New Works Collective (2025)
New Works Collective
Stories for St. Louis, chosen by St. Louis
Experience the future of opera with three all-new 20-minute works! Last winter, more than 150 artists applied to create new operas with OTSL. Ultimately, just three multi-genre teams were selected by a panel of St. Louis artists, advocates, and community leaders. Now, those three teams are about to prove just how innovative, inclusive, and fun opera can be. These stories will whisk audiences from ancient Kush to modern-day St. Louis, telling stories of friendship, sacrifice, and victory. Get ready for a night full of joy and discovery as we celebrate the power of the human spirit! Â
Event information
Venue
Catherine B. Berges Theatre at COCA
Ticket Prices
$35–$55Â
Running Length
1 hour and 30 minutes, including two 15-minute intermissions Â
Content Advisory
Scenes depicting ancient warfare
Black Coffee
As a recent St. Louis transplant, Makena is struggling to find community. After all, how exactly does one make friends as a grown-up? From googling “how to make friends” to trying a local book club, Makena isn’t ruling anything out. As her dad often reminds her, “Have patience and you’ll land the friends of a lifetime.” Poignant and funny by turns, Makena’s story is immediately relatable to anyone who has ever searched for a village of their own.
Concert Black
Composer
Alicia Revé Like
Librettist
Family Style
17-year-old Mia lives with her father, Ping. They’ve scrimped and saved for years so that Ping can open his own Taiwanese restaurant after a lifetime of working as a dishwasher. However, Ping refuses to pursue his dream until Mia graduates and goes to college. Her education must come first. One day, a promisingly large envelope arrives from Mia’s top-choice university…but will her own dream come at too steep a price?
Meilina Tsui
Composer
Melisa Tien
Librettist
Kandake
In the ancient African kingdom of Kush, queens were known as the Kandake. Discover the true story of Kandake Amanirenas, the warrior queen who defied the might of the Roman Empire. When Amanirenas learns that a Roman army has captured the Kush city of Philae, she’ll stop at nothing to protect her people’s liberty…including single-handed combat against a deadly centurion. This action-packed opera brings to vivid life one of history’s greatest unknown heroines.
Tim Amukele
Composer
Jarrod Lee
Librettist
Cast
(Parts listed by work: Black Coffee / Family Style / Kandake)
Taylor-Alexis DuPont
Makena / Neighbor 1 & Oracle 2 / Kushite
Cierra Byrd
Amanirenas / Blake / Allegra
Paul Chwe Minchul An
Ping / Nick & Barista / Roman Soldier
Emilie Kealani
Mia & Emery / Co-Worker 1 & Oracle 1 / Kushite
Martin Luther Clark
Akinidad & Father / Co-Worker 2 & Neighbor 2 / Kushite
Creative Team
Darwin Aquino
Conductor
Richard Gammon
Stage Director
Jonathan Heaney
Repetiteur
Opera is for everyone!
Discover how we’re making the New Works Collective accessible for our entire community below, or visit our Accessibility page to learn about other services offered during our main Festival Season.
Leadership support for the New Works Collective comes from the Mellon Foundation and the Edward Jones Foundation. Â
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Accessibility enhancements for the New Works Collective are made possible by PNC Arts Alive. Â
