Music of Remembrance will receive a $20,000 Art Works grant to support the commission of “Tres Minutos,” a new chamber opera by composer Nicolas Lell Benavides and librettist Marella Martin Koch.

This upcoming work explores themes of identity and belonging as it follows siblings Nila and Diego, who can only meet each other at a supervised reunion at the US-Mexico border due to their differing citizenship statuses. Awarded by The National Endowment for the Arts, the Art Works grant helps support projects that uses the arts in response to current events while celebrating creativity and cultural heritage.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support this project  from Music of Remembrance,” said Arts Endowment Acting Chairman Ann  Eilers in a press release. “Music of Remembrance is among the arts organizations across the  country that have demonstrated creativity, excellence, and resilience  during this very challenging year.”

“Tres Minutos” is set to premiere in May of 2022 in Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, and then in San Francisco; the work will be joined by public outreach and educational programs meant to engage the communities of both cities.