Florida Grand Opera (FGO) launched its new FGO Innovation hub with a preview of “Triângulo,” a new mixed-martial arts opera, on August 31, 2024.

The event featured performances as well as martial arts choreography. The work is led by Joe Specter, an accomplished arts executive, former opera singer, and martial arts practitioner, and Latin Grammy-nominated composer Martin Bejerano. The work is also written by Emmy Award-nominated librettist Crystal Manich. Other major team members include dance and fight choreographer George Birkadze, orchestration consultant Alex Lacamoire, and MMA coach and fight consultant Greg Jackson, among others.

“Triângulo” tells the story of Esperança, a young Brazilian woman who escapes the favela to create a better life for herself and her younger brother through the male-dominated world of professional fighting.

“Here at FGO, we pride ourselves in taking undiscovered gems and putting them in the spotlight,” said Maria Todaro, General Director of Florida Grand Opera in an official press release. “The FGO Innovation Hub does just that by creating a platform for innovators in the opera space and beyond to test their works, showcase their talent, and explore ways in which we can make opera more relevant to today’s audiences. FGO has a long history of doing such things; after all, we were the ones who brought Pavarotti to the US to make his debut. Now, we look forward to creating events and opportunities where works such as ‘Triângulo’ can workshop and test new ideas and concepts with the diverse Miami audience.”