World premiere from Decameron Opera Coalition – ‘HEROES’

The Hampsong Foundation is thrilled to have collaborated with the Decameron Opera Coalition on their project HEROES, which launches today, Oct. 1, 2021!

HEROES – second world premiere from the Decameron Opera Coalition

The old statues have been pulled down. What new figures will take their place?

On Friday, October 1 at 12:01am PT / 3:01am ET / 9:01am CET, the Decameron Opera Coalition will release all three episodes of their highly anticipated second world premiere project titled HEROES. Tickets are now available at https://bit.ly/DOCHeroes.


The work consists of eight chapters commissioned and produced by Decameron Opera Coalition member companies, presented within three episodes, and explores the meaning of heroism and profiles unsung, unconventional, or misunderstood heroes from varying eras and geographies. HEROES looks forward into a new era of innovation in opera and to increasingly enlightened perspectives on who we hold up as role models and why. American soprano & Sphinx Medal of Excellence winner (2022) Karen Slack leads a quartet of soloists singing “Hero Songs” written by composer Peter Hilliard and librettist Matt Boresi, which frames all of the episodes. Some of the subjects include Hazel Johnson, the “Mother of Environmental Activism”, a Pay-What-You-Can Cafe in an urban food desert, and even the everyday heroes in and around all of our lives.


Heroes Company, Episode & Chapter Listing

“Hero Songs” by Peter Hilliard & Matt Boresi
(Decameron Opera Coalition) featuring soprano Karen Slack, mezzo-soprano; Tesia Kwarteng, tenor; Javier Abreu, and baritone John Castillo

EPISODE 1: “ANSWERING THE CALL”

“The Place” by Maria Thompson Corley & Sandra Oyinloye
(Lyric Opera of the North – Duluth, MN)

“Letter to Our Children” by Justine F. Chen & Jacqueline Goldfinger
(Resonance Works – Pittsburgh, PA)

“Unsung Activist” by Steve Wallace
(Opera in the Heights – Houston, TX)

EPISODE 2: “THE LONG ARC”

“Sacajawea: Woman of Many Names” by Dawn Avery & Blake Hill-Saya
(Fargo-Moorhead Opera – Fargo, ND)

“The Widow’s Will” by Elizabeth Rudolph & Bilal Dardai
(Chicago Fringe Opera – Chicago, IL)

EPISODE 3: “SUSTENANCE”

“Home Cooked Heroes” by Brit Nicole & Ms. Lotus Fankh
(Milwaukee Opera Theatre – Milwaukee, WI)

“Heroes of New York” by Dina Pruzhansky & Briana Hunter
(Bare Opera – New York, NY)