Opera UCLA presents two workshop readings of the new opera Juana, based on the novel Sor Juana’s Second Dream by UCLA Professor Alicia Gaspar de Alba, with music by Carla Lucero, a 2019 recipient of an Opera America Discovery Grant from the Opera Grants for Female Composers program. The libretto is by Gaspar de Alba and Lucero. Conducted by Mary Chun, directed by Peter Kazaras, the opera tells the story of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, a 17th-century feminist genius whose life was marked by repeated conflict with men of the Inquisition; she was an accomplished theologian, poet, author, composer, artist and architect.

Juana is ultimately planned as a fully-staged, evening-length performance. Opera UCLA will proudly present the world premiere performances in November 2019.

Join us for Q&A sessions after the spring workshops.

Made possible by the David and Irmgard Dobrow Fund. Classical music was a passion of the Dobrows, who established a generous endowment at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music to make programs like this possible. We are proud to celebrate this program as part of the 2018-2019 Dobrow Series.