calls her "an artist to watch." Shanghai-born American composer
was selected to be Festival Opera's first composer in residence for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Still a young composer, Wang Jie's credentials are growing rapidly. Her
Symphony No. 2, commissioned and premiered by the Detroit Symphony Orche
stra under the baton of Leonard Slatkin was streamed live to a worldwide audience. The showcase of her tragic opera
Nannan by New York City Opera's VOX led to the production of her chamber opera
Flown, commissioned and produced by Music-Theatre Group.
Having won the Underwood Composers Commission, her concert opera
From the Other Sky was the centerpiece of the American Composers Orchestra's season opening concert at Carnegie Hall. It was also the foundation for a double-bill of chamber operas entitled
From the Land Fallen -- originally "To Kill That Bird"-- which Festival Opera will premiere in 2017 in collaboration with
American Opera Projects (AOP) New York.
AOP was awarded the
OPERA America grant for Female Composers in 2014 to develop this production. OPERA America's Opera Grants for Female Composers provide support for the development of new operas by women, both directly to individual composers and to opera companies producing their work, advancing the important objective of increasing diversity across the field.
Festival Opera is partnering with AOP on development activities and the the world premiere. Maestro
Michael Morgan will conduct, and
Beth Greenberg will return to Festival Opera as stage director. Greenberg most recently directed Festival Opera's production of Ullmann's
The Emperor of Atlantis and Heggie's
Another Sunrise in 2014.
Wang Jie will participate in interactive community events and a workshop of
From the Land Fallen during the 2016 season with Festival Opera.