City of Ashes

City of Ashes (2014) 65′ Op. 17 (Libretto: Emily Anderson)  Commissioned by Opéra de Poche

3 voices (soprano, mezzo-soprano, bass-baritone), piano.

In the waning days of the Second World War, Lotte and Lili find themselves stranded in the devastated capital of the former Third Reich. Faced with their own guilt and unspeakable atrocities committed by the occupying Russian forces, the two women discover the price of survival and find a new strength in abandoning hope.

Set in Berlin, May-June 1945

Premiere: November 2015, Opéra de Poche , Salle Adyar, Paris, France

US Premiere: September 2019, Marble City Opera, Knoxville, Tennessee