Oberlin Conservatory of Music Presents: Omar, by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels
Librettist: Rhiannon Giddens
Conductor: John Kennedy
Sung in English
The schedule for the evening:
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6:00 PM Pre-concert panel discussion, Narratives of Enslaved Individuals led by Oberlin faculty members Meredith Gadsby, Charles Peterson, and Caroline Wood Newhall.
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7:00 PM Performance of Omar. The concert will run approximately 170 minutes, including a 10-15 minute intermission.
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Post-concert Talkback immediately following performance: Caroline Jackson-Smith moderates the talkback with performers on the creative process and with Omar composer Rhiannon Giddens ’00, conductor John Kennedy ’82, and other cast members.
Join us for a special concert performance of the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera composed by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, based on the true story of a 19th-century Islamic scholar Omar ibn Said from West Africa who was enslaved in South Carolina. Conducted by John Kennedy, the performance spotlights Giddens and a cast of acclaimed Oberlin College and Conservatory alumni, joined by the Oberlin Orchestra and choral ensembles. A pre-concert discussion will take place at 6 pm, followed immediately by the performance. A post-concert talkback will take place immediately following the performance.
“...a melting pot inspired by bluegrass, hymns, spirituals and more, with nods to traditions from Africa and Islam. It’s an unforced ideal of American sound: expansive and ever-changing.” —New York Times
