Immersive Opera to Premiere at Fralin Museum

Mexican-American composer Nathan Felix will present his new immersive opera titled All is Apathetic in Love & War at the Fralin Museum of Art (155 Rugby Rd) at UVA on Friday November 3rd at 6:30pm. All is Apathetic in Love & War is inspired by their exhibition, Radioactive Inactives by Patrick Nagatani.

The opera follows an entangled apathetic love triangle between two brothers, Evander and Santiago, serving in the war and Evander’s fiance, Ophelia, back home. Santiago is sent home early after being injured in a catastrophic bombing that ultimately ends the war. But before Evander is sent home he is severely injured in a final reconnaissance mission, leaving him as an amputee. Evander internally struggles with being disabled and his struggle is compounded when he learns of Ophelia’s distant heart. The lead roles of Evander and Ophelia are played by baritone Ryan Davis and soprano Rachel Kobernick, respectively. This immersive opera will occur in and around various spaces within the Fralin Museum and museum goers are encouraged to follow the performers as they move throughout the museum and amongst the audience.

Felix is known for his guerilla-style approach in presenting classical music in unconventional spaces and All is Apathetic in Love & War is no exception, with a performance utilizing space, movement, and acoustics to activate the Fralin Museum both indoors and outdoors. The idea behind Felix’s immersive opera is similar to a flash mob as it revolves around blurring the line between performer and audience by having musical performers move amongst the audience as they perform a cohesive musical composition. The audience is encouraged to follow the narrative of the piece which entails following the soloists but they are ultimately given agency to explore based on feeling, sight and soundscape.