The Pittsburgh Festival Opera has received a Bronze World Medal for Excellence in a Production Dealing with Society and Societal Issues award at the NY Festivals International TV and Film Awards. The production in question is “A Gathering of Sons,” which the company commissioned as part of its 2017 season.

The 90-minute gospel-infused opera tells the story of a black family who has to deal with the death of a son at the hands of a rogue white cop. The work was composed by Dwayne Fulton with a libretto by Dr. Tameka Cage Conley. Fulton and Conley took the stage at the awards ceremony in Las Vegas alongside stage director Mary Clayton Southers and Pittsburgh Festival Opera Board President Dr. Eugene Myers.

“This is a huge win for Pittsburgh Festival Opera. A testament to the power of a great story and the beauty of artists being appreciated and rewarded for their hard work and dedication to their craft on the international stage,” said Southers.

The work was video recorded during its final performance of the 2017 festival and then aired on WQED in Pittsburgh the following July 2018.