Immersive Opera, The Cadence of Life, to Premiere at Anderson Galleries

Des Moines, IA, August 21, 2023 --(PR.com)-- Mexican-American composer Nathan Felix will present his new immersive opera titled The Cadence of Life at the Anderson Galleries (1310 25th St., Des Moines, IA 50311) at Drake University on Thursday, October 5 at 7:00pm. The Cadence of Life is inspired by the work of Anderson’s featured artist this fall, Judy Pfaff and the dichotomy in her work of chaos and control, fluidity and vibrancy and the exploration of environments and space. This immersive opera will occur in and around various spaces within the Anderson Galleries and museum goers are encouraged to follow the performers as they move throughout the museum and amongst the audience.

In The Cadence of Life, we follow Cadence, the teenage daughter of a wealthy family entrenched in politics, who is secretly dating Strummer, the oldest of three siblings that live in an orphanage. Cadence attempts to disclose her relationship to her father Angus shortly after his successful campaign for mayor when her mother Moxy receives a letter suing the family for alleged land they stole decades ago from Strummer’s father. With Cadence’s love for Strummer exposed, her commitment to her family is now in question and she struggles with who to trust, including her very own heart.

Felix is known for his guerilla-style approach in presenting classical music in unconventional spaces and The Cadence of Life is no exception, with a performance utilizing space, movement, and acoustics to activate the Anderson Galleries. The idea behind Felix’s immersive opera is similar to a flash mob as it revolves around blurring the line between performer and audience by having musical performers move amongst the audience as they perform a cohesive musical composition. The audience is encouraged to follow the narrative of the piece which entails following the soloists but they are ultimately given agency to explore based on feeling, sight and soundscape.

More Information & Interview Requests: contact Nathan Felix via his contact form on his website

Who: Composer Nathan Felix
What: Premiere of The Cadence of Life (an immersive opera experience)
When: Thursday, October 5 at 7:00 pm
Where: Anderson Galleries (1310 25th St., Des Moines, IA 50311) at Drake University
Cost: Free

About Nathan Felix:
Nathan Felix (born 1981) is a Mexican-American, music composer known for his immersive operas and experimental films. His music has premiered in Bulgaria, Portugal, Spain, Japan, China, Sweden, Denmark, Mongolia and the United States and his music has been featured on the BBC, MTV, NPR & PBS.

His first large work for orchestra was featured by the BBC and later made into a documentary titled, The Curse & The Symphony. The award winning documentary screened at 52 film festivals, and was distributed by Gaiam TV. In 2015, PBS featured Felix's 6-Piano Project, in which he restores abandoned pianos to premiere his works written for six pianos and then donates the pianos to lower income schools. 6-Pianos was nominated for a Lone Star Emmy. The 6-Piano Project has since been commissioned in San Antonio (2016), Barcelona (2017) Melbourne (2017) and Houston (2019).

In 2018, Felix was recognized for his “Opera on a Bus” and the “2018 Tobin Prize for Artistic Excellence” for which he premiered his “Headphone Opera” titled, THE WAR BRIDE at Luminaria Arts Festival.

In 2021, Felix premiered his chamber opera, Ribas-Dominicci, on Texas Public Radio. Ribas-Dominicci, is inspired by the life of Major Fernando Luis Ribas-Dominicci, a pilot in the U.S. Air Force who was killed during Operation El Dorado Canyon in 1986. In November 2021 Felix released a studio recording of Texas Skies, written for 2-pianos featuring pianist, Timo Andres.