Opera Philadelphia is taking its next step into the future of the art form with the launch of the Opera Philadelphia Channel, a global broadcast platform that will bring a revised 2020-2021 season into opera lovers' homes via their television screens and streaming devices.
Larry, who serves as Opera Philadelphia's Artistic Advisor and had been scheduled to perform in residency as part of Festival O20, will launch the broadcast season with two filmed concerts. In "Lawrence Brownlee & Friends in Philadelphia," Brownlee and a diverse lineup of guest artists will perform some of their favorite repertoire, resulting in a dynamic combination of arias, songs, and spirituals, showcasing the virtuosic range of the artists. Brownlee will also lead the broadcast premiere of Cycles of My Being, a song cycle that centers on what it means to be a Black man living in America today. Composed by multi-instrumentalist Tyshawn Sorey, who is currently Opera Philadelphia's Composer in Residence, with lyrics by the award-winning poet Terrance Hayes, both of whom are MacArthur "genius grant" winners, the song cycle received its world premiere with the company in 2018.
"The ideas, themes and experiences that make up Cycles of My Being have been on my mind for quite some time," Brownlee said. "As I've watched men of color endure undeserved aggression, incarceration, brutality, and even death, I've been forced to consider my thoughts and questions around what it means to be a Black man in America today, and how we as a people are viewed and treated."
For more information, please visit the Opera Philadelphia website, HERE.
