there is blood on the wind...

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On the edge of a dark forest, grief and puberty are having their way with teenage Arthur. Heartbroken over the loss of his dog and enraged at his parents’ attempt to sugarcoat her death, Arthur runs away into the woods. Meanwhile in the forest, a young bear cub struggles to comprehend a terrible loss of its own.

 

Amidst the shadowy trees, where anything and everything is possible, the two must come to terms with their shifting sense of self, and a harrowing decision must be made - as Arthur’s mothers get closer to finding them...

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URSA MINOR is my second opera, created in collaboration with librettist Alexia Peniguel, and developed as part of the MA Opera Making and Writing at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, in association with the Royal Opera House.

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Written over the course of 2023-24, URSA MINOR is a psychological horror, dealing with themes of grief and puberty, family expectations and transformations, and the bittersweet promise of adulthood.

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URSA MINOR premiered to sold-out audiences at Milton Court Studio Theatre on June 20-21 and 24-25.

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More information about the opera and Zygmund and Alexia's collaborative process can be found at this article in Opera Now Magazine.

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Photos courtesy of Zoe Birkbeck / Guildhall School of Music and Drama

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