Lori, a Micro-opera for our Stolen Sisters, takes place in San Antonio, Texas, where incidents of kidnapping and human trafficking have risen sharply in the past years. The victims of this crisis are often teenage, Indigenous and Hispanic girls, many of whom are immigrants or the children of immigrants: the ones working the most difficult jobs for the lowest pay and keeping our society afloat. Yet, Governor Greg Abbott chooses to blame these same immigrants for the rise in human trafficking, ignoring the crisis and instead focusing their attention on banning abortions, increasing civilian gun ownership, and other unrelated issues that keep Texans, especially young women, living in fear. Through Lori, we hope to call your attention to the crisis of leadership in Texas, and encourage our audience to support Texas organizations dedicated to combating Human Trafficking and providing support to survivors.
Magic Art Class: A wonderful libretto full of fantasies from the imagination of Anastasia Rainbow and the Longy Opera Creation Lab Team, brought to life by Zhining Hu, known for his compositions at Longy School of Music. Two students attend a magic art class, where their paintings come to life, looking to fill a void they have in their lives. They start a journey to identify what brings joy to them, while understanding the true meaning of life. Is it nature? Is it love? Or could it be the love in our own hearts?
These performances feature:
Singers: Mingmin Fan, Mónica Alejandra López Garzon, Mona Majid, Maria Lucia Peluffo Panizza, Sydney Pérez, Anastasia Rainbow, and Jingyu Tian
Violin: Maria Grazia Pacheco
Guitar: Jeremy Duckett
Composers: Zhining Hu and Charlotte Koonce
