The Thinker Opera Premieres at Cincinnati Art Museum – PR.com
Cincinnati, OH, June 25, 2024 –(PR.com)– Mexican-American composer Nathan Felix will present his new immersive opera titled The Thinker at Cincinnati Art Museum on Friday August 16. The Thinker, is a short opera about French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The opera will feature Corbin DeSpain (tenor) as Auguste Rodin, Rachel Kobernick (soprano) as Rose Beuret, Lucianna Astorga (soprano) as Rodin’s stalker Gwen John, Tess Klibanoff (mezzo) as sculptor and lover Camille Claudel, and Michael Hyatt (bass) as painter and colleague Claude Monet.
Felix is known for his guerilla-style approach in presenting classical music in unconventional spaces and The Thinker is no exception, with a performance utilizing space, movement, and acoustics to activate the Cincinnati Art Museum in a unique way. The idea behind Felix’s immersive opera is similar to a flash mob as it revolves around blurring the line between performer and audience by having musical performers move amongst the audience as they perform a cohesive musical composition. The audience is encouraged to follow the narrative of the piece which entails following the soloists but they are ultimately given agency to explore based on feeling, sight and soundscape.
The Thinker, is a short opera about French sculptor Auguste Rodin and his colorful life. The opera highlights and explores Rodin’s humble beginnings, salacious affairs, life-long love for Rose Beuret and his encounters with iconic contemporaries such as Claude Monet. Other featured musicians include conductor Moyue Zhou, violinist Tao Xue, violist Lila Reeser and cellist Colin Gregoire.
For More Information and Interview Requests contact Nathan Felix or the Cincinnati Art Museum
Who: Composer Nathan Felix
What: Immersive Opera, The Thinker (premiere)
When: Friday August 16
Where: Cincinnati Art Museum – 953 Eden Park Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45202
About Nathan Felix:
Nathan Felix (born 1981) is a Mexican-American composer known for his immersive operas and experimental films. Felix has premiered 15 operas, 4 symphonies and various chamber works in Spain, Japan, Australia, Bulgaria, Portugal, China, Sweden, Denmark, Mongolia and the United States and has been featured on the BBC, MTV, NPR, TPR & PBS. Felix, a non-award winning composer, often focuses on telling Latinx themed and minority stories that highlight border issues, underserved communities and his Hispanic heritage.
In 2023, Felix wrote, composed and directed 7 new immersive operas in 6 different cities — Glory Gone (Albuquerque), The Artificial Heart (Louisville), The Paños Prophecy (Albuquerque), The Great Flood (Iowa City), The Cadence of Life (Des Moines), All is Apathetic in Love & War (Charlottesville) & The Great Hurricane (Columbia). He also participated in The 96-Hour Opera Festival hosted by the Atlanta Opera in which along with librettist Anita Gonzalez won an award for Faces in the Flames.
Press Contact:
Nathan Felix
512.731.0314
n.j.felix@gmail.com