Atlanta Opera will stage the contemporary piece Soldier Songs to coincide with Veterans Day in November.
The evening-length multimedia event by American composer David T. Little opens Nov. 11 and runs Nov. 12, 14-15 at the Rialto Center for the Arts in downtown Atlanta. The partnership with the Rialto marks two firsts: the first time Soldier Songs will be performed in the Southeast and the first time Atlanta Opera has performed downtown.
Soldier Songs follows the true story of one Army soldier over 60 years, from Youth (war games) to Warrior (active service) to Elder (wise and reflective) and is based on interviews Little did with soldiers from five wars. Baritone Matthew Worth will sing the lead role.
According to the composer’s website, Soldier Songs combines elements of theater, opera, rock-infused concert music and animation to explore the perceptions versus the realities of the Soldier, the exploration of loss and exploitation of innocence, and the difficulty of expressing the truth of war.
Little, says Tomer Zvulun, Atlanta Opera’s general and artistic director, is at the forefront of the renaissance of American opera. The New Yorker calls him “one of the most imaginative young composers” on the scene. The New York Times says he “has a knack for overturning musical conventions.”
Soldier Songs is part of Atlanta Opera’s new Discoveries series, which takes performances to audiences throughout metro Atlanta, staging them at the Rialto, the Alliance Theatre, the Conant Performing Arts Center at Oglethorpe University and Kennesaw State University. It’s dedicated to new works, new ideas and fresh perspectives.
Single tickets for Soldier Songs go on sale in August.
Opera subscribers will be able to buy Discoveries series tickets HERE or at 404.881.8885. Rialto subscribers will be able to buy tickets HERE or 404.413.9849.
