Cells of Wind Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 7, 2025

A Timely Examination of Solitary Confinement in Canada

FAWN Chamber Creative and NUMUS come together to co-present the concert debut of Cells of Wind, a new chamber opera about the troubling, contentious, and ongoing use of solitary confinement in correctional institutions. 

 

KITCHENER – Two champions of experimental and new music in Ontario, FAWN Chamber Creative of Toronto and NUMUS of Kitchener-Waterloo, come together to co-present the debut concert performance of Cells of Wind, an evocative new chamber opera by composer Anna Höstman and poet/librettist Oana Avasilichioaei. Commissioned and developed by FAWN, this thought-provoking work will be performed at The Registry Theatre on January 29, 2025 at 7 PM, offering audiences an unforgettable experience that explores the psychological and emotional toll of solitary confinement on incarcerated people.

Inspired by the harrowing real-life experiences of Romanian artist Lena Constante, Cells of Wind delves into the psychological and emotional toll of prolonged, forced isolation. The opera is being situated in the Canadian context, where practices resembling “solitary confinement”, now known as “Structured Intervention Units” (SIUs), remains a pressing human rights issue. Avasilichioaei’s libretto vividly portrays the inner world of women confronting the boundaries between memory, imagination, and reality while being kept in an SIU. Höstman’s stunning score creates a musical landscape that immerses listeners in the fractured, fragile world of the human mind under duress. At its core, Cells of Wind is a meditation on survival and the fundamental need for human connection.

Policies akin to solitary confinement continue to be a social justice issue of vital importance in Canada that merits increased public awareness. Despite legislative reforms under Bill C-83, reports indicate ongoing violations of prisoners’ rights, with individuals still subjected to isolation for excessive hours without meaningful human contact. With so much focus on inequities in the American criminal justice system, FAWN plans to use Cells of Wind as a platform to inform audiences of the impacts of solitary confinement in Canada, including the long-standing struggle over its use. This opera will be a timely contribution to the ongoing national dialogue on criminal justice issues. 

This opera-in-concert performance features a stellar creative team and cast, including mezzo-soprano Rebecca Cuddy as L, an incarcerated woman; baritone Evan Korbut as H, L’s remembered lover; soprano Rebecca Gray as G, a fellow prisoner; and tenor Xander Bechard as the patrolling Guard. Supporting these leads is a five-soprano chorus of incarcerated women, played by Justine Owen-Garber, Gwenna Fairchild-Taylor, Keely McPeek, Danielle Aprile, and Emma Heaton, as well as a six-piece ensemble of flute by Sara Constant, clarinet by Tiago Delgado, accordion by Michael Bridge, violin by Ilana Waniuk, cello by Dobrochna Zubek, and percussion by Nathan Petitpas.

NUMUS welcomes FAWN during the exciting inaugural season of NUMUS Artistic Director Guy Few. He shares his passion for the Cells of Wind project and its mission, saying that “NUMUS is committed to finding the unique in new works, composers, performers and the audience through context, identity and experience. There is no question that Cells of Wind has a political, social, and very human message that will reverberate throughout our community, here in K-W, and beyond. NUMUS is proud to collaborate with FAWN to share this important, new creation.”

 

NUMUS and FAWN invite audiences to experience this powerful opera-in-concert presentation of Cells of Wind, and reflect on the urgent social and human rights issues it raises.

Performance Details:

Promotional images available at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aeXaFRsDY9T9A0BfmW37xFShzqu0GynQ?usp=share_link. 

 

Watch the mini doc of FAWN’s 2022 workshop process at https://youtu.be/CExNQvBNi0A. 

For more information, please contact: 

About NUMUS:

 

NUMUS invites audiences to explore the bold sounds and ideas of a new generation of composers and performers while celebrating the innovators of the past.

 

Founded in 1985 by composer Peter Hatch and based in Waterloo, Ontario, NUMUS is one of Canada’s foremost new music organizations, renowned for its electrifying contemporary programming and high standards of artistry.

 

NUMUS showcases established and emerging talent from across Canada and the globe in Waterloo’s world-class venues. Diverse musical genres, traditional and experimental instruments and scored and improvised elements come together to create unique concert-going experiences that capture the fluidity and relevance of contemporary music.

 

Exciting, challenging, ground-breaking: NUMUS is new music, now.

About FAWN Chamber Creative:

FAWN Chamber Creative is a two-time Dora Award nominated experimental music and opera company in Toronto. Known for their daring live performances, FAWN prioritizes cross-disciplinary collaboration to create new works and audience experiences that defy tradition and blur the lines between genres. Their work in opera focuses on exploring the creation process with a special focus on collaborative methods, such as devising, leading FAWN and their collaborating artists into new and unexpected territory.

MEDIA NOTE: Interviews with the creative team, cast, and consultants may be available upon request.