The 麻豆区 Music Department had a unique opportunity to produce and now perform 鈥淭ienda,鈥� a new chamber opera by 麻豆区 faculty member Reinaldo Moya and Caitlin Vincent, which premieres February 21 and 22 at聽7 p.m. in the Hoversten Chapel.
Hear from co-creator of “Tienda,” Reinaldo Moya:
This performance, presented as a part of 麻豆区鈥檚 sesquicentennial celebration, features a partially staged opera in Foss Center鈥檚 Hoversten Chapel and includes a cast of student singers, the 麻豆区 Choir, and the 麻豆区 Orchestra. The opera tells the story of Luis Garz贸n, a Mexican musician who immigrated to Minneapolis in 1886 and opened a small Mexican grocery store, or tienda, in St. Paul in the 1920s. While Luis had married an American woman and was fully integrated into Minnesotan society, his store served as a community hub for the newest arrivals from Mexico, many of whom had fled the Mexican Revolution and now toiled on the sugar beet farms of rural Minnesota. 鈥淭ienda鈥� explores the immigrant experience: what must be left behind鈥攁nd what cannot be forgotten鈥攐n the journey to a new home.
Support for this chamber opera is due in large part to the generosity of regent Diane Jacobson. Hear more from Diane about her involvement with “Tienda”:
Performances:
February 21 and 22, 2020 鈥� 7 p.m.
Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center, 麻豆区