Expansive – A Showcase of Transgender & Non-Binary Classical Artists

Join us for Expansive - A Showcase of Transgender & Non-Binary Classical Artists, marking the beginning of the first statewide Transgender History Month in California. Presented by The Transgender District and Opera Parallèle, this vibrant celebration returns for its third year to amplify transgender and gender-expansive voices, fostering inclusivity in the classical arts scene. Taking place at the iconic ACT Strand Theater on August 8 & 9, 2024, the showcase features captivating performances by baritone Lucas Bouk (NYC), bass-baritone Wilford Kelly (SF), and violinist Queen Angelina (LA), with the effervescent Afrika America returning as host alongside Taylor Chan on piano. The Transgender District & Opera Parallèle present Expansive - A Showcase of Transgender & Non-Binary Classical Artists August 8 & 9, 2024 - 7:30pm - ACT Strand Theater Lucas Bouk - Baritone Wilford Kelly - Bass-Baritone Queen Angelina - Violinist Afrika America - Host New in 2024 Expansive Song Commission - OP has commissioned composer Joy Redmond and lyricist Kimberly Reed to create a song for the showcase to be performed by Lucas Bouk. Tickets: On Sale now via ACT Box Office https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/limited-engagements/expansive First 4 rows to be distributed as comps by The Transgender District to local transgender community orgs in the District/Bay Area. General Admission 'Pay What You Can' at the following prices: $50 Pay it forward $25 Full price General Admission $10 Discounted General Admission Tickets available through ACT Box Office - Link: operaparallele.org/expansive Quote from Transgender District: "We are so thrilled for the THIRD annual Expansive show in collaboration with Opera Parallèle. By featuring transgender and gender-expansive talent in the classical field, we center these talented individuals who are making it possible for others who are often overlooked. To host a night that showcases our talent and joy means so much to us and we hope you all will come and bask in the greatness of our trans existence." - Breonna McCree & Carlo Gomez Arteaga - Co-Executive Directors ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO'S TRANSGENDER DISTRICT The Transgender District was co-founded by three black trans women in 2017, originally as Compton's Transgender Cultural District, it is the first legally recognized transgender district in the world. The district encompasses six blocks in the southeastern Tenderloin crossing over Market St. and two blocks of 6th St. The District's mission is to create and preserve an urban environment that fosters the rich history, culture, legacy, and empowerment of transgender people and its deep roots in the southeastern Tenderloin neighborhood. It aims to stabilize and economically empower the transgender community through ownership of homes, businesses, historic and cultural sites, and safe community spaces. https://www.transgenderdistrictsf.com/ Expansive Song Commission Artists Composer and pianist Joy Redmond (she/her) was born in California in 1999 and grew up in Yonkers, New York. She is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School, where she studies with Matthias Pintscher, and where she also earned a bachelor's in 2021. Currently, Joy's musical pursuits include composing for concert, stage, and media works, collaborating with other artists as a producer and arranger, and performing on keyboards in a variety of genres. Recent projects include a chamber opera with libretto by Julia Hoch which was commissioned by and premiered at Concordia Conservatory with conductor James Lowe, an orchestra piece for the Juilliard Orchestra, and a choral work for The New York Virtuoso Singers. Joy has been recognized with honors including a Davidson Fellowship, four ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Awards, and a BMI Student Composer Award. Festivals she has participated in include Chamber Music Northwest, the National Youth Orchestra, Chelsea Music Festival, and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Writer and filmmaker Kimberly Reed co-wrote with Mark Campbell the libretti for Today It Rains (Opera Parallèle, 2019), Some Light Emerges (Houston Grand Opera, 2017), and As One (the American Opera Project, 2014), which is the most frequently produced new opera in North America. Her film projections for opera have been called "worthy of Fellini or Bergman" (SF Classical Voice). Ms. Reed's song cycle Fierce Grace: Jeannette Rankin premiered at the U.S. Library of Congress in 2017. She was the Librettist Mentor for the 2022 cycle of Washington National Opera's American Opera Initiative. Her nonfiction writing was published in "The Moth," a New York Times best-seller. Kim's documentary Prodigal Sons won 14 awards and was released in theaters and broadcast worldwide, and her Sundance award-winning 2018 documentary Dark Money was promptly named by Vogue magazine as one of the 66 Best Documentaries of All Time and shortlisted for the Academy Awards.

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