“Cotton,” a song cycle by Damien Geter, composer-in-residence with Virginia Opera and the Richmond Symphony, will be sung by baritone Adam Richardson and mezzo-soprano Tesia Kwarteng in the opera company’s Pride in Black Voices series in five performances from Jan. 30 through Feb. 7 at venues in Norfolk, Richmond and Fairfax.
Originally commissioned by LyricFest in Philadelphia, inspired by the photography of John Dowell, “Cotton” sets poems of Charlotte Blake Alston, Nikki Giovanni, Afaa Michael Weaver, Trapeta Mayson, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Lauren Alleyne, Alora Young, and Glenis Redmond. The cycle came out of Geter’s decade-long exploration of African-American life and ancestral journey as seen through the lens of the cotton industry.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, 1000 E. City Hall Ave. in Norfolk; 7 p.m. Jan. 31 at Norfolk State University; 7 p.m. Feb. 1 at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Singleton Arts Center, Park Avenue at Harrison Street in Richmond; 7 p.m. Feb. 6 at Old Town Hall, 3999 University Drive in Fairfax; and 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Richmond Public Library’s main branch, First and Franklin streets.
The Norfolk State performance is sold out. Free tickets are available for other dates, but reservations are required.
For reservations and more information, call the Virginia Opera box office at (866) 673-7282 or visit http://vaopera.org/pride-in-black-voices
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