Belladonna: A Co-Composition Opera In Concert, Process Discussion & Workshop Presentation

Produced by FAWN Chamber Creative and Co-Presented with Arraymusic

Thursday, January 18, 2024
Friday, January 19, 2024
@ Array Music 155 Walnute Ave. Toronto 

Doors at 7:30
Presentation at 8:00

Suggested donation $25

Click here for ticket info

This opera-in-concert will be the culmination of a week of collective creation when FAWN and a team of artists will come together to co-compose a graphic score for Belladonna, a queer techno-opera by librettist Gareth Mattey. During this week, FAWN and the Belladonna team will explore group composition techniques for opera, and document it as a graphic score. We expect the piece to be 45-60 minutes in length and a process discussion will follow to share the discoveries made by the team about how they approached working in this way as well as the piece itself.  

Rather than a “coming out” story, Mattey’s aim for Belladonna is to focus on a moment of self-reflection and discovery when coming to understand one’s own queerness. FAWN is using a collective creation method for the piece, as opposed to solo composition, to ensure the musical interpretation reflects the experiences of a community of people. 

Belladonna continues FAWN’s mission to explore ways opera can be made, along with their passion for bringing more voices and perspectives into the creation process. 

The Belladonna Team

Teiya Kasahara – singer & co-composer (playing Cloth)
Hillary Jean Young – singer & co-composer (playing Lake)
Rebecca Gray – singer & co-composer (playing the voice of Atrophy)
Vanese Smith – electronic artist & co-composer
Sara Constant – flutist & co-composer
Morgan-Paige Melbourne – pianist & co-composer
Yang Chen – percussionist & co-composer
Adam Scime – double bassist & co-composer (FAWN collective member)
Harri Thomas – devising director/dramaturg
Gareth Mattey – librettist
Amanda Smith – creative producer, process facilitator & co-arranger (FAWN collective member)
Rebecca Gray – co-arranger (FAWN collective member)
Nolan Hildebrand – graphic score consultant & co-arranger