A debut opera written and composed by two academics from the University of Glasgow will feature in an innovative series of performances that will travel across Scotland in May. Dr Nicolas Fells

Head of Music Dr Nick Fells and creative writing lecturer Zoe Strachan teamed up to produce Sublimation for the third year of Scottish Opera’s Five:15, which comprises five new operas lasting 15 minutes.  

Sublimation is about a woman haunted by her traumatic past, unable to separate it from the present, and as she is overwhelmed by memories her story takes a mythical turn.

Nick Fells was initially discussing ideas with Scottish Opera when he turned to Zoe to write the libretto after reading her debut novel, Negative Space. Neither had ever written or composed an opera but were commissioned after teaming-up.

“Zoe and I work a couple of doors down from each other at the University and had never met but when I was asked to find a librettist I recalled reading her first novel and thought she would be the ideal person ,” said Dr Fells.

The pair spent more than18 months working on Sublimation and got a first glimpse of the piece during a recent rehearsal. Zoe Strachan

Zoe, who drew inspiration for the libretto while on a Robert Louis Stevenson fellowship in Grez-sur-Loing , France, said: “It was an amazing experience to see and hear the opera performed for the first time. To hear the singers bring the piece to life was simply an incredible experience.”

Dr Fells added: “Needless to say both Zoe and I are looking forward to the opening night. It’s always nerve-wracking hearing a piece for the first time, but I hope audiences will find it as exhilarating as we both have while making and rehearsing the piece.”

Sublimation will debut at Elphinstone Hall, King’s College in Aberdeen on Saturday 15 May. The opera will be performed the following night at Elphinstone Hall before moving to the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh (20, 21, 22 May) and then Oran Mor in Glasgow (25, 26 and 27 May).

Five:15 is Scottish Opera's ongoing commitment to commissioning new work delivers a refreshingly different take on a traditional art form. Other operas in this year’s series include a collaboration between Russian composer Vitaly Khodosh and Glasgow-based writer Bernard MacLaverty.

For more information contact Nicolas White in the University of Glasgow Media Relations Office on 0141 330 3535 or email n.white@admin.gla.ac.uk

First published: 30 April 2010

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