The
Listeners

Publikumsrolleliste

Publikumsrolleliste THE LISTENERS 2022.pdf

Biographies artistic team

Ilan Volkov, conductor
Missy Mazzoli, composer
Royce Vavrek, librettist
Lileana Blain-Cruz, director
Adam Rigg, set designer
Kaye Voyce, costume designer
Yi Zhao, lighting designer
Raja Feather Kelly, choreographer
Hannah Wasileski, video designer
Cori Ellison, dramaturg

“The Listeners” follows Claire, a suburban high school teacher living in the southwestern United States. Her life spirals out of control when she begins to hear a mysterious low-frequency hum. The Hum keeps her awake at night and threatens her sanity, but she finds an ally in Kyle, a student who also hears the all-consuming noise. When Kyle discovers a group that meets regularly in hopes of understanding and eliminating the source of the Hum, Claire is optimistic that this might be a turning point in her crisis. The group is led by the charismatic Howard Bard and his second-in-command Angela, who provide a compassionate environment for the beleaguered Claire and Kyle.

As the group grows in number the meetings devolve into strange, ritualistic behavior. When former soldier Dillon is expelled from the group after suggesting that the noise is a government conspiracy, he attempts to shoot down a mobile phone tower. He is arrested and criminal attention is placed on Howard and the cult of Listeners. The group explodes when it is revealed that Howard has abused his power and manipulated the members. Claire, armed with newfound confidence, picks up the pieces in an effort to harness the power of the Hum.

Dear Audience,

How often does an opera director get the chance to present a world premiere based on a relevant and true story written by an internationally recognised composer?

Being given this opportunity is a genuine privilege. The creative process never stops here at the Oslo Opera House. Even when presenting traditional works, we always reinterpret them to make them relevant to our time. All the same, the birth of a new work is always an incredible experience, especially with the creators on location at the opera house. Together with the artistic team, soloists and choir, Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavkrek have spent the past few weeks further crafting this narrative, the result of which demonstrates how opera is still very much contemporary and relevant.

On a specific level, people around the world hear the sound that plagues the protagonist – including here in the Oslo area. In more general terms, people everywhere realise there is so much going on in and around us that we do not completely understand and do not know whether it originates from new technology or our own ancient nature.

The Listeners is about an auditory experience and is presented in a genre with sound as its primary expression. But as I see it, this work is primarily about our strong need to be seen and understood – also when it comes to experiences without any rational explanation. This is a fundamental necessity we share as human beings and the opera house is a place where we interact on that level.

The story introduces us to clear characters with whom we can identify and does so through music that is easy to grasp. It is performed by a clan of talented soloists, including several from our own ensemble and choir, together with other Norwegian singers, Simon Neal and Nicole Heaston.

The Listeners was commissioned by my predecessor, Annilese Miskimmon, in 2017, an inheritance I am delighted to be able to bring forth and share with all of you. I hope you will be equally as pleased with this new work as I am!

Ultima festival podcast

Interview with the composer, librettist and director

High Resolution Photos