Contemperaneous

Swan Songs

March 04, 2023

Description

Swan Songs is a new evening-length immersive operatic work commissioned by Contemporaneous, created by composer Ethan Braun and librettist Vikram Devasthali, which explores the melodramatic ending in opera, the “swan song.” Absorbing all the famous endings of opera, Swan Songs follows both the story of music itself, and the legend of Ariadne escaping the labyrinth, as each try in their own way to flee from the inexorable “swan song.” Developed from the ground up through Contemporaneous: IMAGINATION,

Contemporaneous is an ensemble of 23 musicians whose mission is to bring to life the music of now. Recognized for a “ferocious, focused performance” (The New York Times) and for its “captivating and whole-hearted commitment” (I Care If You Listen), Contemporaneous performs and promotes the most exciting work of living composers through innovative concerts, commissions, recordings, and educational programs. Based in New York City and active throughout the United States, Contemporaneous has been presented by such institutions as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Park Avenue Armory, PROTOTYPE Festival, Merkin Concert Hall, MATA Festival, St. Ann’s Warehouse, and Bang on a Can and has worked with such artists as David Byrne, Donnacha Dennehy, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Dawn Upshaw, and Julia Wolfe.

A livestream will be available free of charge at 8pm on the day of the performance and archived for future viewing. Watch below or on YouTube.