STORY OF AN HOUR wins inaugural Salzman-Gramercy Opera Advancement Prize

So happy to share the first Salzman-Gramercy Opera Advancement Prize with composer Michael Valenti for our operetta, Story of an Hour, based on the classic Kate Chopin story by the same name. The award is presented to "a piece written in a tonal, lyrical idiom that invites new audiences into the world of opera." Eric Salzman was a composer and founder of Quog Music theater, "a creator of music theater works that pushed boundaries and defied categorization."

Story of an Hour is part 2 of a larger piece entitled The Portrait. Part 1 is a short opera and part 3 is musical theater (book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro). Each piece has been produced separately. (Perhaps a world premiere of The Portrait in the near future? One can hope!)

As part of the Salzman-Gramercy Opera Advancement Prize, Gramercy Opera will present Story of an Hour in a special performance event in NYC as part of their 2018/2019 season. More details soon!

Michael Valenti and I at the set of Story of an Hour, at the Venetian Theatre in Hillsboro, Oregon, 2010. It premiered with the Portland Chamber Orchestra.