“Portals” is a project that seeks to build aesthetic and social bridges through collaborative art. On one level, the artistic content of the project intertwines dualities such as life/afterlife, perception/memory, reality/fantasy, and love/hatred. On a broader level, the project seeks to highlight the interaction between literature, music, and puppetry, with the purpose of finding a balance between the unity of the whole and the independence of each art form.

“Portals” will bring together two contemporary musical works based on literary texts, and dramatized through puppetry. These works are the scenic cantata Comala, by Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, and Nocturnes, composed especially for this project by Daniel Pesca. The two works are delicately connected by a prismatic interrelationship of thematic threads between their literary texts. Their pairing invites distinct but complementary reflections on fundamental themes of love, loss, and identity.

The two works will be performed by Zohn Collective, an ensemble devoted to the performance of contemporary classical music. Comala will be staged by celebrated puppet company La Coperacha. The project includes performances and outreach activities in Oberlin (OH), Cleveland (OH), and Chicago (IL) in October of 2019.

The Zohn Collective features Tony Arnold '90, soprano; Zach Finkelstein, tenor; Timothy Weiss, conductor. Theatrical puppets by La Coperacha (Guadalajara); staging by Antonio Camacho.

Admission is free.

Participation of La Coperacha is possible thanks to the support of the Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts and by the Eastman School of Music. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

Read more about Zohn Collective