Originally broadcast at 8 p.m. Thursday, December 17, 2020.

Over four days in early June, composer Frances Pollock and playwright and librettist Jerre Dye interviewed each of Chautauqua Opera Company's 2020 Young Artists. Together they investigated the emotional and professional impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the isolation it has created for so many people around the world, and other current events, including the murder of George Floyd and the beginnings of the Black Lives Matter protests. Drawing from and inspired by these interviews, Pollock and Dye created one a cappella song for each Young Artist.

Now Chautauqua Opera is bringing together these songs to create an unforgettable tapestry of film and music which responds immediately to this unique moment in the world. Sewn together with newly created piano solos, this untraditional song cycle explores themes of love, loss, faith, and the musical ties that connect us all even as we are isolated from each other.

The song cycle will be presented in three parts on the evenings of December 3, 10, and 17. These events will also include a newly created documentary about the creation of the project and opportunities for the audience to ask the creators questions about their process.

About Chautauqua Institution: Chautauqua Institution is a community on the shores of Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York state that comes alive each summer with a unique mix of fine and performing arts, lectures, interfaith worship and programs, and recreational activities. As a community, we celebrate, encourage and study the arts and treat them as integral to all of learning, and we convene the critical conversations of the day to advance understanding through civil dialogue. CHQ Assembly is the online expression of Chautauqua Institution's mission.