Music

CLARA

Libretto: Lois Walden

Currently a work in progress, Clara is an intimate, modern opera based on the passionate and fated relationship of Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. It explores the intricate dynamics of creativity, passion, and madness while uncovering the profound connection of these three artists: their genius, codependence, and obsessive love. Though they lived in the 1800s, this is a 21st-century perspective with universal themes that resonate with the psyche of today.

Clara Schumann is a woman striving toward liberation. Johannes and Robert are her greatest supporters and distractors, and their conflicts and connection result in some of the greatest music of all time. Exploring their incendiary relationships gives us a deeper understanding of how artists live, dream, and relate to one another under extraordinary circumstances. --Lois Walden

Mila Opera Production Shot - Protoype Festival

MILA: Great Sorcerer

Music by Andrea Clearfield
Libretto by the late Jean-Claude van Itallie & Lois Walden

An epic tale that originates in Tibet, elaborating on it to create a narrative that addresses shared human experiences, such as redemption and enlightenment.

This exciting new opera showcased at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater in NYC January 12 & 13 as part of the 2019 PROTOTYPE Festival

“Folk hero, singer, and spiritual teacher, Milarepa has been venerated for one thousand years. But as a child, directed by his mother, he wields black magic against the aunt and uncle that stole his inheritance, and destroys his entire village. His remorse sends him on a life journey from mass murder to enlightenment. Set to lush orchestration melding Eastern and Western sounds, his transformation and redemption into the most revered teacher of Tibetan Buddhism offer hope and spiritual wayfinding to all who regret acts of consequence and seek higher ground. ”

Lois talked with The Poughkeepsie Journal about MILA

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