Ga Sho : Exclusive Preview

Please be our guest to an exclusive in-progress showing and fundraiser for the powerful new opera, Ga Sho, amidst the hills of New York's scenic Hudson Valley. Hosted by Clifford & Kyla Hart.

GA SHO (May You Be Loved)

An immersive audio theater experience based on a true story

Music by Pete M. Wyer
Libretto by Pete M. Wyer & Melissa Salmons
with additional music from Ngawang Sangdrol and Tenzin Choegyal

PREVIEW EVENT: GA SHO
Sunday, May 29, 2022 / 4-7pm

Hudson Hollow Farm, Rhinebeck, NY
Exact address and directions will be provided upon RSVP

The American Opera Project is proud to welcome you to an exclusive in-progress showing and fundraiser for a powerful new opera, set to premiere in 2023. Please join the creators and artists as we share excerpts from the opera, discuss its origins and concept, raise money for the upcoming premiere, and celebrate this ambitious innovative work with food and drink in a beautiful, outdoor space with views of the rolling hills of the Hudson valley.

or schedule a personal visit during our workshop week at Hudson Hollow Farm to experience (details below)…

Questions? Please email Takesha Meshé Kizart-Thomas at tmkthomas@aopopera.org

Ga Sho is an original immersive experience into the life of a teenage Tibetan nun who challenges the Chinese government with an act of peaceful protest that condemns her to years of brutal torture in prison. She survives by holding close to her sung mantras, her memories of family, her devotion to her fellow prisoners… and her belief that her torturers are her greatest teachers in the practice of compassion.

Inspired by a true story, Ga Sho (which translates to “May You Be Loved”) is a timely reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, the unifying power of song, and how revolutions can be fought by showing love to your greatest enemy. Ga Sho has uniquely been conceived as both a multimedia opera-theatre work and a stand-alone audio-visual installation for museums and open indoor spaces.

In the 90-minute music-theatre work, a theater-in-the-round staging surrounds a raised platform where the Tibetan nun Tsering (soprano) is confined to her prison cell. Alone in her solitary confinement, the only live interaction she has is with the Commander of the Drapchi prison (bass-baritone), while behind the scenes an American diplomat (mezzo-soprano) works for her release. A fully immersive 24 channel sound design surrounds the audience with a fusion of western opera, Asian-pop music, and authentic chanting of Tibetan monks and instruments that transform the space from the harsh external realities of Tsering’s prison life to her inner spiritual world. Large scale animated projections of the wrathful and peaceful deities of The Tibetan Book of the Dead and original films of Tsering’s memories from her life before prison take participants on a sweeping journey towards freedom – both physical and spiritual.

More info at: aopopera.org/ga-sho

CREATORS

Culture & Outreach Team

PRESS

“Although the opera is still a work in progress, Wyer’s score and libretto are off to a stunning start … inventive mixture of Western music with traditional Tibetan sounds … Wyer is fortunate to have the support of American Opera Projects, an organization that excels at producing new works by contemporary composers.” — Gwarlingo.com

Information

Duration 90' / no intermission

Commission Commissioned and developed by The American Opera Project. Currently seeking co-commissioners and presenters for World Premiere run (2022-24).

Premiere 2023-24, DOX Centre for Contemporary Art, Prague, Czechia

Roles 4 live singers (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass-baritone); 2 live actors (female, male); pre-recorded singers

Instrumentation Ga Sho features a twenty four channel, cutting edge soundscape of music and audio design, delivering virtual characters and instruments. These are pre-set and do not require additional performers. No live instrumentation required.

Publisher Staged performances of this work require licensing through the creators.

Website www.gashoproductions.org

Development Artists Hirona Amamiya, Brittany Fowler, Hidenori Inoue, Maren Montalbano, Daniel Neer, Mila Henry (Workshop Music Director)