tea

four Japanese women confront a ghostly past to find peace

Set in 1968 Junction City, Kansas, this opera tells the story of four women cleaning the house of a fifth who has died by suicide. The deceased woman's ghostly presence compels them to confront their tensions and find resolution. The opera's music will blend three distinct sound worlds: traditional Japanese elements (Shakuhachi and Taiko drums), the changing soundscape of 1968 America (fluid melodies with jazz elements), and the Beyond: ethereal sounds representing the ghostly realm (string trio and various percussion). As the opera progresses, the three sound worlds will either coexist harmoniously or collide, jarringly, in different combinations.