Hosted by International Contemporary Ensemble with Dr. Naomi André
In partnership with FringeArts and Opera Omaha
May 26-28, 2021
FREE | ONLINE | PUBLIC FORUM
featuring composers, performers, producers, designers, and scholars
Visit our archive below for recordings from the sessions.
Afro-Diasporic Opera Forum 2021 Archive
ACT I – May 26, 2021
ACT II – May 27, 2021
ACT III – May 28, 2021
The Afro-Diasporic Opera Forum is a three-day series of events produced by colleagues and collaborators of the International Contemporary Ensemble in order to celebrate, share, and reflect on three operas that have had a major impact on the organization and collaborators. They include: George Lewis’ Afterword (2015), Dr. Tyshawn Sorey’s Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine Baker (2016), Pauline Oliveros and IONE’s The Nubian Word for Flowers: A Phantom Opera (2017). The Forum will end with the screening of Lisa E. Harris’ recent digital opera, Cry of the Third Eye (2020). These works, which focus on stories of Black experiences, are critical in pushing the canon forward. Over the three days, conversations and presentations will contextualize these works, showing the many ways in which they intersect, and their connection to the past, present, and future of a reimagined/reinvented opera.
In order to cultivate awareness among presenters, producers, ensembles, and audiences, we will bring these works into conversation with one another and with leading scholars in the field. Renowned musicologist Dr. Naomi André is the lead scholar and conversation partner for this three-day series. Presenters and panelists include artists like Julia Bullock, IONE, George Lewis, Dr. Tyshawn Sorey, and many others (see below for full list).
“This Forum is an exciting articulation of where opera is going.
Let’s understand it for what it's doing now to bring the genre forward.”
– Dr. Naomi André
Specific topics will emerge from the artists and scholars present in each session. For many of the presenters/panelists, this is a first encounter – first time meeting each other and first time engaging with these operas. The Forum’s goal is to foster openness when engaging with opera and bring people together. To receive updates and news, please register here.
Throughout this Forum, attendees, presenters, and panelists are guided by the following questions:
What impact do these works have for opera today?
What is the role of composer, librettist, and performer?
How do these operas give us new ways to reimagine and expand what the genre is and meant to be?
ARTISTS, PRESENTERS, PANELISTS
Schedule Overview
All times in Eastern Daylight Time
*Note: Dr. Dr. Daniele G. Daude is unfortunately not able to join us synchronously for this forum due to unforeseen circumstances. We will share materials from her at a later date. For now, the originally scheduled “Act II, Scene I” session at 10am is canceled.
TUESDAY, MAY 25 – Prologue
7-8:00pm – Welcome: Informal gathering for all presenters and attendees
WEDNESDAY, MAY 26 – ACT I
12:30-2pm – Scene I: Talking about Opera: Blackness, Voice, and Theoretical Paradigms
Opening Address: Dr. Naomi André
Speakers: Dr. Matthew D. Morrison, Dr. Fredara Hadley
To be rescheduled: Dr. Dr. Daniele G. Daude
3-4:15pm – Scene II
Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine: a conversation with Dr. Tyshawn Sorey, Julia Bullock, and Dr. Naomi André
5-6pm – Scene III: Interdisciplinary Artists Impact on Opera
Speakers: Lisa E. Harris, IONE, Helga Davis, Melanie Bacaling
7-9 pm – Scene IV
Screening: Afterword (2015) by George Lewis
THURSDAY, MAY 27 – ACT II
Black Opera Composers in European Classical Music*
Presentation by Dr. Dr. Daniele G. Daude
*To be shared after the forum
10-10:30am – Scene I: Attendees Meetup on Zoom
Breakout Rooms to Get to Know One Another
11-12:15pm – Scene II: Libretti, Words, and Text
Speakers: George Lewis, IONE, Sharan Strange
Moderator: Dr. Naomi André
3-4pm – Scene III: Constructing the operatic Afrodiaspora
Speakers: Dr. Courtney Bryan, Dr. Matthew D. Morrison, and Dr. Fredara Hadley
Moderator: George Lewis
7-9pm – Scene IV
Screening: The Nubian Word for Flowers: A Phantom Opera (2017) by Pauline Oliveros & IONE
FRIDAY, MAY 28 – ACT III
11-12:00pm – Scene I
George Lewis: The Work of Anthony Davis
1-2pm – Scene II
Screening: dwb (driving while black) (2018)
Opera by Susan Kander & Roberta Gumbel
Film adaptation by Du’Bois and Camry A’Keen (A’KEEN Brand)
Starring Karen Slack
Directed and Choreographed by Du’Bois & Camry A’Keen
Film commissioned and presented by UrbanArias
3-4pm – Scene III: poems are bullsh*t: Demanding Black Space in Opera
Dr. Derrell Acon with introduction by Dr. Naomi André
5-6:30pm – Scene IV: The Future of Black Opera
Speakers: Dr. Naomi André, Dr. Derrell Acon, Melanie Bacaling, and Lisa E. Harris
Closing remarks
7-9pm – Scene V
Screening: Cry of the Third Eye (2020) by Lisa E. Harris
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE OPERAS
The Afro-Diasporic Opera Forum is produced and hosted by the International Contemporary Ensemble with financial and organizational support from Opera Omaha, FringeArts, and Arlene and Larry Dunn.
Performances and commissioning activities during the 2020-21 concert season are made possible by the generous support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, A.N. and Pearl G. Barnett Family Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Aaron Copland Fund for Music Inc., Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, Francis Goelet Charitable Lead Trusts, Amphion Foundation, Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, Pacific Harmony Foundation, Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, The Casement Fund, BMI Foundation, The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation as well as public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council for the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. This program partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. The International Contemporary Ensemble was the Ensemble in Residence of the Nokia Bell Labs Experiments in Art and Technology from 2018 - 2021. Yamaha Artist Services New York is the exclusive piano provider for the International Contemporary Ensemble.