Description
Wilmington Concert Opera presents the world premiere of “Girondines,” a two act ensemble chamber opera for six women, and scored for piano, harp, and electronics. Composer Sarah Van Sciver set the libretto by WCO’s co-founder and artistic director, Kirsten C. Kunkle. Van Sciver will music direct and perform as the pianist for the opera. “Girondines”, based on historical fact, focuses on the story of six real life French Revolutionaries who presumably knew one another, met in secret before the Reign of Terror, and supported one another during the political upheaval. All six of the revolutionaries are women, and of these, three are guillotined and three live. Van Sciver and Kunkle are working to further their own legacy of women, both in the history of the women featured in the opera, and also to create visceral and important roles for women in opera. Starring in the premier are Kirsten C. Kunkle as Charlotte Corday (Laura Heydt–cover), Ashley Becker as Olympe de Gouges (Laurice Simmons Kennel–cover), Marisa Robinson as Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze Lavoisier (Alyssa Brode–cover), Alyssa Lehman as Madame Roland (Allison Deady–cover), Raffaella lo Castro as Madame de Staël (Kaitlyn Beth Tierney–cover), and Tracy Sturgis as Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (Annie Gill–cover). The performances are free and open to the public, and with no tickets required. Performance Dates: Oct 21-23, 2022, at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant in Wilmington. Wilmington Concert Opera is an exclusively women and minority run company, founded on the principles of diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility.