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FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES: TERENCE BLANCHARD AND ENSEMBLE
Within a body of work described as “one of the broadest and most imposing of any living jazz musician” (The New York Times), Terence Blanchard’s GRAMMY®-winning masterpiece Fire Shut Up in My Bones offers a hybrid classical/jazz/R&B/gospel-inflected score to tell the story of a young man’s journey to overcome and transcend a life of trauma and hardship. The work is based on The New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow’s widely acclaimed memoir, and this concert presentation offers excerpts from the opera performed by the composer, his E-Collective ensemble, the Turtle Island String Quartet, and two guest vocalists against a backdrop of video projections by Andrew F. Scott. Blanchard has been a consistent artistic force for making powerful musical statements, and Fire Shut Up in My Bones reflects the Black experience in this country today as few other operas have done.
Fire Shut Up in My Bones is Blanchard’s second opera. Opera Theatre of Saint Louis premiered the work in 2019, but the season-opening performance at the Metropolitan Opera in September 2021—the first work in the institution's 138 years written by an African American composer—received unparalleled success.
Blanchard, E-Collective, and the Turtle Island Quartet made their Series debut in 2022. We are thrilled to welcome them back to Kansas City for this powerful multi-faceted, concert presentation.
Event Links
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3288614-0
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3288614-1
