One Ounce Opera, in our annual call for scores, reviewed over 40 works submitted from all over the world.
We worked diligently to line up an engaging program of four (4) micro-operas that will immerse you in the sonic tellings of connective, important, oh-so-human stories.
Stories that feel NOW. Dynamic. Familiar, yet…not.
In early 2024, you can experience all four in a single program:
The 6th Annual Fresh Squeezed Ounce of Opera!
If you haven’t already, mark your calendars for February 23-25 and March 1-3, 2024. We’ll once again transform The Museum of Human Achievement in East Austin and welcome you and your friends to reimagine opera in an unexpected space.
The four winning works, in alphabetical order by title, are:
Synopsis:
Immersed in a storm of contemplation and reflection, an Artist questions her chosen paths – and what she should’ve done instead – with the help of three unexpected yet all-too-familiar guests. How will what the guests offer affect the Artist’s interpretation of what has become their deepest regrets?
Originally commissioned by the Kennedy Center’s American Opera Initiative
Synopsis:
Bubbie has filled the void of Covid isolation by solving as many word searches and crosswords as possible…until her latest puzzle turns out to be a ƈʊʀֆɛɖ ֆʊʍʍօռɨռɢ ɨռƈǟռȶǟȶɨօռ that conjures a Demon from the netherworld. When Bubbie welcomes him with delight, insisting he must be her long-lost goth grandson, how far will her well-intentioned neighbor Karen go to convince the old woman that something is horribly wrong? A pandemic take on a viral internet myth, this short piece weaves together classical music and heavy metal to pose thorny questions about chosen family and what constitutes true evil.
Originally commissioned by Inversion Ensemble, Austin, TX
Synopsis:
I am worth nothing sets a stunning Coahuilteco/English poem by Texas poet Lisa Kay Adam. From the phrase Pīntci nakāmmam axām (I am worth nothing), Adam creates a vivid story of two young Coahuiltecan sisters and their encounters with newly arrived Spanish settlers and mission priests in the eighteenth century. Musically, the florid phrases and haunting modalities join with the sounds of drums and melancholic bells to paint a picture of exploitation, early death, and a lost way of life in the western Gulf coastal plains.
Originally commissioned by the Kennedy Center’s American Opera Initiative
Synopsis:
Calamus is a teenage artist with a fantastical imagination and endless curiosity. Rather than easels or clay, Calamus’ canvas is their own body. With the aid of a magic elixir, Calamus shapeshifts, expressing their true spirit by bending into different forms and offering the poetry of transformation. But when a tyrannical politician criminalizes such elixirs, Calamus’ world is on the brink of destruction, and they will need all their strength to bend the arc back towards justice…
These folks are creating the future of the operatic art form, and OOO is thrilled to give you an opportunity to experience their work in Austin. In the coming weeks, you’ll have a chance to get to know your 2024 crop of creators through our series of FSOO Composer & Librettist Spotlights.
Details on how to secure your tickets for the 6th Annual Fresh Squeezed Ounce of Opera, Feb. 23-25 & Mar 1-3, 2024 – COMING SOON.
Thank you for being a part of re-imagining opera in unexpected spaces!