Anima Mundi Productions

Tango of the White Gardenia is a new chamber opera developed by Anima Mundi Productions and commissioned and produced by Cascadia Chamber Opera in Eugene, Oregon.

Angela Allen, Oregon ArtsWatch opera critic wrote of the premiere:
“…[Anima Mundi Productions’ opera Tango of the White Gardenia] will travel to places that usually don’t see much live opera, [and] I hope it also eventually goes to middle and high schools to reach young people. Its messages are loud and clear and humane, and the art is fine enough to carry them. We need compassion, not competition when it comes to relationships. Not only can Tango of the White Gardenia turn people onto the sometimes-alienating ancient art form of opera, it also suggests that we can become better people.”

At its core, it is a contemporary story that features urgent themes for today’s audiences, such as how enduring love and staying true to one’s heart are more precious than winning external recognition, how the consequences of parents’ mistakes cast a shadow on their children’s lives, and how bullies are made, not born. Specifically, it reveals how parental abandonment of a child often creates emotional insecurity and a sense of not being worthy of love, and many times the absence of care-giving parents creates a compulsion to compete, seduce, and win worldly recognition at any cost.

All of this drama unfolds against the background of Argentine Tango, which permeates both the musical score and the choreography of the six dancers who mirror each of the singing characters. In this context, the Tango becomes a metaphor for life and a perfect canvas for the expression of intense passion, deep connections, strident conflicts, and powerful reconciliation, all in operatic proportions!

Developed by Anima Mundi Productions and commissioned by the Rogue Valley Symphony, How Can You Own The Sky? is a program symphony in four movements developed through a year-long collaboration between composer Ethan Gans-Morse, poet Tiziana DellaRovere, and Native American Studies professor and Native Nations Liaison, Brent Florendo. The piece explores a rich combination of Siletz and Wasco traditional stories and recently uncovered history, particularly the details of the Rogue River Wars that took place in Southern Oregon in the 1850’s and resulted in the violent removal of all Native peoples of the region.

The piece is built on the framework of a traditional symphony and is further enriched with short, powerful episodes of storytelling between each of its four movements. It begins with the presentation of an original song composed and sung by Mr. Florendo, accompanied by the members of his family, an ensemble that performs professionally under the name Dancing Spirit. Mr. Florendo then becomes the storyteller and narrator of the piece, presenting the first section of Ms. DellaRovere’s narrative poem, which describes the creation of the Rogue Valley region according to Siletz tribal legends.

The orchestra then begins, with each movement alternating with and providing a programmatic depiction of the recited poetry, until all four sections of music and poetry have been presented. These four sections focus on 1) mythic creation, 2) the struggles of the first people to find wisdom and harmony with their surroundings, 3) the trail of tears and the devastation of their removal from their ancestral lands, and 4) the rediscovery of Native wisdom and hope for healing at last. Throughout the work, Mr. Florendo’s original song is the through-line, undergoing narrative change and development in the orchestra through its long journey from creation to final catharsis. At the very end of the piece, Dancing Spirit joins the orchestra in their final statement of the primary song and drumming, bringing these two music communities—and we hope their larger constituencies as well—together in friendship and reconciliation.

"How Can You Own The Sky? provides emotional catharsis on par with the great masterworks of the past. The dramatic score is brought to life through first-class orchestration and connects seamlessly with the poetry. Both the musicians and the audience were deeply touched by the experience.”
Martin Majkut, Music Director of the Rogue Valley Symphony

Our Heart of Humanity concert series is an annual series of three concerts features world-class musicians giving voice to marginalized people with compassion and depth, turning the concert hall into a space for renewed hope, communal healing and mutual understanding.

More at http://www.humanitytickets.com/

Six Feet Apart is an innovative multimedia work of choral music based on real-life pandemic experiences that harnesses the power of music, poetry, and art to amplify diverse voices and foster collective healing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Featuring music composed by Ethan Gans-Morse and poetry by Tiziana DellaRovere, with special guest poets Anis Mojgani & Kim Stafford, video design by Camilla Tassi, performances by HEX and Brightwork Ensemble, and artwork by Betty LaDuke.

For more information or to view this complete work, visit: https://animamundiproductions.com/sixfeetapart

Music has a unique power to bring people together and dissolve barriers. And yet, for centuries, performing arts institutions have erected obstacles to prevent Black, Indigenous, and other musicians of color from sharing this most profoundly human form of expression.

As we reconcile the wounds of our past, we must create a new cultural future, a world in which everyone with a story to tell or a song to sing has an opportunity to do so in concert halls and opera houses.

With our We Cannot Walk Alone concert series and commissioning project, Anima Mundi Productions dedicated our 2021-22 season to the growing movement to open up long-barricaded spaces and inviting collaboration with performing artists and composers of color. While we can never reclaim all the beauty and bounty that have been lost over the centuries, we can restore a missing puzzle piece that never should have been excluded in the first place.

Learn more at https://animamundiproductions.com/anti-racism/