The Listeners by composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek is their fourth operatic work as a creative team. Aalto-Musiktheater Essen will present the German premiere on January 25 with performances until March 22. The opera will be conducted by Andrea Sanguineti and Wolfram-Maria Märtig with stage direction by Anna-Sophie Mahler.
The opera is based on a story by Jordan Tannahill that was originally written for Mazzoli’s new opera. It is inspired by an actual phenomenon called “the global hum”, which is a low-pitched sound that people around the world claim to hear. The Listeners focuses on this “hum” and the few who notice it by telling a story about social rejection and the abuse of power.
‘It’s both a psychological thriller and an intimate portrait of modern family life’ says Mazzoli.
The Listeners was commissioned by Opera Philadelphia, Norwegian National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. It was premiered in at Norwegian National Opera in September 2022.
For more information, please see the website of Aalto-Musiktheater.