FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ashland Concert Celebrates Diverse Musical Traditions through the Theme of Sisterhood

Ashland, Oregon—On Sunday, May 7 at 3pm at the SOU Music Recital Hall, Ashland-based nonprofit Anima Mundi Productions will present an unforgettable concert called Honoring My Sister’s Beauty, celebrating European and African American musical traditions through the lens of sisterhood.

The unique program of professional musicians from LA and Seattle combines traditional art songs with blues and spirituals, alongside original poetry, beautiful visuals, and musical improvisation to explore women’s struggles for greater equality and racial reconciliation.

Rogue Valley poet and co-Artistic Director Tiziana DellaRovere, who contributed two poems to the program, says “this concert sparks a conversation through poetry and music intended to repair the sorrow, injustice, and separation that began centuries ago.”

The performers are LA Opera singers Lindsay Abdou and Brooke Lohman, Seattle/Tacoma-based pianist Joseph Williams, and the violinist, poet, and educator Dr. Lesa Terry.

The eclectic musical program includes works by Hildegard von Bingen, Giovanni Pergolesi, and Carlisle Floyd alongside blues, spirituals, and African American women composers Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, and Dorothy R. Moore. It also features a newly commissioned world premiere by Anima Mundi Productions’ resident artists, Tiziana DellaRovere and Ethan Gans-Morse.

TICKETS: www.HumanityTickets.com
(541) 833-3066
tickets@animamundiproductions.com

NOTE: This concert also features the option of watching from home on video.
See www.HumanityTickets.com for details.

Special reduced ticket pricing is available at the door for students under 25 and Oregon Trail cardholders. Please arrive 30 minutes early to purchase discounted tickets.

For further inquiries: Please contact executive director Ethan Gans-Morse at (541) 833-3066 x3.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ashland concert celebrates women composers spanning over 1,000 years

Ashland, Oregon—On March 12 at the SOU Music Recital Hall, Ashland-based nonprofit Anima Mundi Productions will present the professional all-female vocal ensemble In Mulieribus. As their name describes—In Mulieribus is Latin for “among women”—the group is dedicated to strengthening community through the art of music, often focusing on repertoire by female composers and for women’s voices. They will be joined by popular Ashland pianist Jodi French.

Oregon ArtsWatch has called them “One of Oregon’s premier ensembles at the top of their form” and has stated “The women of In Mulieribus do more than sing choral works; they bring them to life.”

This special program, called Among Sisters, features over 1,000 years of music written by women, starting in the 9th century with Greek composer Kassiani and culminating in the world premiere of a new work by Dr. Anna Song featuring poetry by Rogue Valley poet Tiziana DellaRovere.

According to DellaRovere, “women’s voices have been silenced or hidden under male pseudonyms. As a result, we’ve all suffered a collective wound. In the spirit of healing and restoring our humanity, this concert is dedicated to celebrating remarkable women creators and performers.”

TICKETS: www.HumanityTickets.com
(541) 833-3066
tickets@animamundiproductions.com

Special reduced ticket pricing is available at the door for students under 25 and Oregon Trail cardholders. Please arrive 30 minutes early to purchase discounted tickets.

For further inquiries: Please contact executive director Ethan Gans-Morse at (541) 833-3066 x3.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ashland-based concert series dedicates 2022-23 season to celebrating women composers and performers with genre-defying music for all

First concert of the season: Sunday, November 6 at 3:30pm

Ashland, Oregon—Anima Mundi Productions has announced the lineup of their 2022-23 concert season. Called Among Sisters, it features performances by the double Grammy-nominated Imani Winds, the Portland-based professional female vocal ensemble In Mulieribus, and the legendary Uptown String Quartet.

According to co-artistic director Tiziana DellaRovere, “women’s voices have been silenced or hidden under male pseudonyms. As a result, we’ve all suffered a collective wound. In the spirit of healing and restoring our humanity, we dedicate this season to celebrating remarkable women creators and performers.”

November 6: IMANI WINDS
Hailed as “dazzling” and “exhilarating” by The Washington Post, Imani Winds have led both a revolution and evolution of the wind quintet through their dynamic playing, adventurous programming, and imaginative collaborations over their two decades of music making. In 2016, Imani Winds received their greatest accolade: a permanent presence in the classical music section of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC.

For this program, Anima Mundi partnered with Portland-based Chamber Music Northwest and the Eugene-based Oregon Bach Festival to commission new works by Pacific Northwest composers of color that offer new perspectives into our region’s history and new hope for the region’s future.

NOTE: This concert was originally scheduled for May 1, last season, but was postponed due to Covid. Tickets sold to the May concert will be honored, and ticketholders can claim new tickets at will-call. The change of date also caused a change of time and venue. Anima Mundi Productions’ “Heart of Humanity” concerts normally take place at 3pm at the SOU Music Recital Hall, but this concert will be held at 3:30pm at the Ashland Methodist Church on the corner of N. Main & Laurel.

March 12, 2023: IN MULIERIBUS
In Mulieribus — Latin for “among women” — is a female vocal ensemble dedicated to strengthening community through the art of music, often focusing on repertoire by female composers and for women’s voices. Oregon ArtsWatch has called them “One of Oregon’s premier ensembles” and has stated “The women of In Mulieribus do more than sing choral works; they bring them to life.”

May 7, 2023: THE UPTOWN STRING QUARTET
Founded as part of the Max Roach Double Quartet and including Max Roach’s Grammy-nominated daughter, the Uptown String Quartet went on to become a visionary and revolutionary all-female ensemble. They are equally virtuosic in a wide spectrum of musical repertoire and equally comfortable as concert performers, educators, and musical ambassadors. Their 1997 appearance on Mister Rogers was recently recreated onscreen in the 2019 Tom Hanks film, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Critics have called them “A revitalized, fresh and completely new sound.”

A very special residency
Anima Mundi Productions has partnered with several community nonprofits to create opportunities for young people to attend all three concerts. Additionally, the Uptown String Quartet will be in Ashland for a 10-day residency from April 28-May 7, during which they will participate in a series of events with local youth groups and community presentations.

TICKETS: www.HumanityTickets.com
(541) 833-3066
tickets@animamundiproductions.com

Special reduced ticket pricing is available at the door for students under 25 and Oregon Trail cardholders. Please arrive 30 minutes early to purchase discounted tickets.

For further inquiries: Please contact executive director Ethan Gans-Morse at (541) 833-3066 x3.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Grammy-nominated Imani Winds to premiere new works by Pacific Northwest composers co-commissioned by Anima Mundi Productions, Chamber Music Northwest, & Oregon Bach Fest.

Sunday, May 1 at 3pm at the SOU Music Hall in Ashland

Ashland, Oregon—Ashland-based nonprofit Anima Mundi Productions has partnered with Portland-based Chamber Music Northwest and the Eugene-based Oregon Bach Festival to present Grammy-nominated Imani Winds to premiere co-commissioned compositions by three Pacific Northwest composers of color that offer new perspectives into our region’s history and new hope for the region’s future.

We Cannot Walk Alone
We Cannot Walk Alone is both the name of the concert and also the name of an ambitious project initiated and led by Anima Mundi Productions to commission and premiere seven new works by Black, Indigenous, Asian, and Latino composers. Learn more on the organization’s website.

Imani Winds
Hailed as “dazzling” and “exhilarating” by The Washington Post, Imani Winds have led both a revolution and evolution of the wind quintet through their dynamic playing, adventurous programming, and imaginative collaborations over their two decades of music making. In 2016, Imani Winds received their greatest accolade in their 20 years of music-making: a permanent presence in the classical music section of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC.

Youth and family outreach
Anima Mundi Productions has partnered with Portland Public Schools and southern Oregon-based AfroScouts, Unite Oregon, and Southern Oregon ESD to create opportunities for young people to attend Imani Winds performance and engage with the performers.

Part of a larger movement
Co-directors Ethan Gans-Morse and Tiziana DellaRovere have stated that “with We Cannot Walk Alone, Anima Mundi Productions is taking part in a growing movement to open up long-barricaded spaces and inviting collaboration with performing artists and composers of color. We have missed so much by ignoring the tremendous contributions of our fellow artists. And while we can never reclaim all the beauty and bounty that have been lost over the centuries, we can restore a missing puzzle piece that never should have been excluded in the first place.”

Program
While the ensemble embraces traditional chamber music repertoire, as a 21st-century group Imani Winds is devoutly committed to expanding the wind quintet repertoire by premiering music from new voices that reflect historical events and the times in which we currently live.

For this program, Anima Mundi Productions, Chamber Music Northwest, and Oregon Bach Festival have co-commissioned new works by Washington-based Miguel del Águila and Oregon-based Yuan-Chen Li (Oregon), and Damien Geter (Oregon). The concert will also include works selected by Imani Winds: Sontonga’s Nkosi si ke Leli (South African National Anthem) arranged by Valerie Coleman, Nathalie Joachim’s Seen (2021), and Jason Moran’s Cane (2008).

Imani Winds: We Cannot Walk Alone

DATE: Sunday, May 1, 2022 @ 3:00pm

VENUE: SOU Music Recital Hall
450 S Mountain Ave, Ashland, OR 97520

TICKETS: www.HumanityTickets.com
(541) 833-3066
tickets@animamundiproductions.com

Special reduced ticket pricing is available at the door for students under 25 and Oregon Trail cardholders. Please arrive 30 minutes early to purchase discounted tickets.

For further inquiries: Please contact executive director Ethan Gans-Morse at 541-778-1211.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Award-winning dramatic soprano Takesha Meshé Kizart-Thomas to sing Maternità, a new Motherhood-themed recital featuring world premieres by women composers of color

Livestream broadcast on Sunday, March 20 at 3:00 pm Pacific / 6:00 pm Eastern

Anima Mundi Productions, an Oregon-based nonprofit that produces and presents concerts and operatic works that address urgent social themes through new music, proudly presents Maternità, a unique a unique recital featuring dramatic soprano Takesha Meshé Kizart-Thomas with concert pianist Artina McCain. This program explores the theme of motherhood through classical operatic heroines and world premieres by Black, First Nations/Indigenous, and Latina female composers. This mother-oriented program includes works by Puccini, Bellini, Strauss, Verdi, and Wagner alongside newly commissioned world premieres by composers Jasmine Barnes, Regina Harris Baiocchi, Barbara Assiginaak, and Carolina Calvache.

Commissions, co-presenters, and live-stream production
Anima Mundi Productions is the commissioner and lead producer. In addition to the livestream on March 20, the recital will be co-presented by Seattle Opera and Portland State University in collaboration with the Northwest African American Museum and Opera in the Park Portland. The livestream broadcast is produced by Valhalla Media, a Chicago-based film company specializing in opera and operated by Nikolas Wenzel and Alexandra LoBianco.

About the performers
Takesha Meshé Kizart-Thomas made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 2010 and went on to perform leading roles with major companies, including Deutsche Oper Berlin, Oper Frankfurt, Oper Köln, Opera Australia, and Opera North-UK. The New York Times praised her “impressive ease and elegant control,” and Opera Magazine called her “worthy of all superlatives.” She has since won numerous international awards, headlined international recording projects, made appearances with Yo-Yo Ma and Wynton Marsalis, and appeared on HBO, NPR, PBS, and other international broadcasts and documentaries.

Ms. Kizart-Thomas is joined by Artina McCain, a concert pianist who recently made her Wigmore Hall debut in London. Dr. McCain is dedicated to promoting the works of Black and other underrepresented composers and curates Black Composers Concerts for multiple arts organizations and is an American Prize winner for her solo piano recordings of these works. She has won a Gold Global Music Award for her recent album project Heritage.

Tickets are available online at www.HumanityTickets.com

For further inquiries: Please contact executive director Ethan Gans-Morse at 541-778-1211.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Anima Mundi Productions commissions and premieres new works by composers of color in “We Cannot Walk Alone” concert series featuring renowned performers this spring

ASHLAND, OR—After centuries of racial gatekeeping in the classical music world, Black musicians still account for less than 2% of American orchestras, and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) representation among composers remains similarly disproportionate.

Non-profit Anima Mundi Productions joins a growing movement of performing arts organizations to address this legacy of exclusion. The company, which produces an Ashland-based concert series called The Heart of Humanity series, is proud to announce “We Cannot Walk Alone,” an ambitious project to commission seven new works by BIPOC composers and premiere them across four cities in concerts featuring world-class performers this spring.

When and Where
This wide-ranging series includes concerts in Ashland on March 20 and May 1, Eugene on April 29, Portland on March 13 and April 28, and Seattle on March 10.

Maternità: A New Recital about Motherhood Featuring BIPOC Stars
The first cycle of “We Cannot Walk Alone” concerts feature opera star Takesha Meshé Kizart-Thomas, who has been praised by The New York Times as “wielding impressive ease and elegant control” and called “worthy of all superlatives” by Opera Magazine. Ms. Kizart-Thomas has starred in leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera and Sydney Opera House, shared the stage with Yo-Yo Ma and Wynton Marsalis, collaborated with Broadway in Chicago and HBO, and developed new two works of her own, SHONDJ and Opera Reconstructed.

She is joined by Memphis-based concert pianist Artina McCain, known for her “power and finesse” (Dallas Arts Society) and “sense of color, balance and texture” (Austin Chamber Music Center). Together, Ms. Kizart-Thomas and Dr. McCain will present Maternità, a unique recital that explores motherhood through the famous characters in the standard operatic repertoire and by premiering four new works by female Black, First Nations Indigenous, and Latina composers Regina Harris Baiocchi, Barbara Assiginaak, Carolina Calvache, and Jasmine Barnes.

Imani Winds
The remaining three new commissions, all by Pacific Northwest composers of color, will be premiered by the Grammy-nominated quintet Imani Winds. Hailed as “dazzling” and “exhilarating” by The Washington Post, the Imani Winds have led both a revolution and evolution of the wind quintet through their dynamic playing, adventurous programming, imaginative collaborations and outreach endeavors that have inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds over their two decades of music making.

The word “imani” means “faith” in Swahili, reflecting the group’s mission to “challenge the conventional notion of a woodwind quintet by merging musical traditions with music of our time that reflects a variety of influences.”

The Imani Winds concert will feature new works by Pacific Northwest BIPOC composers Yuan-Chen Li, Miguel del Águila, and Damien Geter, commissioned by Anima Mundi Productions in collaboration with Chamber Music Northwest and the Oregon Bach Festival.

A Coalition of Prominent Pacific Northwest Presenters
Anima Mundi Productions is proud to collaborate on this project with Seattle Opera, the N.W. African American Museum, Chamber Music Northwest, Oregon Bach Festival, Portland State University, and Opera in the Park Portland as co-presenters and co-commissioners.

How to Attend
Tickets are available at www.humanitytickets.com

These concerts mark Anima Mundi Productions’ first return to live, in-person concerts since the Covid outbreak. The company also plans to live-stream the March 20 Maternità concert online.

Public Performance Schedule of “We Cannot Walk Alone” events:

• March 10: Takesha Meshé Kizart-Thomas recital (TMK) with Seattle Opera
• March 13: TMK recital in Portland at PSU
• March 20: TMK recital in Ashland on the Heart of Humanity series*
• April 28: Imani Winds concert in Portland with Chamber Music Northwest
• April 29: Imani Winds concert in Eugene with Oregon Bach Festival
• May 1: Imani Winds concert in Ashland on the Heart of Humanity series*

*All Ashland concerts are held in the SOU Music Recital Hall on Mountain Avenue.

About Anima Mundi Productions:
The mission of Anima Mundi Productions is to create, present, and produce new musical works that harness the power of the arts to stir the soul, foster community, and address urgent social and environmental problems. Our events support the personal and collective healing of at-risk segments of society who have experienced trauma, discrimination, and other forms of injustice.

The mission of our Heart of Humanity concert series is to feature world-class musicians giving voice to marginalized people with compassion and depth, turning the concert hall into a space for renewed hope, communal healing, and mutual understanding.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Anima Mundi Productions sets Oregon pandemic stories to music in world premiere “Six Feet Apart: Stories of Resilience and Transformation” August 29

ASHLAND, OR — On Sunday, August 29 at 5:30 pm, Rogue Valley-based nonprofit Anima Mundi Productions will premiere a new multimedia choral oratorio called Six Feet Apart: Stories of Resilience and Transformation. This unique work harnesses the power of music, poetry, and visual art to amplify diverse voices and foster collective healing in Oregon and beyond during the COVID-19 pandemic. The music and poetry were created by Rogue Valley-based resident artists Ethan Gans-Morse and Tiziana DellaRovere.

Artistic Collaborations

This multimedia video features performances by the LA-based HEX Vocal Ensemble, instrumental musicians from the Brightwork Ensemble, artwork by renowned Ashland painter Betty LaDuke, guest poet submissions by Oregon Poet Laureates Anis Mojgani and Kim Stafford, and visual design, graphics, and editing by filmmaker Camilla Tassi.

Collecting Pandemic Stories through Partnerships

Anima Mundi Productions partnered with the Southern Oregon Historical Society and received consultation from other area nonprofits in our effort to collect and make available to the public a diverse cross-section of Oregonians’ experiences during the pandemic.

The stories collected for this project reflect the diversity of these experiences. Composer Ethan Gans-Morse, poet Tiziana DellaRovere, and their collaborators collected stories via Zoom and phone calls as well as online submissions throughout the fall of 2020, including from students at H.B. Lee Middle School in Portland.

About the World Premiere

On Sunday, August 29, Six Feet Apart will culminate in the world premiere release of a multimedia music video combining music, visual art, and poetry. This project is part of Anima Mundi’s Heart of Humanity concert series. The concerts in this series normally take place at the SOU Music Recital Hall in Ashland, but the entire 2020-21 season is being released on the company’s website.

Viewers may purchase a ticket to attend the premiere, which will be followed by a live question/answer session with the creators and contributors of the project. After the work has premiered, the video will remain on the company’s website for free. For more information: www.HumanityTickets.com

Press Quotes

“When the pandemic hit, and as weeks turned into months, we knew we had to do something,” said Gans-Morse, “As artists in our state, it felt like a call to action for Tiziana and me. Our experience has been that sharing our community’s stories through music can be profoundly healing. It is our hope that harnessing these stories and acknowledging the diverse and life-changing experiences of people from around our state will foster greater unity and appreciation for what our fellow Oregonians are going through.”

“Art and life intertwine to find solace in the sharing that exposes systemic injustices. Much to my surprise, when I am interviewing for these stories, people thank me for listening and they tell me that they feel unburdened just by talking to me about their trauma,” said DellaRovere.

Grant Support

This project was awarded a $15,880 Cultural Development Grant from Oregon Cultural Trust and a $3,888 Arts Build Communities Grant from the Oregon Arts Commission. Anima Mundi Productions is grateful for their support and for that of our other sponsors: the Oregon Community Foundation, Miller Foundation, and Claudette and George Paige of Ashland.

DETAILS

Anima Mundi Productions presents: Six Feet Apart: Stories of Resilience and Transformation

WHEN: Sunday, August 29 at 5:30 pm pacific time

WHERE: Online at www.HumanityTickets.com

COST: World Premiere event with Q&A, “pay what you will” starting at $12. Thereafter, free.

About Anima Mundi Productions:
The mission of Anima Mundi Productions is to create, promote, and produce new musical works that harness the power of the arts to stir the soul, foster community, and address urgent social and environmental problems by creating concerts and public arts events that support the personal and collective healing of at-risk segments of society such as those who have experienced trauma, abuse, discrimination, and other forms of injustice.

The mission of our Heart of Humanity concert series is to feature world-class musicians giving voice to marginalized people with compassion and depth, turning the concert hall into a space for renewed hope, communal healing and mutual understanding.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2021 Concert Season to be Released as Festival of Free Videos

ASHLAND, OR — Anima Mundi Productions, an Ashland-based performing arts nonprofit dedicated to producing and presenting new musical works that address urgent societal challenges, has converted the entire second season of their Heart of Humanity concert series into a series of four concert-length videos which will be released free to the public in the coming months starting on April 18, 2021. These videos, which Anima Mundi is calling A Time For Life: A Spring Video Festival, includes renowned performers such as Grammy-winning soprano Estelí Gomez, Portland-based professional choir Cappella Romana, and the elite LA-based HEX Vocal Ensemble, performing both new and classical works on environmental themes, as well as the world premiere of a new oratorio about Oregonians’ experiences of the COVID pandemic.

About the Heart of Humanity Series

The Heart of Humanity concert series, currently in its second season, is dedicated to bringing world-class musicians to Ashland to give voice to marginalized people with compassion and depth and turning the concert hall into a space for renewed hope, communal healing and mutual understanding. This season is focused on themes of environmental stewardship.

Season 2: A Time for Life

According to a statement on Anima Mundi Productions’ website:

The second season of our Heart of Humanity concert series celebrates the beauty of our natural world and inspires us to nurture the preciousness of all life on earth. As the relationship between humanity and our environment stands at a perilous crossroads, the regenerative power of the arts is more important than ever. Music, poetry, and the visual arts have the unique ability to reconnect us with our hearts, returning us to a state of peaceful equilibrium within ourselves and our community. Only then can we work together in common purpose to become better stewards of our planet.

A Special Encore Presentation of The Canticle of the Black Madonna

In addition to the release of three new videos, the festival will include free streaming of Anima Mundi Productions’ 2014 opera, The Canticle of the Black Madonna by resident artists composer Ethan Gans-Morse and poet Tiziana DellaRovere. The opera, which tells the fictional story of an Army veteran struggling with PTSD during the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill, was called “A huge achievement… generous, carefully crafted and supremely compassionate” by The Oregonian and “One of the most exciting developments of the arts season” by Oregon ArtsWatch.

How and When to Watch

Viewers can access the videos upon their release on Anima Mundi Productions’ website at www.humanitytickets.com. Each video will be released with a special ticketed launch event and will thereafter remain online for the duration of the festival with no ticket required:

Concert 1: A Time for Life
Featuring Cappella Romana
Begins streaming with a special launch event
Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 5:30 pm Pacific

Special Event: The Canticle of the Black Madonna
Begins streaming with a special launch event
Sunday, May 30, 2021 at 5:30 pm Pacific

Concert 2: Sky and All
Soprano Estelí Gomez and Guitarist Colin Davin
Begins streaming with a special launch event
Sunday, June 13, 2021 at 5:30 pm Pacific

Concert 3: Six Feet Apart, Stories of Resilience and Transformation
The Hex Vocal Ensemble
Begins streaming with a special launch event
Sunday, August 2, 2021at 5:30 pm Pacific

More about Six Feet Apart, a new multimedia oratorio drawn from real-life stories

Anima Mundi Productions is proud to be partnering with the Southern Oregon Historical Society and to have received consultation from other area nonprofits in our effort to collect and make available to the public a diverse cross-section of Oregonians’ experiences during the pandemic.

The stories collected for this project reflect the diversity of Oregonians’ pandemic experiences. Composer Ethan Gans-Morse and poet Tiziana DellaRovere and their collaborators collected stories via Zoom and phone calls as well as online submissions throughout the fall of 2020, including from students at H.B. Lee Middle School in Portland.

Current and Former Poets Laureate and a Renowned Artist

The Six Feet Apart project has also received submissions from three particularly renowned Oregonians: current and former poets laureate Anis Mojgani and Kim Stafford have contributed their poetry to the project, and artist Betty LaDuke has contributed images from her Pandemic Masks series, which will appear at key moments in the oratorio video.

Learn more and watch concert videos at www.HumanityTickets.com or by calling 541-833-3066.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Updates on world premiere of new chamber opera based on the real-life stories of Southern Oregon Latino immigrants – now to be filmed in August 2021

Anima Mundi Productions, a Southern Oregon-based nonprofit organization dedicated to “healing the soul of the world through the arts,” is announcing a new production timeline for its new chamber opera, Dreams Have No Borders. Originally scheduled for April of 2020, then postponed for March 21, 2021, this unique new work will now be recorded as a video this summer and released as a film screening in a move theater in the fall of 2021 as soon as the COVID situation permits large gatherings.

CAST UPDATES
With the change of schedule, one cast member, Rafael Moras, was forced to withdraw from the project and has been replaced. The company welcomes tenor David Morgans Sanchez in the role of Gabrielito, a young Honduran refugee fleeing the destruction of his family farm. Mr. Sanchez was recently a Resident Artist at Portland Opera and has made appearances at the Metropolitan Opera and Chicago Lyric Opera.

The production also features soprano Estelí Gomez—nominated for two Grammy Awards and Grammy recipient for her work on Roomful of Teeth—and mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte, a featured soloist on the Grammy-winning recording, Duruflé: Complete Choral Works, accompanied by the Delgani String Quartet, called “the state’s finest chamber ensemble” by Oregon ArtsWatch. Also featured are the Teocalli Dancers, a Bay Area-based Aztec dance troupe.

ABOUT THE VIDEO
Dreams Have No Borders will be filmed in August 2021 following strict COVID-safe protocols and released as a film later in the year. The film will be directed by Oregon-based filmmaker Nick Alexander, who received wide renown for his debut documentary feature Illegal last year.

Creating and releasing Dreams Have No Borders as a film will offer the additional advantage of digital distribution and multiple screenings, allowing Anima Mundi Productions to share more widely this timely new work about the humanity of migrants seeking refuge.

OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL AND CABARET TALENT
This production also features stage director Valerie Rachelle and lighting designer Michael Stanfill of Oregon Cabaret Theatre, as well as video designer Omar Ramos, who has worked extensively at Oregon Shakespeare festival over the last 10 years.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF OPERA BASED ON OREGON’S IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY
For many people, the word “opera” conjures up images of powdered wigs, foreign languages, and arcane stories of centuries past and far-away lands. Dreams Have No Borders, by contrast, is based on the real-life stories the creators heard during a year spent interviewing Latino immigrants and collaborating with Latino-advocacy nonprofits and community leaders in the Rogue Valley. While the work they ultimately produced is a fictional story created by compositing those interviews, everything that happens to the characters in the opera happened in real life to the Rogue Valley residents they interviewed.

WHO ARE THE CREATORS?
Dreams Have No Borders is the creation of Anima Mundi Productions’ co-founders and resident artists Ethan Gans-Morse (composer) and Tiziana DellaRovere (poet). Local audiences attended their 2018 collaboration with the Rogue Valley Symphony, How Can You Own The Sky? which told the story of our region’s Native American legacy.

Dreams Have No Borders is their third operatic collaboration. Their 2014 opera, The Canticle of the Black Madonna was hailed by The Oregonian as “A huge achievement… generous, carefully crafted and supremely compassionate. In a review of their second opera, Tango of the White Gardenia, Oregon ArtsWatch wrote “Its messages are loud and clear and humane, and the art is fine enough to carry them… Not only can Tango of the White Gardenia turn people onto the sometimes-alienating ancient art form of opera, it also suggests that we can become better people.”

THE HEART OF HUMANITY CONCERT SERIES
Heart of Humanity concerts normally take place at the Oregon Center for the Arts on the campus of Southern Oregon University. The mission of the series is to give voice to marginalized people with compassion and depth, turning the concert hall into a space for renewed hope, communal healing, and mutual understanding.

Due to the special circumstances caused by COVID-19, the entire 2020-21 season of the series is being filmed and released as a festival of online videos throughout 2021.

Learn more and watch concert videos at www.HumanityTickets.com or by calling 541-833-3066.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

World-renowned baritone to perform “With Malice Toward None, With Charity For All” vocal recital in Ashland dedicated to themes of peace and reconciliation

Anima Mundi Productions, a Rogue Valley-based nonprofit organization dedicated to “healing the soul of the world through the arts,” will present the second concert of its Heart of Humanity series—entitled With Malice Toward None, With Charity For All—at 3:00 on Sunday, January 12. The concert features Christòpheren Nomura, a classically trained baritone whose numerous career highlights include performances at the Vatican, on Broadway, and in the Martin Scorsese feature film, Madama Butterfly.

A FIRST-RATE PERFORMER

Mr. Nomura is known for the “force and beauty of his voice” (The Washington Post) and his “first-rate” performances (The New York Times). He has performed with many of the world’s greatest ensembles—including the Boston Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Oregon Bach Festival. He has given hundreds of acclaimed recitals including at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and San Francisco Performances. In 2015, he was featured in the original cast of the George Takei-led Broadway hit, Allegiance, which told the story of Japanese Internment Camps in the 1940’s.

WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE

With Malice Toward None, With Charity For All exemplifies Anima Mundi Productions’ commitment to fostering social healing through music. The title of the concert is based on the inspiring words of Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address at the end of the Civil War, and this program will take audiences on a transformative journey out of the wounds of war and into an uplifting portrayal of hope for a better world. Mr. Nomura will speak from the stage about how the music he has selected exemplifies the power of song to reconcile the damage caused by conflict between people and between nations alike.

TWO WORLD PREMIERES

In addition to singing works by classically renowned composers such as Brahms, Copland, and Barber, Mr. Nomura will present the World Premieres of two new songs by local composers: The Legend of Leaving by Jodi French of Southern Oregon Repertory Singers (poetry by Oregon’s former Poet Laureate Lawson Fusao Inada) and Dragons into Angels by Anima Mundi resident composer Ethan Gans-Morse and poet Tiziana DellaRovere.

Local audiences will recognize Mr. Nomura from his past appearances with the Rogue Valley Symphony, the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers, and the Chamber Music Concerts series.

THE HEART OF HUMANITY CONCERT SERIES

All Heart of Humanity concerts take place at the Oregon Center for the Arts Music Recital Hall on Mountain Ave. on the campus of Southern Oregon University.

The Heart of Humanity concert series is distinguished for its strong emphasis on addressing an urgent social theme at each concert, often through the creation and premiere of new and inspiring concert works by composers who are directly involved in the concert. The stated mission of the series is to give voice to marginalized people with compassion and depth, turning the concert hall into a space for renewed hope, communal healing, and mutual understanding.

In October, Anima Mundi Productions brought composer, pianist, and peace activist Malek Jandali to the Rogue Valley to launch “Pianos for Peace Oregon,” which involved the placement of artistically painted pianos in downtown Ashland and a week of “Peace through Music” events that culminated in a riveting performance by the Malek Jandali Trio that touched local audiences deeply.

Tickets are on sale at www.HumanityTickets.com or by calling 541-833-3066.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Painted pianos, appearance by Sen. Jeff Golden, mark launch of Pianos for Peace Oregon

Anima Mundi Productions, a Rogue Valley-based nonprofit organization dedicated to “healing the soul of the world through the arts,” has partnered with Atlanta-based nonprofit Pianos for Peace to launch Pianos for Peace Oregon, a weeklong festival of painted pianos and free “peace through music”-themed events in Ashland, Oregon. The week will be capped with a concert on October 6 by Malek Jandali, the founder of Pianos for Peace and a Syrian-American composer, pianist, and peace activist who arrives in the Rogue Valley today.

Painted pianos come to downtown Ashland

Anima Mundi Productions installed two pianos in downtown Ashland on Monday, September 30. The first, featuring a “Garden of Peace” theme, was painted by local professional artists and is situated in front of the Black Swan Theatre on the corner of Pioneer and E. Main. The second was painted by Phoenix High School students and can be found in Lithia Park near the playground. Passerbys of all ages have expressed their delight to come across the pianos and learn that they can be played by anyone.

Anima Mundi Productions executive director Ethan Gans-Morse said, “The community has shown such a heartwarming response to these pianos. There’s a special kind of magic just watching how these pianos brighten people’s day through the gift of art and music.”

The pianos will remain downtown through Monday, October 7.

Free public launch event features live music and special guests

Anima Mundi Productions hosts a Pianos for Peace Oregon launch event on Wednesday, October 2 at 3:30 pm at the Thalden Pavilion across the street from Ashland Middle School on Walker Ave. This event, which acknowledges all the contributors who have made this program possible, will feature musical performances by world-class pianist and composer Malek Jandali, as well as famed composer Michael Silversher and the Rogue Valley Peace Choir. Malek Jandali will also present his annual Pianos for Peace Ambassador award to Oregon Senator Jeff Golden in recognition of a career dedicated to promoting peace.

Tickets to Anima Mundi’s Heart of Humanity concert series are on sale at www.HumanityTickets.com or by calling 541-833-3066. Information about Pianos for Peace, including both professional and community photos, at www.PianosforPeaceOregon.org

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Anima Mundi Productions is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to creating, promoting, and producing original works that harness the power of art to stir the soul, foster community, and address urgent social problems.

For further press inquiries, please contact executive director Ethan Gans-Morse:
541-778-1211 or ethan@animamundiproductions.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local Arts Nonprofit Presents “Pianos for Peace” and a Week of Peace through Music Event

UPDATE SEPT. 30, 2019: Upon the completion of Pianos for Peace Oregon, one piano will be donated to the Armadillo Technical Institute in Phoenix, Oregon; the other will be donated to the Phoenix Civic Center.

Anima Mundi Productions, a Rogue Valley-based nonprofit organization dedicated to “healing the soul of the world through the arts,” proudly announces Peace Through Music, a week of free events featuring Syrian-American pianist, composer, and peace activist Malek Jandali, culminating in a formal concert at SOU on October 6.

• September 30-October 7: Lithia Park and Corner of S. Pioneer and E. Main
  Pianos for Peace Oregon
  Anima Mundi Productions will make available two beautifully painted pianos for the general public to view and play during a week-long “Pianos for Peace” Festival in downtown Ashland. One piano, to be found in front of the Black Swan Theatre at the corner of S. Pioneer and E. Main streets, has been painted by a team of professional artists led by local painters Judy Grillo and Tiziana DellaRovere. A second piano, to be found near the playground in Lithia Park, has been painted by students of art teacher Jessica Rollins at North Phoenix High School. More information about Pianos for Peace further below in this Release.
• Wednesday, October 2, 3:30-4:30 pm: Thalden Pavilion on Walker Ave.
  Pianos for Peace Oregon Launch Event
  Anima Mundi Productions presents a brief program of musical performances by Malek Jandali, Michael Silversher, and the Rogue Valley Peace Choir. This “ribbon-cutting” event is produced in collaboration with the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission and marks the formal launch of Pianos for Peace Oregon. The program includes acknowledgment of the many visual artists who worked on the project, as well as the bestowal of Malek Jandali’s annual Pianos for Peace award to a Rogue Valley citizen in recognition of a career dedicated to promoting peace through the arts.
• Wednesday, October 2, 7:00-8:30 pm: Havurah Shir Hadash, 185 N Mountain Ave.
  Peace through Music Interfaith Event
  Anima Mundi Productions and the Havurah Shir Hadash Synagogue present an interfaith presentation on the theme of overcoming conflict through music. Malek Jandali will share profoundly moving stories of traveling the world to preserve the musical heritage of his native Syria through his compositions which incorporate ancient melodies from Aleppo, Damascus, and other stops on the Silk Road.
• Thursday, October 3: JPR radio (the program runs between 8:00-10:00 am)
  Jefferson Exchange
  Malek will appear on the Jefferson Exchange morning program to talk about Pianos for Peace, his musical work, and his week of performances in Ashland.
• Thursday, October 3, 7:00-8:30 pm: Peace House, 543 S. Mountain Ave.
  Overcoming War’s Impact On Culture
  Peace House Director Elizabeth Hallett will moderate a discussion featuring Malek Jandali and members of the Rogue Valley Peace Community discussing how culture—while at risk of being annihilated by war—is nevertheless a powerful resource for promoting peace, even in the context of Syria’s ongoing brutal Civil War.
• Sunday, October 6: 3:00 pm: SOU Music Recital Hall, 450 S Mountain Ave.
  Peace Through Music: The Malek Jandali Trio
  Malek’s time in Ashland concludes with a formal recital program of his original works. He will be joined by two longtime Ashland favorites, cellist Michal Palzewicz and former OSF musician and SOU professor David Rogers, who will perform on the oud, the Middle-Eastern ancestor of the lute. This is the only event requiring a paid ticket, which can be purchased at humanitytickets.com or by calling (541) 833-3066.

Pianos for Peace Oregon
Malek Jandali is the founder of Pianos for Peace, an Atlanta-based non-profit that runs an annual open festival of music using pianos painted by local artists and placed in public spaces for all to play and enjoy in order to unite people in the community. To date, Pianos for Peace has partnered with more than 20 non-profit organizations, engaged more than 50 artists in community volunteer programs, and donated 95 pianos to local community-based organizations in metro Atlanta.

Anima Mundi Productions is proud to collaborate with Mr. Jandali to create our Ashland-based Pianos for Peace Oregon program. More information at PianosforPeace.org and animamundiproductions.com/p4p

Pianos for Peace Oregon is generously sponsored by Sarah and Bill Epstein. Additional funding for Malek’s performances in Ashland is made possible by grants from the Jackson County Cultural Coalition of the Oregon Cultural Trust, the Oregon Arts Commission, and the James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation.

The Heart of Humanity Concert Series
Peace Through Music: The Malek Jandali Trio is the first concert in a new series which will debut this fall in Ashland. All of these concerts will take place in the Oregon Center for the Arts Music Recital Hall on Mountain Ave. on the campus of Southern Oregon University. The upcoming 2019-2020 season will be the inaugural year for this series, with concerts planned on October 6, 2019, January 12, 2020, and April 26, 2020.

Our concert co-sponsors for Peace Through Music: The Malek Jandali Trio are James Collier and Rita Reitz.

The Heart of Humanity concert series is distinguished for its strong emphasis on addressing an urgent social theme at each concert, often through the creation and premiere of new and inspiring concert works by composers who are directly involved in the concert.

Tickets to the inaugural season of The Heart of Humanity concert series are on sale at www.HumanityTickets.com or by calling 541-833-3066.

###

Anima Mundi Productions is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to creating, promoting, and producing original works that harness the power of art to stir the soul, foster community, and address urgent social problems.

For further press inquiries, please contact executive director Ethan Gans-Morse:
541-778-1211 or ethan@animamundiproductions.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rogue Valley-Based Arts Organization Awarded $25,000 OCF Grant to Produce
Dreams Have No Borders

Anima Mundi Productions, a Rogue Valley-based nonprofit organization dedicated to “healing the soul of the world through the arts,” was one of only two Southern Oregon non-profits to receive the Oregon Community Foundation’s highly competitive “Creative Heights” grant for 2019, the other being the Britt Festival.

According to the OCF, each year, OCF provides Creative Heights Grants to up to 15 of the most innovative and culturally impactful proposals by artists and groups across Oregon.

“The Creative Heights Initiative puts philanthropic dollars to work as innovation capital in the arts sector. Allowing artists to take creative risks on new work is essential to the overall arts, culture and heritage health of the state of Oregon,” said Jerry Tischleder, OCF’s Program Officer for Arts and Culture. “We celebrate their ingenuity, passion and efforts to create vibrant and accessible arts opportunities for all people throughout the state.”

Anima Mundi Productions received Creative Heights funding to support the creation and world premiere performance of a new musical work called Dreams Have No Borders, a narrative song cycle for three singers and string quartet which will premiere in Ashland on Sunday, April 26 at the SOU Music Recital Hall. The piece is based on a year of interviews that the creators of the work conducted with Latino immigrants in the Rogue Valley, which were then composited into a fictional story by resident author Tiziana DellaRovere and set to music by resident composer Ethan Gans-Morse with support from local nonprofits such as Unite Oregon.

The world premiere performance will feature world-class talent, including a Grammy-winning soprano, singers from Houston Grand Opera, and the Delgani String Quartet, called “The state’s finest chamber ensemble” by Oregon ArtsWatch. This project has also received funding from the Oregon Cultural Trust, the Oregon Arts Commission, the Miller Foundation, and the Carpenter Foundation.

Anima Mundi executive director and project composer Ethan Gans-Morse said, “This project represents everything we seek to accomplish as an organization—it stands at the intersection of the fine arts and the urgent need to tell the stories of marginalized people in our community. We’re profoundly grateful to receive the support of the Oregon Community Foundation.”

The Heart of Humanity Concert Series
The world premiere performance of Dreams Have No Borders will be the final concert in the first season of the Heart of Humanity series, a new concert series which Anima Mundi Productions is launching in Ashland. All of these concerts will take place in the Oregon Center for the Arts Music Recital Hall on Mountain Ave. on the campus of Southern Oregon University. The upcoming 2019-2020 season will be the inaugural year for this series, with concerts planned on October 6, 2019, January 12, 2020, and April 26, 2020.

The Heart of Humanity concert series is distinguished for its strong emphasis on addressing an urgent social theme at each concert, often through the creation and premiere of new and inspiring concert works by composers who are directly involved in the concert.

Tickets to the inaugural season of The Heart of Humanity concert series are on sale at www.HumanityTickets.com or by calling 541-833-3066.

###

Anima Mundi Productions is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to creating, promoting, and producing original works that harness the power of art to stir the soul, foster community, and address urgent social problems.

For further press inquiries, please contact executive director Ethan Gans-Morse:
541-778-1211 or ethan@animamundiproductions.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local Arts Organization Launches New Socially Oriented Concert Series in Ashland

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Anima Mundi Productions, a Rogue Valley-based nonprofit organization dedicated to “healing the soul of the world through the arts,” proudly announces its new Heart of Humanity concert series which will debut this fall in Ashland. All Heart of Humanity concerts will take place in the Oregon Center for the Arts Music Recital Hall on Mountain Ave. on the campus of Southern Oregon University.

The upcoming 2019-2020 season will be the inaugural year for this series, with concerts planned on October 6, 2019, January 12, 2020, and April 26, 2020.

The Heart of Humanity concert series is distinguished for its strong emphasis on addressing an urgent social theme at each concert, often through the creation and premiere of new and inspiring concert works by composers who are directly involved in the concert, including Rogue Valley-based composer Ethan Gans-Morse, poet Tiziana DellaRovere and pianist/composer Jodi French. The series features internationally renowned performers, including Estelí Gomez, a Grammy-award winning soprano; mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte; tenor Rafael Moras; the Delgani String Quartet, which has been hailed as “the state’s finest chamber ensemble” by Oregon ArtsWatch; and Malek Jandali, a Syrian-American composer/pianist whose work has been called “a major new addition to the 21st century symphonic literature” by Fanfare Magazine. Each concert will be followed by discussion about the concert’s theme with the opportunity for dialogue with the audience.

At the series opening concert, entitled “Peace Through Music,” on October 6, 2019, Anima Mundi Productions will present the Malek Jandali Trio. Malek Jandali, an award-winning composer and “acclaimed pianist” (BBC WorldNews) will present an afternoon of his original compositions inspired by the musical heritage of his native Syria. Mr. Jandali’s compositions incorporate ancient melodies from Aleppo, Damascus, and other stops on the Silk Road, echoing UNESCO’s call to preserve and protect the rich cultural heritage of Syria and the Silk Road at a time when it is being eradicated. Mr. Jandali’s trio includes local cellist Michal Palzewicz and Eugene-based David Rogers on oud, the Middle Eastern ancestor of the lute. Mr. Jandali is the founder of Pianos for Peace, an annual open festival of music using pianos beautifully painted by local artists and place in public spaces for all to play and enjoy in order to unite people in the community. Anima Mundi Productions is proud to collaborate with Mr. Jandali to bring Pianos for Peace to Ashland in the weeks preceding his October 6 concert.

For the second concert in the series, entitled “With Malice Toward None, With Charity for All,” Anima Mundi Productions will present baritone Christopheren Nomura accompanied by pianists Daniel Lockert and Ashland pianist Jodi French. Mr. Nomura will present an unforgettable recital of classical and popular works that explore the pressing topic of healing the wounds of war and restoring compassion. Repertoire will include the world premiere of new works by Jodi French and Anima Mundi resident artists Ethan Gans-Morse and Tiziana DellaRovere. Known for the “force and beauty of his voice,” (The Washington Post) and “first rate” performances (The New York Times) as well as his personal charm, Mr. Nomura will take audiences on a healing journey through song. Mr. Nomura is a long-time Rogue Valley favorite, who was last heard in the Valley on the Rogue Valley Symphony’s 50th Anniversary Gala.

For the final concert of the series, entitled Dreams Have No Borders, on April 26, 2020, Anima Mundi Productions will present the world premiere of the newest work by composer Ethan Gans-Morse and poet Tiziana DellaRovere. This narrative song cycle about immigration is based on the real-life stories of Oregon’s migrant families as told to Gans-Morse and DellaRovere in interviews held throughout 2018 and 2019. Featuring Grammy-winning soprano Estelí Gomez, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte and tenor Rafael Moras, accompanied by the Delgani String Quartet, Dreams Have No Borders follows a young mother’s harrowing journey to create a better life for herself and her family. The creation of Dreams Have No Borders has been supported by a grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust. Mr. Gans-Morse and Ms. DellaRovere’s previous work, entitled “How Can You Own the Sky,” was commissioned by the Rogue Valley Symphony for its 50th season-closing concert in April 2018, which was met with enormous enthusiasm by sold-out audiences in Ashland, Medford, and Grants Pass.

Subscription season tickets to the inaugural season of The Heart of Humanity concert series are now on sale by visiting www.HumanityTickets.com or by calling 541-833-3066. Single tickets will go on sale on July 1, 2019.

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Anima Mundi Productions is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to creating, promoting, and producing original works that harness the power of art to stir the soul, foster community, and address urgent social problems.

For further inquiries, please contact executive director Ethan Gans-Morse: 541-778-1211.

HIGH RESOLUTION PRESS PHOTOS:

CLICK HERE to download a ZIP file (26 MB) containing all artist photos in high resolution or select individual photos from the gallery and then right-click and choose “save image as…” to download.

More about our first guest artist, Malek Jandali: