Opera Philadelphia is set to present the premiere of Courtney Bryan’s “Blessed” as part of its Digital Commissions Series starting on Feb. 28, 2021.

“Blessed” received its inspiration from the Bible verse Matthew 5 “blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth,” through the context of recent protests against police brutality. With Bryan’s piano improvisations serving as the basis, she worked remotely with soprano Janinah Burnett, vocalist Damian Norfleet, filmmaker Tiona Nekkia McClodden, and sound designer Robert Kaplowitz.

“This piece has both been a chance for me to have an artistic and emotional outlet while going through this pandemic and the political turmoil of this time, and a chance to experiment with new ways of creating music and also analyze collaboration approaches that relate to these other projects, and to my process in general,” Bryan said. “And it has been a chance to work with artists who I really find amazing and to create something really special together.”

Audiences can check out the film on the Opera Philadelphia Channel.