Dreams Have No Borders
Los sueños no tienen fronteras
Dreams Have No Borders is a new chamber opera by composer Ethan Gans-Morse and librettist Tiziana DellaRovere. A collaboration with members of the Oregon Latino community, it centers on the love between Marisol and Rosario, two sisters divided by the border, highlighting the courage and humility of asylum seekers. Scored for three singers and string quartet and recorded during the pandemic, it is now a film by Emmy-winning director Jan Thompson starring Grammy winners Estelí Gomez, Cecilia Duarte, and David Morgans Sanchez.
In live performance, Dreams Have No Borders works equally well as a staged chamber opera, a concert piece with video projections, or a hybrid of the two. The 90-minute standalone film is being entered into film festivals and will be offered free for non-profits.
Video Excerpts
2-minute video trailer
Excerpt from Scene 4, "Escape"
Performed by soprano Estelí Gomez, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte, tenor David Morgans Sanchez, and the Delgani String Quartet. Special appearance by Alvaro Tellez of the Teokalli Aztec Dance troupe.
Music by Ethan Gans-Morse | Libretto by Tiziana DellaRovere
Excerpt from Scene 10, "The Road's End"
Performed by mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte and the Delgani String Quartet
Music by Ethan Gans-Morse | Libretto by Tiziana DellaRovere
For more information, please contact Ethan Gans-Morse at
ethan@animamundiproductions.com or 541-778-1211
Press
"The opera is a masterwork. It is a bright mosaic of ancestral Aztec and the Virgin of Guadalupe imagery, soul-stirring string and chamber music that vibrates with sad, but harmonic vocal sincerity and poetry brimming with pleas, endearment and hope. It reaches into your solar plexus and doesn’t let go.
It is a work that should be shown in schools, at festivals celebrating Hispanic and Latino heritages, in cinemas across the country, and especially to those who work in government and immigration. It isn’t just art; it teaches us about the resiliency of the human spirit. We need that now.”
~Lucie Scheuer, formerly of the LA Times, writing for Ashland.News
Cast Profiles
Estelí Gomez (soprano), plays Marisol, a young Mexican mother fleeing cartel violence to reunite with her older sister, Rosario, in the United States. Praised for her "clear, bright voice" by The New York Times, Estelí has performed on three Grammy Award-winning recordings and is widely recognized as a leading interpreter of both early and contemporary repertoires. Notable appearances and collaborations include the NY Philharmonic, Roomful of Teeth, Yo-Yo Ma's Silkroad Project, and numerous film soundtracks.
Cecilia Duarte (mezzo soprano), plays Rosario, Marisol's older sister whose strength and constant love nurtures her sister along her journey. A soloist on the Grammy-Winning album Duruflé: The Complete Choral Works, Cecilia has been praised by The New York Times as "A creamy voiced mezzo-soprano." Since starring in the premiere of Houston Grant Opera's Cruzar la Cara de la Luna, she has played leading roles in with opera companies around the world.
David M. Sanchez (tenor), plays Gabrielito, a young Honduran fleeing the loss of his family’s farmland which has been seized by an alliance of organized crime, corrupt politicians, and dangerous oligarchs who are destroying rainforest land to grow palm oil. David appears on three Grammy-winning Met Opera recordings and has been called "A very vigorous, exuberant tenor" by Classics Today.
Considered “the state’s finest chamber ensemble” by Oregon ArtsWatch, the Delgani String Quartet presents exciting performances of both classic and contemporary repertoire in intimate concert settings. This critically acclaimed quartet has released numerous recordings and curates their own series while regularly appearing as guest artists throughout the state.
Back row (L to R): Jannie Wei, Wyatt True, Seth Biagini, Ethan Gans-Morse, Estelí Gomez, David M. Sanchez, Cecilia Duarte, Sean McCoy, Shawn Ramagos, Nick Alexander
Front row (kneeling): Kimberlee Uwate, Tiziana DellaRovere, Valerie Rachelle, Isabella Cervantes, Eveling Alexander
Film Production Photos
Director Jan Thompson with the Valhalla Media film crew and opera creators Ethan Gans-Morse and Tiziana DellaRovere