Opera by Wayne Shorter and esperanza spalding | 23rd Jazztopad Festival

During the 23rd Jazztopad Festival, on 20 November 2026 at 7:00 p.m. at Narodowe Forum Muzyki, Wayne Shorter's opera, with a libretto by esperanza spalding, …(Iphigenia), will be performed in a concert version. The work is a contemporary operatic reinterpretation of the ancient story of Iphigenia. The concert will be conducted by Clark Rundell, and alongside the soloists, the NFM Choir and NFM Filharmonia Wrocławska will perform. According to the announcement, …(Ifigenia) is not an adaptation of the Greek myth. Rather, it is an intervention into the very act of storytelling and into what music and opera are as we know them. The full orchestral score brings classical and jazz forms into collision, and includes Shorter's method of symphonic improvisation. The title heroine multiplies, her identity fractures and splits, until the stage is taken over by the choir representing her. The authors draw on the history of the genre and set demands for its future. They reject tragic heroines who sing about suicide and descend into madness in perfect intonation, as well as productions about women who are dead or dying. They also ask what we will do in the current moment of collective reality, when we need new visions for the world. esperanza spalding says: “Our …(Ifigenia) has a sense of autonomy. In this adventure of life, you have freedom of choice. All the cards are on the table, and Ifigenia can choose, completely free. Through her example, we can learn how to approach everything creatively, using the power of spontaneous engagement. The overriding feeling is human love, the desire to awaken the dreams of youth, free from the pressure of adulthood.” The a cappella vocal arrangements were prepared by Caroline Shaw, Pulitzer Prize winner. The additional lyrics are by Joy Harjo, Safiya Sinclair and Ganavya Doraiswamy. The production was handled by Octopus Theatricals (Mara Isaacs), Cath Brittan and Real Magic, a company founded by esperanza spalding and Jeff Tang. It aims to develop the project in conditions that allow radical experimentation and open