Opera Parallèle’s 17th anniversary will open with the world premiere of “Salt & Spirit,” a theatrical work rooted in the musical traditions of the Gullah Geechee people of the coastal Carolinas.

The work blends classical, jazz, and traditional influences and will be performed between Nov. 14 and 21 at Z Space, 450 Florida Street.

The work was developed and performed by renowned tenor Victor Ryan Robertson in collaboration with Opera Parallèle Creative Director Brian Staufenbiel. Joining Robertson on stage will be pianist and musical arranger Clinton Smith, in his company debut.

The Gullah Geechee people are descendants of enslaved Africans who worked on rice, indigo, and cotton plantations along the lower Atlantic coast. The unique nature of their enslavement on islands and in isolated coastal areas allowed them to retain many aspects of their ancestral culture in ways which are clearly visible in their contemporary arts, cuisine, music, and language.