(Image from Seattle Opera Website)

Seattle Opera is set to present a series of events ahead of the world premiere of Tazewell Thompson’s “Jubilee” this October.

“The story of ‘Jubilee’ is such a moving one because it is about real people who led full lives and overcame significant challenges,” said Dennis Robinson Jr., Director of Programs and Partnerships, in an official press release. “We want to make sure that, in putting this story on our stage, we’re also exploring the legacy of Fisk University as a whole. Especially because there are no Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs) in the Pacific Northwest, it’s important to learn more about the impacts these institutions have had on the United States and what they’ve meant to Black communities in particular.”

Here is rundown of the events on offer.

First up is “Face of Music,” presented in partnership with The Rhapsody Project. For eight weeks starting in September, participants will get a chance to engage with the stories of Black American musical history.

Event Dates: Sept. 10 – 29, 2024

Then comes “Black Excellence in Music,” a recital featuring works  that makes up Black American musical tradition. Performers include Sarah Joyce Cooper, Darren Drone, Yusef Seevers, and Porscha Shaw.

Performance Dates: Sept. 11 – 14, 2024

Audiences will get a chance to engage with a live feed of a working recital as well as a Q & A with Artistic Ambassador Kenneth Kellogg as part of the Seattle Opera’s annual open house.

Event Date: Sept. 21, 2024

Then comes a celebration for “Jubilee Day,” an annual commemoration of the day the original Fisk Jubilee Singers set out on their first tour in 1871. The showcase will feature The Sound of the Northwest and Lifted! Youth Gospel Choir.

Event Date: Oct. 6, 2024

There will also be a series of “Opera Talks” including “The Making of Jubilee” with director Tazewell Thompson, Kenneth Kellogg, and General Director Christina Scheppelmann.

Event Date: Oct. 11, 2024

Then comes “The Legacy of Fisk University” with Dr. G. Preston Wilson Jr., current director of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and Marlette Buchanan, a former Jubilee singer.

Event Date: Oct. 12, 2024