October 3, 2024: Host Christa Wessel welcomes Portland Opera proudly previewing the next installment of the Our Oregon Project, Shizue: An American Story. This opera illuminates the remarkable life of Shizue Iwatsuki. Born to a wealthy Japanese family and trained in the arts of poetry and ikebana, she marries Kamegoro and emigrates to his orchard in Hood River. Like thousands of other Japanese Americans, she experiences both hope and horror in her new home—from the luscious taste of fresh strawberries to the injustice of America’s incarceration camps. Through it all, Shizue rises above and reaches beyond, embodying the concept of gaman, which means “enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity.”
Portland Opera’s Our Oregon Project commissions youth operas that highlight the experiences of Oregonians through a variety of lenses. After this world premiere in October 2024, Shizue: An American Story will embark on a multi-city tour.
Join us Thursday at 3:00 PM PT at 89.9 FM in Portland, OR or from anywhere in the world via the live player on our website.
ABOUT
Portland Opera has been bringing opera to life since the company’s founding in 1964. The first production was Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus, which opened on November 7, 1964, at the Leodis V. McDaniel High School (then known as Madison High School). This first season also included Puccini’s beloved masterpiece, La Bohème, which (to date) has been the most performed opera in the company’s history.
Today, you can still find Portland Opera singers in parks and festivals around town, with their Opera a la Cart performances. Learn more at portlandopera.org.
