RUR A Stream of Light it is the first Canadian work to win the 2023 Award for BEST NEW OPERA from the Music Critics Association of North America (MCANA). The Tapestry Opera/OCAD (Ontario College of Art and Design) University Co-Production Award, announced today, was awarded to composer Nicole Lizee and librettist Nicholas Billon.
Competition for the award was tough, particularly since many productions had been delayed by the pandemic. The MCANA Awards Committee includes LvT's own Arthur Kaptainis.
The site-specific work premiered in the Great Hall of OCAD on May 28, 2022 and dominated dora awards for that year to win in six of seven categories, including:
- Exceptional production;
- Best Performance by an Ensemble: Maeve Palmer, Annie Ramos, Jennifer Routhier, Sofi Gudiรฑo,
- Katherine Semchuk, Emily Spearing, and Brayden Cairns;
- Outstanding New Opera: Nicole Lizรฉe (composer) and Nicolas Billon (librettist);
- Outstanding Musical Direction: Gregory Oh;
- Featured Director: Michael Hidetoshi Mori;
- Outstanding Achievement in Design: Debashis Sinha.
More than 20 artists from various media collaborated in the creative team. The MCANA Committee also specifically noted that "Cameron Anderson's striking set and Joanna Yu's costumes incorporated retro elements that made the setting seem both futuristic and universal."
Award-winning composer and librettist RUR A Torrent of Lights is celebrated during the MCANA annual meeting today, June 22, at the University Club of Chicago.
About the Opera
RUR stands for Rossumovi Univerzรกlnรญ Roboti or Rossum's Universal Robots, and is based on the science fiction work by Czech writer Karel ฤapek. The play, which premiered in 1921, was quite influential in its time; is the literary work credited with adding the word robot to the English language.
The contemporary interpretation of Tapestry/OCAD adds a feminist slant and takes the action into the near future, now, where AI is inextricably intertwined with everyday life. However, the androids that a technology company has created begin to turn against them in a growing uprising for independence as the company's two owners grapple with what to do about it.
OCAD University's Social Body Lab helped develop wearable technology that enhances and amplifies singers' and dancers' performances with lighting or speakers. Other innovations created for the production include a cello bow that produces bird calls. The score uses unconventional instruments, such as a typewriter, to produce a futuristic soundscape.
reactions
Both winners commented in a statement.
โFor RUR A Torrent of Light to be recognized with this prestigious award from MCANA is a true honor. When Nicolรกs and I began our collaboration so many years ago, never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be awarded as the best new opera in North America. Nic and I would like to extend our deepest thanks and gratitude to Michael Mori, Tapestry Opera and the incredible artists and creative team we had the pleasure of working with.โโcomposer Nicole Lizee
โRUR A Torrent of Light has been a labor of love for Nicky and I, and we are deeply honored that MCANA is recognizing our opera with this award. We also want to acknowledge the creative team on production for their wonderful and inspiring work in bringing RUR to life." โ librettist Nicholas Billon
The Awards Committee had the following to say about the music:
โRUR A Torrent of Light succeeds on many levels, but we were particularly impressed by the freshness and vibrancy of Nicole Lizรฉe's score. While rooted in the minimalist tradition, the music is inventive, expressive, and expertly written for the voice. Nicolas Billon's libretto skilfully employs repetition to represent the machines' efforts to express themselves. One figure of particular interest is the android Alex. It is unusual for a non-human character to invite deep sympathy. Alex's dilemma is scanned as authentically operatic."
Congratulations to Nicole Lizรฉe, Nicolas Billon and the entire production team.
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Anya Wassenberg is a Senior Writer and Digital Content Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an experienced freelance writer, blogger, and writing instructor at OntarioLearn.
