(Photo by Catalina Kulczar) New Latin Wave and National Sawdust in New York City will present “Paraíso” on June 16, 2023. The experimental chamber opera tells the story of a mother and her child from Puebla, Mexico, who cross the U.S./Mexico border to join her husband in New York City. The opera is written by Venezuelan poet, scholar, and educator {…}
National Sawdust has named Ana De Archuleta as its new Managing Director. In her new role, De Archuleta will work closely co-founder, composer, and artistic director Paola Prestini. She takes over for Managing Director Brian Berkopec. “National Sawdust is one of the most impactful multidisciplinary arts organizations of the 21st century and an indispensable incubator of new music and sound {…}
The Center for Contemporary Opera will present the workshop-premiere in concert for Niloufar Nourbakhsh’s “We, The Innumerable.” The work, which features a libretto by Lisa Flanagan, will be presented on Oct. 21, 2022 at the National Sawdust. The work is set during Iran’s Green Movement and features one woman’s fight for freedom in the face of state-sanctioned violence. “The October {…}
The sought-after soprano and activist Karen Slack will perform “Of Thee I Sing,” a program focused on “the healing powers of justice and love.” Focused on racial justice and music by women composers, Slack curated “Of Thee I Sing” in the summer of 2020. She chose works by Clayton White, Undine Smith Moore, Ricky Ian Gordon, Scott Gendel, H. Leslie {…}
Nia Imani Franklin, as part of Chris Grymes’ Open G Series at Sawdust, is hosting a show on April 28, 2022. Franklin will be joined by such artists as vocalist Jerenae Raeford, cellist Matt Haimovitz, violinist Lady Jess, and pianist Rieko Tsuchica. The showcase will highlight new American women’s music by such composers as Missy Mazzoli, Jessie Montgomery, Tomeka Reid, {…}
The National Sawdust is set to present “Variant 6” on May 20, 2022. The ensemble, which includes Jessica Beebe, Rebecca Myers, Elisa Sutherland, Steven Bradshaw, James Reese, and Daniel Schwartz, will perform from its new album “New Suns” the very day that it debuts. The program includes Benjamin C.S. Boyle’s Supplice,” Bruno Bettinelli’ “Madrigali a cinque voci miste,” Jeremy Gill’s {…}
Beth Morrison Projects (BMP) has announced the “BMP: Next Gen” concert, co-presented by and filmed at National Sawdust. The concert is set to stream for free on May 27, 2021, at 7:30 P.M. EDT on the BMP website. In February 2021, 10 first-round finalists were selected from a pool of 117 entries submitted by young composers from across the United {…}
The National Sawdust is set to launch Live@NationalSawdust, a free digital platform. The new platform by the non-profit arts institution based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, will release weekly videos of concerts from the past five seasons starting with performances from 2015. It will also showcase professional development programming, and will include fundraising efforts for the institution and the artists involved. Audiences {…}
Mezzo-soprano Eve Gigliotti is set to appear in a reading of “Untitled (Inspired by Film Stills)” on Jan. 17, 2020 with the National Sawdust Projects. The reading, which will be presented with FERUS Festival, is a series of four operatic monodramas that explore the stages of transformation and identity in a woman’s life. The performance will feature music by Ellen {…}
Legendary soprano Lucy Shelton is set to perform at the National Sawdust on Dec. 15, 2019. She will present a program formatted as a five-course meal with Shelton spontaneously selecting the order of the “courses.” Per a press release, the appetizers will feature music of Stravinsky, John Cage, and George Rochberg. “Soups” will showcase music of Stravinsky and Rochberg, while {…}
National Sawdust has announced “A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears,” a new opera written by Julia Adolphe, as a Project-In-Residence for the 2018-2019 season. Adolphe is working with librettist Stephanie Fleischmann and adding a few new twists to the beloved children’s story written by Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist and author, Jules Feiffer, which will create an inspiring experience {…}