Past event (2013)
Cuatro Corridos is a new chamber opera addressing human trafficking across the U.S. – Mexico border. The telling of a story based on true events from the perspectives of four women brings a group of Mexican and American artists together to begin their work during a Yellow Barn Artist Residency. The composers (Lei Liang, Hilda Paredes, Arlene Sierra, and Hebert Vázquez), the ensemble (soprano Susan Narucki, guitarist Pablo Gomez, pianist Aleck Karis, and percussionist Ayano Kataoka) and librettist Jorge Volpi, work in residence in Putney. Led by Ms. Narucki and Mr. Volpi, this chamber opera becomes the centerpiece of an effort to heighten public awareness about human trafficking and encouraging social activism wherever the work is performed. In Putney, this includes discussions in the community, including on campus at the Greenwood School, where this residency inspired its faculty to make human rights a central theme for the year’s curriculum.
Discussion
The artists of Cuatro Corridos discuss their creative process, including the human rights issues that inspired their work.
Concert
Mexican composers Hilda Paredes and Hebert Vázquez Sandrin, and American composers Arlene Sierra and Lei Liang each compose one episode of this hour-long work about the trafficking of people across the U.S. – Mexican border, brought to life by soprano Susan Narucki, guitarist Pablo Gomez Cano, pianist Aleck Karis, and percussionist Ayano Kataoka. A discussion with the ensemble follows the performance.