“Telekinetik,” a genre-bending short musical film from composer-performer Khary Laurent and commissioned by Catapult Opera, was released on YouTube on March 7, 2024.

The “hip-hopera” is a surreal, moody 10-minute tale of an aspiring vigilante being tormented by a shaman. To tell the story of civilian justice and the violence it leaves in its wake, classically trained Khary Laurent switches between hip hop bars to operatic vocals.

“Telekinetik is an exploration into the bravado and psyche of regular citizens who believe that it’s up to them to take control of their streets in the face of violent organized crime syndicates who plunder inner cities,” said Khary Laurent in an official announcement. “How far would we go? What pieces of our soul are lost in the journey? And should we succeed, how would we get back to being part of a civilized society?”

The digital short was commissioned by Catapult Opera, an organization whose goal is to broaden opera and the classically trained voice. By providing grants to artists who combine opera with popular music genres like Hip Hop, Catapult is able to bring classically-trained vocals to new audiences.

“I thought that Mr. Laurent would be the perfect candidate to continue the exploration of the intersection of opera and hip hop successfully. I was totally correct,” added Catapult Opera founder Neal Goren “Mr. Laurent has proven to be the perfect professional in all aspects of the assignment. Collaborating with him has been an unalloyed pleasure and a source of pride for me personally,” concluded Goren.

The short is available now on YouTube. Catapult Opera is hosting a virtual watch party including a Q & A with “Telekinetic” composer and performer Khary Laurent, Catapult Opera founder Neal Goren, and director of photography Kristina Rodriguez on March 11, over Zoom.