Faces in the Flames Georgetown Music Workshop
Composer Nathan Felix and librettist Dr. Anita Gonzalez with Georgetown’s Racial Justice Institute, and the Department of Performing Arts invite you to join us on March 28th at 4 pm for a showcase of their new opera Faces in the Flames. Below you will find the invitation with more details and the registration link. This event is currently sold out but there will be tickets available on standby!
“By championing these talented creators, we are enriching the cultural tapestry of the field and ensuring its relevance for future generations.” –Marc A. Scorca, president/CEO of OPERA America.
Faces in the Flames
Friday, March 28th, 2025
4:00 p.m.
Devine Theatre
Georgetown University
37th & O Street, NW, Washington, DC 20057
This work tells the story of African American photographer Thomas Askew (1847-1914), an Atlanta resident whose images captured the dignity of African Americans during a time when only stereotypical imagery of Blacks circulated.
The development of Faces in the Flames is being co-produced by Anita G and Partners and received funding from OPERA America’s IDEA Opera Grants program, supported by the Charles and Cerise Jacobs Charitable Foundation.
If you have any questions related to this event, please email us at mm4923@georgetown.edu and cc frd9@georgetown.edu. If you have questions about commissioning this work, please email newwork@anitagonzalez.com and n.j.felix@gmail.com.
Creative and Artistic Team:
Nathan Felix Composer
Nathan Felix (born 1981) 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 & PBS. Felix often focuses on telling Latinx themed and minority stories that highlight border issues, underserved communities and his hispanic heritage.
In 2016, Felix was featured on PBS and nominated for a Lonestar Emmy for work on his 6-Piano project in which he restored six pianos for a concert featuring two new compositions. After the concert, Felix donated the pianos to schools in lower income neighborhoods in Austin. The 6 Piano Project has since been commissioned in San Antonio (2016), Barcelona (2017), Melbourne (2017) and Houston (2019).
In 2018, Felix was recognized for his “Opera on a Bus” and the “2018 Tobin Prize for Artistic Excellence” for which he premiered his “Headphone Opera” titled, THE WAR BRIDE at Luminaria Arts Festival. Then in 2019, Felix further expanded on a series of ‘silent’ headphone operas in Orlando for Fringe Festival (Best Composer), Austin, and San Antonio.
In 2020, Felix released Öcalan, a chamber opera inspired by Kurdish Political Activist, Abdullah Öcalan.
In 2022, Felix premiered his 3rd symphony, Santa-Almada, in Austin TX. Santa-Almada is based on a true story sparked by a quest for answers about the composer’s absent father and Mexican ancestry, revealing the existence of a half brother and sister, also having been abandoned by their mutual father. In June 2022 Felix premiered a newly commissioned opera La Malinche – Traitor | Savior in Albuquerque.
In addition, Felix served as an official music ambassador for the US in China and composed music for a series of PSA’s for an international campaign by LIVESTRONG to raise cancer awareness in China and Mexico. In late 2014, Felix reformed his band, The Noise Revival Orchestra, for a tour in Asia highlighted by festival dates in Japan and Taiwan where TNRO performed for crowds of 35,000 and 50,000!
Dr. Anita Gonzalez Librettist
Anita Gonzalez (She/her) advocates for beautiful art crafted for social activism and consciousness raising. Musicals: Kumanana (Gala Hispanic Theater), Ybor City (Latiné Musical Theater Lab), Zora on My Mind (The Woodshed), Ayanna Kelly. Plays & Librettos: Faces in the Flames (Atlanta Opera and recipient of the Opera America IDEA award) Courthouse Bells (Boston Opera Collaborative), Finding the Light (Louise Toppin and Marquita Lister), Sunset Dreams (The Vagrancy), Home of My Ancestors (HGOCo). Books: Shipping Out, Black Performance Theory, Afro-Mexico. Gonzalez is a Professor at Georgetown University and a Co-Founder of the Racial Justice Institute. She is a member of the National Theatre Conference, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab and sits on the Board of Directors of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. Gonzalez believes the art of storytelling connects people to their cultures. Over 60,000 students have taken her massive open online courses Storytelling for Social Change and Black Performance as Social Protest.
Pablo Zinger (Piano) Musical Director
Pablo Zinger is widely acclaimed as a conductor, pianist, composer, arranger, writer, lecturer and narrator, specializing on Piazzolla, tango, zarzuela, and Latin American music. He has accompanied Plácido Domingo, and recorded with Paquito D’Rivera and Astor Piazzolla. He has toured with the Valencia-based Zinger Septet, written for The NY Times, Opera News, and lectured for The NY Philharmonic. He wrote the tango musical Bela, and the NY Times acclaimed Las tentaciones de González. His show Bésame mucho won the HOLA and ACE prizes. He was Musical Director of the Zarzuela Series at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. He has conducted for Paquito D’Rivera, Tito Puente, Dave Valentin, & Néstor Torres, and led the Costa Rica National Symphony, Simón Bolívar Orchestra, Maribor Philharmonic, Montevideo Philharmonic, Montevideo Pro Opera and Bronx Arts.
Jordan Ealey Dramaturg
Jordan Ealey (they/she) is a multidisciplinary Black feminist artist-scholar. Ealey is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Black Studies at the University of Rochester. A dramaturg specializing in new work development, they have worked with institutions such as True Colors Theatre Company, PlayPenn, Round House Theatre Company, Theatrical Outfit, and Hush Harbor Lab, among others. Ealey co-hosts and co-created Daughters of Lorraine, a Black feminist theatre podcast, which is supported by HowlRound Theatre Commons. Ealey is additionally a playwright and librettist, whose selected works include: SILHOUETTES (book & additional lyrics, Finalist, 2025 New Works/New Voices); JEANNETTE (co-bookwriter, Loyola Marymount University); I DON’T (Barrington Stage Company); and WOMEN WITHOUT VIRTUE (Single Carrot Theatre Company). Their scholarship has been published in The Black Scholar, Girlhood Studies, Studies in Musical Theatre, and Theatre History Studies, among others, and they recently received an honorable mention for the 2024 Gerald F. Kahan Scholar’s Prize.
Principal Roles:
Alicia Russell (Soprano)
Soprano Alicia Russell Tagert has sung throughout the United States, beginning with her professional debut with her hometown Asheville Symphony Orchestra in 2013. This summer she will return to The Glimmerglass Festival to perform in the anticipated world premiere of The House on Mango Street as Rafaela. Her recent performances include Marian (The Music Man, cvr) at Charlottesville Opera; with Virginia Opera as Waldvogel (Siegfried); at Opera Birmingham as Gretel (Hansel and Gretel); and at The Glimmerglass Festival as Musetta (La bohème, select performances). In 2022, she debuted as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro with Fargo-Moorhead Opera and created the role of Morgan in Fierce as part of the anticipated world premiere with Cincinnati Opera in July. She was scheduled to make her company debut in June 2020 with Lyric Opera Unlimited in the anticipated Chicago premiere of Blue (postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19). Equally recognized for her concert performances, Ms. Tagert’s recent orchestral appearances include the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in 2024, singing excerpts from Paul Moravec’s Sanctuary Road and in 2022, she debuted with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. A competitive force, in 2023 Ms. Tagert was a finalist in the Opera Ebony Biannual Competition Finalist, prestigious Lotte Lenya Competition, and the Career Bridges Grant Awards. In 2022, she performed as a semi-finalist in the Shreveport Opera Mary Jacobs Singer of the Year Competition and a finalist in Opera Birmingham’s Vocal Competition. She is a four time award winner in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition from 2019-2022, with her most recent prize from the 2022 South Carolina district. She holds a Master of Music from Northwestern University and Bachelor of Music from Furman University.
Imara Miles (Mezzo-Soprano)
Hailed for her expressiveness and lush sound, Imara Miles (She/They) is a mezzo-soprano from Washington, DC. With experience in both operatic and musical theater repertoire, Miss Miles has been a featured performer in shows such as Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Berta), The Drowsy Chaperone (Title Role), Gianni Schicchi (Zita), and Porgy & Bess (Lily) to name a few. As a graduate of York College of Pennsylvania (B.A.) and Indiana University (M.M.), Imara has been a young artist in programs such as The Glimmerglass Festival, Grant Park Music Festival, Pensacola Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and recently finished a tenure as a Resident Artist with Toledo Opera. Her past awards and recognitions include the Mollie Shapiro Award at Des Moines Metro Opera, a District award winner from the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition, a finalist in the George Shirley Vocal Competition, and the 2022 Elizabeth Greenfield Award as well as a semi-finalist with the Houston Grand Opera Concert of Arias and Paris Opera Competition. Their recent credits include Mercédès in Carmen, Tisbe in La Cenerentola, Sarah in Ragtime, and Monisha in Treemonisha with Opera Ebony. This summer, Imara will be a Gerdine Young Artist with the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis covering the roles of Hippolyta in Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Beulah in the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s This House.
Anthony Anderson (Baritone)
Anthony D. Anderson (baritone), a Washington, D.C. native, has recently matriculated from the Maryland Opera Studio Program at the University of Maryland, where he studied under the esteemed Kevin Short. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Oberlin Conservatory. Anderson has distinguished himself in a wide range of roles, including Marchese d’Obligny in Verdi’s La Traviata(Annapolis Opera), First Minister in Jules Massenet’s Cendrillion (Cedar Rapids Opera), John Proctor in Robert Ward’s The Crucible (Opera in the Ozarks), Àlvaro in Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas (Maryland Opera Studio), Sid in Britten’s Albert Herring (Maryland Opera Studio), and the title role in Henry Mollicone’s Emperor Norton (Oberlin Opera Theater). His dedication to contemporary works is evident in his premieres, such as the title role in Noah Getz’s Dear Mr. Duncan (Keegan Theater) and Joe/Gil’s Father in Matthew Recio’s The Puppy Episode (Oberlin Opera Theater). In recent seasons, Anderson has performed with the Des Moines Metro Opera and MusikTheater Bavaria. Most recently, Anderson collaborated with Washington National Opera Orchestra members, led by Maestro Alvise Casellati, for an outreach event at the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflection Pool. His artistic depth earned him an invitation to sing at the White House for First Lady Jill Biden at the opening of the East Wing extension. Anderson will join the Washington National Opera in their May 2025 production of Gershiwn’s Porgy & Bess.
Jonathan Pierce Rhodes (Tenor)
With his mellifluous “honey-voice,” Tenor Jonathan Pierce Rhodes has emerged as an exciting young presence in the world of opera, drawing attention and admiration from audiences and critics alike. In his current season, Rhodes makes his Lyric Opera of Chicago Debut as Police Buddy #2 and as a cover for The Son in Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s opera Blue. Following this, he headlines in a series of holiday concerts with the Mid-Atlantic symphony. This winter, Rhodes participates in the workshops for two new operas: Faces in Flames by Anita Gonzales and Nathan Felix where he portrays Thomas Askew, and Delta King’s Blues by Jarrod Lee and Damien , where he plays The Son, for which Rhodes will be continuing on to debut the role in the world premier, coming next winter. Following these projects, Rhodes makes his debut at Carnegie Hall as the Tenor Soloist with the Oratorio Society of New York. Rhodes finishes his season with his return to the Washington National Opera in the role of Mingo in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, which will be presented in the Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.
Strings:
Sonya Hayes (Violin)
Sonya began playing violin at the age of three and was accepted into the studio of Josef
Gingold when she was twelve. She continued her studies with Laurence Shapiro
(Indianapolis) and Ricardo Cyncynates (National Symphony Orchestra). She received her
Master’s degree in violin performance from Catholic University, where she studied with
Robert Gerle.
Ms. Hayes has performed as soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra (Young
People’s Concert Series), Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (Discovery Concert Series),
Prince George’s Philharmonic, Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis.
Sonya is an active chamber musician and has performed recitals at venues such as
University of Indianapolis, Pope Paul II Cultural Center, Penn Alps, Church of the
Epiphany, National City Christian Church, The Lyceum, French Embassy, Norwegian
Embassy. In 2015 she was invited by the US Embassy of Barbados to perform a series of
recitals touring Barbados and its surrounding islands.
Sonya is an active freelancer and holds the position of Assistant Principal Second Violin
with National Philharmonic Orchestra. She currently plays as a substitute musician for
the Washington National Opera and performs regularly with Virginia Chamber Orchestra,
Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, Post Classical Ensemble and Washington Concert
Opera.
Chris Shieh (Viola)
Christopher Shieh began his musical training at age 10. After graduating in 1985 from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland, he earned a bachelors degree in music in 1991 and continued graduate studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he studied with Roberto Diaz and Michael Tree. Shieh recently retired as Principal Violist of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Chamber Orchestra. Prior to joining “The President’s Own”, Shieh was principal violist for both the Maryland Symphony Orchestra in Hagerstown, Maryland and the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra. He also has performed with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra in Washington DC and at the Lancaster Festival in Ohio.
Ben Capps (Cello)
Ben Capps enjoys a versatile performing career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral principal, collaborator, and creator. Capps has appeared as recitalist and principal cellist at major performance venues throughout the world, touring extensively and recording as a solo recitalist and chamber musician.
Capps currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Music at Georgetown University, where he leads the chamber music department. Capps is the principal cellist with the innovative DC based chamber orchestra Post Classical Ensemble and can be heard in concert around the DMV with other exciting groups such as the Inscape Chamber Orchestra.
Capps can be heard as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral principal on LP Classics, Innova Records, Tzadik Records, Sony, and Naxos. He was also featured on Vermont Public Radio and in concert performing the complete cello sonatas of Beethoven, Mendelssohn & Brahms. Capps is dedicated to contemporary music and artforms, experimental sounds, electronics, and world music. with warmth,
Production Staff:
Mia Massimino Production Manager
Mia Massimino (she/her/hers) is a multimedia artist, performer, painter, comedic writer, and producer currently based in Philadelphia, PA and Washington, D.C. Mia holds a BFA in Interarts Performance from the University of Michigan. Currently, Mia is the Director of Creative Projects at the Woodshed for Art, Thought, and Culture housed at Georgetown University’s Racial Justice Institute. There, she has produced the work of over 15 artists from across the world. Mia has helped to develop 2 Massive Open Online courses alongside Dr. Anita Gonzalez; Storytelling for Social Change, and Black Performance as Social Protest which have reached over 60,000 students worldwide. Mia is also a founding member of Call Your Mom, an interdisciplinary performance collective consisting of Sophie Goldberg, Emma Bergman, and E Cadoux.
Fatima Dyfan Stage Manager
Fatima Dyfan is a producer, director, writer, and performer. Fatima is the BOLD Rising Director assistant directing the world premiere of My Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion, the world premiere of The Sensational Sea Mink-ettes, and the regional premiere of Amm(I)gone in Woolly’s current season. Fatima engages the local community as the Artistic Advisor to the Black Theatre Ensemble at Georgetown University. Prior to this, Fatima served as the Fellow of the New Work Department at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company through the Miranda Family Fellowship Program. Fatima graduated from Georgetown University with a B.A. in African-American Studies and Government with a Minor in Theatre Performance Studies. Fatima is a first-generation Sierra Leonean American from Northern Virginia.