THE AMERICAN OPERA PROJECT ANNOUNCES
"LETTERS AND THE LOST VOICES OF WOMEN IN WWI",
AN ONLINE CO-PRODUCTION WITH THE NATIONAL WWI MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL
Featuring excerpts from the AOP opera-in-development,
Letters That You Will Not Get: Women’s Voices from the Great War
March 4, 2022
their, many times overlooked, contributions and cultural representations during a free, livestreamed presentation. The event will feature readings of newly transcribed letters from the National WWI Museum and Memorial's archives, selections from the AOP-developed opera Letters That You Will Not Get: Women’s Voices from the Great War by composer Kirsten Volness and co-librettists Susan Werbe and Kate Holland, as well as a keynote talk by Jennifer Orth-Veillon, author, scholar and curator of the WWrite Blog. The event, produced by Emitha LLC, will be moderated by award-winning journalist Kelly Kennedy, Managing Editor for The War Horse and U.S. Army veteran.
Letters That You Will Not Get: Women’s Voice from the Great War was developed by AOP and will receive its premiere in Brooklyn, NY on July 28, 2022 in an AOP production directed by Kate Bergstrom with music direction by Mila Henry. The opera, written by composer Kirsten Volness and co-librettists Susan Werbe and Kate Holland, gives voice to American, British, European, Asian, African and Caribbean women affected by WWI through a series of vignettes that share their responses to the war—from enthusiasm to resignation; support to opposition; the war’s beginning to its end. Combining powerful contemporary music with excerpts from women’s writings on both sides of the conflict, Letters tells the story of the Great War as experienced by the women who lived through it.
The development of Letters That You Will Not Get: Women's Voices from the Great War is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts and received funding from OPERA America’s Opera Grants for Female Composers program, supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, and is made possible through the generous leadership gifts of Lauren Adelman, Carrie Baldwin-Sayre, John Bates, Christina Bott Murphy, Marni Davis, Pegeen Rubinstein, Barbara Suter, Jean Telljohann, Denise VanLeuven, and the late Honorable Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL WWI MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL |
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The National WWI Museum and Memorial is America's leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. The Museum and Memorial fulfills its mission by maintaining the Liberty Memorial as a beacon of freedom and a symbol of the courage, patriotism, sacrifice, and honor of all who served in World War I; Interpreting the history of World War I to encourage public involvement and informed decision-making; Providing exhibitions and educational programs that engage diverse audiences; Collecting and preserving historical materials with the highest professional standards.
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ABOUT THE AMERICAN OPERA PROJECT |
Founded in 1988, The American Opera Project (AOP) has been at the forefront of contemporary opera for over 30 years. The Brooklyn-based producing organization commissions, develops and produces lyric theater projects, trains emerging composers and librettists, and creates personal connections within its community. Its works have received critical acclaim at opera companies and venues around the world, establishing a new musical canon that recognizes the operatic story in every life.
Press for AOP:
"known for bringing cutting-edge vocal productions to the masses" — New York Magazine
"a perfect first exposure to opera." — Time Out NY
"Bravo to AOP for supporting such controversial and ultimately important work." — Opera Today
"The future of American opera is in good hands." — Opera News
Media Contact: Meagan Brus, Director of Marketing and Communications
email: mbrus@aopopera.org
Press material is available at: www.aopopera.org/press
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