Victoria Bond’s Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival is slated to showcase the world premiere of Eric Salzman’s new opera “Big Jim & the Small-time Investors.”

The world premiere event is set for April 9, 2018 at Symphony Space. The fully staged production will be done in collaboration with Gramercy Opera, and Quog Music Theater.

Per a press release, the opera, written by Ned Jackson, tells the story of “Big Jim, who claims to have invented a virtual reality machine that allows users to experience their wildest fantasies. A charismatic genius, Jim is also an ambitious L.A. businessman who walks the line between con-man and cult leader. As he lures Small-Time Investors into his operation, his plan starts to spiral out of control, threatening to ruin the Investors and promising disaster for his wife and assistant.”

The work is Salzman’s last major work and his only true opera. Salzman passed away in November 2017.

“Over the course of 20 years, Cutting Edge Concerts has presented 304 new works by 191 composers on 65 concerts. Each program highlights the music of living composers, all of whom attend the concert. Along with performances by world-class ensembles and soloists, each program features on-stage discussions between host Victoria Bond and the composers,” adds the notice.