British conductor and composer Nicholas Michael Smith OBE’s first opera “The Stone God” is set to make its world premiere.

“The Stone God” is a 90-minute, one act opera in six scenes, based on the children’s story “New Moon Rise” by Chinese author and director Hong Ying. The two creatives collaborated to bring this tale to the stage.

The opera is set on the shores of the Yangtze, and features rhythms and sounds from the riverside life in the old city of Chongqing. The story follows a young courageous boy as he encounters a wrathful warrior spirit imprisoned within a statue, a local sorceress with ancient powers, and a charming girl of his own age caught up in a primaeval quarrel.

At the premiere, Smith will also be presenting his work, “The Girl From The French Fort,” an orchestral illustration narrated by Tim Bentink (a.k.a Dave Archer). The Bloomsbury Theater hosts the premiere Nov. 1-3.