals, his feel for them, and his narrative passion make it a privilege to tell this story of Black brilliance with him for Portland Opera," says librettist Lorene Cary. "Just as the young Fisk Jubilee Singers brought the spirituals into the Western canon of great music, this work will bring them into opera halls."

Jubilee will be written for 8 operatic soloists and a 15-piece orchestra. It will be workshopped in the springs of 2024 and 2025 and have its world premiere at the Newmark Theatre in March 2026.

"The goal of presenting new works is to be intentional about the stories we tell and giving over to authentic authorship," says General Director Sue Dixon. "I believe Damien and Lorene will hold this beautiful story, filled with so much hope and redemption, with tenderness and heart. We're thrilled to give them the creative space to bring this story to life!"

"As we continue to make new spaces in the repertoire for stories that define the American experience, we're excited to expand the operatic circle to create operas that will become the 'canon' of the future," shares Artistic Director Priti Gandhi. "Jubilee reveals a musical legacy that must be acknowledged as vital to who we are becoming now. Damien Geter and Lorene Cary are giving us the privilege of experiencing new sounds and voices that will continue to evolve the art form, and we're truly honored to be a part of this journey with them."

Africans who worked in the House next to where the Liberty Bell is now displayed.

For 25 years, Lorene Cary has taught fiction and non-fiction at UPenn. In 2018, she created #VotethatJawn to let students write blogs, social media, and articles to bring Philly youth to the polls. Their 2020 contributions were phenomenal.

More civic engagement: Art Sanctuary, founded in 1998 to enrich urban Philadelphia with the excellence of Black art; Union Benevolent Association, member and president; and, from 2011-2013, and as a member of Philadelphia's School Reform Commission, and chair of the Safety Committee, eliminating zero-tolerance punishments for kids.

Cary's honors include: UPenn's Provost's Award for Distinguished Teaching, The Philadelphia Award, and honorary doctorates from Swarthmore, Muhlenberg, Colby, and Keene State Colleges, and Arcadia and Gwynedd Mercy Universities. You can learn more about Lorene Cary here.

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