Nathan Felix’s new immersive opera “Glory Gone” staring soprano Jennifer Perez kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico (UNM) on September 14 at 7 p.m.

“Glory Gone” explores themes of “restoring voices and the search for one’s purpose and identity in the face of racial discrimination,” says the composer. The story follows Gloria, a prolific Hispanic singer who rose from poverty and into national recognition in the American mainstream. The singer is assaulted by an obsessed photographer and ends up on life support. She survives but loses her singing career. The audience watches her struggle with her self worth, identity and purpose.

Those performing beside Perez are mezzo-soprano Emily Anderson who plays a superfan, tenor Curtis Storm who plays the photographer and soprano Bailey Barnes in the role of a journalist.

This immersive opera takes place in and around various spaces within the Maxwell Museum. The three hour event features local and UNM student ensembles performing original jazz, classical, experimental and avant-garde works. The event which was co-curated by Felix and Julián Antonio Carrillo, Maxwell’s Curator of Education & Public Programs is free and open to the public.