Borderland
by Panoramic Voices
Feb. 18, 2023
Saturday
Borderland is an innovative choral experience featuring a premiere work by local composer Nathan Felix called “Austin Border Stories.” Commissioned by Panoramic Voices, this full-length, immersive choral piece is inspired by Hispanic history. It is “about borders and border stories… immigration stories from Mexico into Texas and Austin,” says the composer. Singers will be scattered across KMFA’s stunning new east side building, sharing vignettes in different installations throughout the entire space. Audiences can expect an experience akin to visiting a museum, while enjoying powerful opening and closing pieces that bring the choir together.
Director Juli Orlandini is particularly excited for the Panoramic/KMFA/Felix collaboration. “Nathan’s works use space in a whole new way, charging audiences to truly be immersed in his art. Beyond simply telling tales, ‘Austin Border Stories’ will be an opportunity to not just learn about, but experience the history and culture of Austin’s Hispanic community.”
Feature by Adam Bennett, Sightlines magazine, February 9, 2023
ABOUT NATHAN FELIX
Nathan Felix is a Mexican American composer known for his immersive operas and experimental films. Felix’s music has premiered in Bulgaria, Portugal, Spain, Japan, China, Sweden, Denmark, Mongolia, and the United States and has been featured on the BBC, MTV, NPR, TPR, and PBS. He often focuses on telling Latinx-themed and minority stories that highlight border issues, underserved communities, and his Hispanic heritage.
In 2013, Felix transitioned from leading the indie-rock band, The Noise Revival Orchestra, to composing for orchestra and released his first symphony, The Curse, the Cross, & the Lion. His second symphony, Neon Heaven, is a choral symphony sung in classical Latin. Neon Heaven premiered at the SPOT Festival in Denmark with additional performances in Portugal, Mongolia, and the USA. In 2022, Nathan premiered his latest symphony at KMFA, Santa-Almada, which is based on a true story sparked by a quest for answers about the composer’s absent father and Mexican ancestry. He also premiered a newly commissioned opera in June of 2022 called La Malinche – Traitor | Savior.
Borderland
by Nathan Felix
Panoramic Voices
February 18, 2023
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