On Sunday, June 3, 2018, Museum London hosted a new 60-minute chamber opera which follows a couple around the Museum on an awkward first date spent arguing about art. Nine songs about nine paintings inspired by the Museum's collection weave a story about love, death, beaches, the meaning of art, and ice cream. Music by Oliver Whitehead, lyrics by Whitehead and Linda Nicholas, and performed by soprano Sonja Gustafson and baritone Paul Grambo, with Steve Holowitz on piano and Christine Newland on cello. Videographer is Greg DeSouza.
An accompanying exhibition featuring the nine paintings is on view in the Lawson Gallery until June 28. Visitors can watch the full performance of the opera on a monitor installed in the gallery space. By visiting this website on their mobile device, visitors can even listen to the individual song while standing in front of the painting that inspired the song.
Project made possible by: The Good Foundation, London Arts Council, Debra and Michael Menear, the London Opera Guild, and Ernest Redekop.
Download the program (song lyrics and performer bios)
Look Opera premiere live performance
Individual Songs
Arriving
Elmwood Avenue
London Six
The White Painting
Every Summer
Sky Woman
Rain
Olga and Mary
Wheel
Dairy Queen
Leaving