Anna Cavaliero to star in Glyndebourne world premiere

2019 CMF Artist, Anna Cavaliero will perform in the world premiere of a new chamber opera by Samantha Fernando and sound artist Melanie Wilson. 

“glass human” is scored for viola, cello, accordion, harp, and percussion and will be performed by five musicians from Glyndebourne Tour Orchestra. Joining them are three soloists, soprano Anna Cavaliero, mezzo-soprano Camille Maalawy and bass Stephen Bowen. The production is directed by Lucy Bailey and designed by Joanna Parker. Ashley Beauchamp conducts.

The opera explores the theme of loneliness, featuring the stories of three individuals and their experiences with loneliness. A young student lives away from home for the first time and hears disturbing voices in her head, a Syrian refugee seeks asylum, and a bereaved older man experiences the first symptoms of dementia.

Composer Samantha Fernando said in a press statement, “The characters reflect three very different experiences of loneliness but also a shared desire to connect with another person. That’s something they are all striving for, something we can all relate to, I think.”

Fernando and Wilson added a unique aspect; a fourth character called sinkhole, which underpins the opera and acts as the sonic embodiment of loneliness as the voices of real people speak about their experiences.

In a press release, sound artist and writer Wilson stated, “Opera today can take many varied forms, and this project is an example of that multiplicity in its use of electronics, contemporary vocal styles and a horizontal relationship between the instrumentalists and the singers on stage. We are excited to offer our audiences a fresh experience of what opera might feel like.”