New Wave Opera will present “Rising Tides,” a concert exploring climate grief, the natural world, and social justice through opera and song, as part of The Old Church Concert Hall’s Free Lunchtime Concert Series in Portland.

Set for April 15, 2026, the program will feature preview excerpts from composer Caroline Louise Miller’s new queer fantasy opera “Deep Water,” ahead of its world premiere in June 2026. The opera follows teenage oracles Val and Bluejay as they wander a post-apocalyptic world documenting the fall of humanity.

Complementing the “Deep Water” excerpts are selections inspired by the natural world and the climate crisis, including “Upon a Broken World,” a work by NWO President and mezzo-soprano Lisa Neher and various poets, narrated by Portland soprano Susan McBerry. Also on the concert are works by Stacey Philipps, Lisa Marsh, Drew Swatosh, William Campbell, and Dianne Davies.

In addition to Neher and McBerry, other performers on the program include soprano Lindsey Rae Johnson and pianist Stephen Lewis.

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