Experiments in Opera is set to showcase the world premiere “Anthony Braxton Theater Improvisations” on March 26-28 a the The Flea in New York City.

The showcase, which will feature an operatic realization of the composer’s “Compositions No. 279-283,” will star Kamala Sankaram and Elizabeth Saunders on vocals, Ingrid Laubrock on saxophones, Jessica Pavone on strings, Nate Wooley on trumpet, and Rob Reese as the actor / director of the showcase. 

“You could say on some level that Experiments in Opera started with Anthony Braxton. All of the EiO composer-leaders have studied and performed with Anthony extensively and are proponents of his omnivorous vision for contemporary music. His mentorship of us as individuals and as an organization has been invaluable as we have created a place for experimental opera and theater in New York over the last nine years,” stated Experiments in Opera founders Aaron Siegel, Jason Cady, and Kamala Sankaram in a joint press statement.

“We are very excited to share this music with our opera audience and also to invite the improvisation and jazz communities in our big conversation about music and performance. Let’s kick it about!”

Braxton is a Chicago-born composer known for his experimentation, drawing from a wide range of inspirations spanning from John Coltrane to Karlheinz Stockhausen. Braxton has received numerous awards for his work, including a 1981 Guggenheim Fellowship, a 1994 MacArthur Fellowship, a 2013 Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a 2014 NEA Jazz Master Award, and honorary doctorates from Université de Liège (Belgium) and New England Conservatory (USA).