GENERAL INFORMATION

Community & Learning, Houston Grand Opera’s community and learning initiative, and Asia Society Texas Center (ASTC) invite submissions from Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) composers or AAPI-centered composer/librettist teams for a new chamber opera that celebrates Lunar New Year centered on the story of the Jade Emperor and the Great Race. As part of Community & Learning's Song of Houston, the work will be suitable for children, families, and adults and would provide a creative way for all to learn more about Lunar New Year traditions. The work will allow for flexibility of each changing New Year, for example, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, and 2025, the year of the Snake, etc. More importantly, as Lunar New Year is celebrated in many different Asian countries, the work will be inclusive of many Lunar New Year cultural traditions.

The chamber opera parameters include:

• • 45 - 60 minutes in length
  • Maximum of 6 stage performers (singers, actors, dancers) with additional supers if needed
  • 4 – 6 instrumentalists
  • Small-medium venue: Ideally this work will be performed in small-medium sized venues including theatres with less than 300 seats, community venues with minimal technical infrastructure, or outdoor venues.

Submissions are invited from AAPI composers or AAPI-centered composer/librettist teams who reside in North America. The selected in collaboration with Community & Learning and ASTC, will choose the creative teams and develop the operas through a series of workshops leading up to the premiere in early February of 2024.

The selection committee will be comprised of representatives from Asia Society Texas Center, Houston Grand Opera, and representatives of the Asian American and Pacific Islander creative and performing arts community in Houston, Texas

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCESS

The deadline to submit materials is August 2, 2021 (11:59 p.m. CST). Online submissions only.

Submit your application all in one email to composers@hgo.org 

Applications must include:

A. A description of broad ideas you might be interested in exploring for the work (250 words max each).

B. Include digital links only (private or public) of three (3) contrasting works, 5-7 minutes maximum each:

• • Composers – digital manuscripts, at least one of which must include solo voice. Submit links to recordings (audio or video) of each work. 
  • Librettists/Writers – digital manuscripts of representative works that demonstrate an ability to work within a framework of a musical setting. Though not required, you are invited to submit video samples of performances of submitted work.
  • Do not send files or passwords to access the links.

C. Résumé(s) (PDF).  

D. Brief biography(ies) (300 words max) (PDF). 

E. Headshot(s) (JPG). 
 

Proposed Project Timeline: 

If you have questions, contact Emily Wells, HGOco Senior Producing Manager, at composers@hgo.org