A New Opera About Steve Jobs Will Premiere in Santa Fe Next Year | Playbill

News A New Opera About Steve Jobs Will Premiere in Santa Fe Next Year Sante Fe Opera is set to stage the world premiere of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, an original opera based on the life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. A dual collaboration between composer Mason Bates and librettist Mark Campbell, the new work will premiere in 2017.

According to press notes, the opera will begin with Jobs facing his own mortality, and will trace back through his past, the events and people who shaped and inspired him. These will include his father, Zen Buddhism, past romantic relationships, his wife and business partners.

The opera "seeks to capture the buzzing creative realm of Silicon Valley with a kinetic electro-acoustic score, lush vocal writing, a compelling non-linear narrative, and a production as innovative as the man himself." The production will be helmed by Kevin Newbury, who will be joined by Michael Christie, music director for Minnesota Opera.

"The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs will mark the Company’s 15th world premiere, continuing the tradition of producing work that pushes the boundaries of the art form," commented general director Charles MacKay in a press statement. "We are delighted to take this journey into the life and legacy of a distinctly American figure."

Jobs, who passed away in 2011, has recently been the subject of two films: "Steve Jobs" starring Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet, as well as "Jobs" with Ashton Kutcher

Recently awarded the Heinz Medal in the Humanities, Bates' unique style fuses orchestral writing with the harmonies of jazz and the rhythms of techno. He currently serves as the composer-in-residence of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and his past partnerships include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, among others. Grammy nominee Campbell has written librettos for 15 operas and lyrics for five musicals. His most known opera is Silent Night, which was awarded the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in Music. Other operas include Volpone, Later the Same Evening, Bastianello/Lucrezia, Rappahannock County, The Inspector, As One and, most recently, The Manchurian Candidate.

Click here for more information on the Santa Fe Opera season.

 
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