Miami University’s Music Composition and Technology departments will join forces with Guerilla Opera on April 19 to bring what organizers describe as a dynamic fusion of lecture, workshop, and concert experience to Oxford.
Guerilla Opera is a “punk ensemble” based in Boston that has performed hundreds of new operas since it was founded in 2007.
At noon on April 19, soprano Aliana de la Guardia, Guerilla Opera’s co-founding executive director, will lead a humanities lecture/presentation titled, “Equity, Inclusivity, and Multicultural Collaboration in Contemporary Opera” in room 100 Presser Hall. Speakers will discuss racial and gender disparities in contemporary opera.
Later that evening at 7:30 pm, Souers Recital Hall in the Center for Performing Arts will host a performance of five compositions crafted for Guerilla Opera by Miami University composition majors.
According to the press release, this collaboration aims to challenge opera stereotypes, showcasing how punk aesthetics and a genuine commitment to social justice can infuse the art form with contemporary relevance and entertainment value.