APRIL 27 • 2023 | 17
form of expression.
It is an art form that
not only expresses
our day-to-day
life, but also moves
us beyond our day-
to-day by making
us reflect on themes
that are innately
human. Opera is
thrilling, stunning,
exciting, dramatic, beautiful,
terrifying, delicate: All of
these and more are possible
in any single production. The
beauty of the human voice,
accompanied by musicians,
is a form of expression that
tugs immediately at the heart-
strings. There is no other
medium that blends music,
words, dance, costumes and
lighting together in such a
truly cohesive way.
How does your Jewish heri-
tage influence your work?
Yuval: Opera, actually, has
quite a few similarities to reli-
gion; in both, a congregation
comes together in song to
recite profound, usually older
texts and investigate what
it means to be human. My
own brand of Judaism hews
closely to how I view and
create operas. In both fields,
tradition requires constant
examining, rather than blind
obedience; no matter how old
the text, the act of constant
reinterpretation offers ever-
fresh insight; and no matter
how tight the community, a
broader social responsibility is
a crucial tenet of our viability.
Roberto: I would say that
being Jewish has taught me
the value of unity, resilience
and charity. Growing up
Jewish in a country where
99 percent of the population
is not — this taught me a
sense of what it is like to be
in the minority. The
support within that
community taught
me the power of
togetherness, and
I attempt to show
openness and char-
ity in my work as a
result.
What are some of
the new innovations
you are introducing in the
upcoming season?
Yuval: This season’s
site-specific operatic experi-
ence, pioneering composer
John Cage’s Europeras 3 & 4,
is created entirely of recycled
materials — arias that every-
one is familiar with, classics
from European repertoire.
The only catch is that they’re
all performed at the same
time. Through chance oper-
ations, singers will perform
arias that they select, while
pianists play transcriptions of
different operas, and phono-
graphs are playing different
recordings. The result is
something new and original:
an exhilarating, bewildering,
wonderful work.
Roberto: We are creating
a new community-focused
series that will feature sym-
phonic music with our
Detroit Opera Orchestra and
our Resident Artists. This
will be an opportunity for our
orchestra to go directly to the
community, for us to meet
Detroit communities where
they live. I plan for this series
to grow, and it will provide a
great way for our players to
be able to perform together
beyond the Detroit Opera
House, and for us to be able
to reach places in the commu-
nity that have not historically
been embraced by arts orga-
nizations.
Yuval Sharon
Join us for an emotional and educational evening
as Father Patrick Desbois shares his riveting story.
As a Roman Catholic priest he is devoted to educating the
world about the Holocaust and antisemitism. His dedication
to discovering genocidal practices and providing proof of
crimes against humanity has been featured on 60 Minutes.
Jewish Family Service is honored to serve over 600
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Dollars raised enables JFS to address the greatest needs of the
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FOR REGISTRATION AND SPONSORSHIPS VISIT,
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