“ ‘How can I be a warrior for what’s good in the world?’ Yuval Sharon asked himself that question hours before the announcement that he was a 2017 MacArthur fellow, winner of the so-called genius grant … by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation,” writes Jessica Gelt in Tuesday’s (10/10) Los Angeles Times. Sharon is “artistic director of the experimental opera company the Industry [which staged] ‘Invisible Cities,’ an immersive opera in downtown Los Angeles’ Union Station [and] ‘Hopscotch’ … performed … in 24 cars driving in and around downtown L.A…. [As] the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s first artist-collaborator in residence [he is] free to curate nontraditional projects [including] his forthcoming performance piece, ‘War of the Worlds,’ which uses the famous Orson Wells 1938 fake-news radio broadcast … as a springboard…. ‘It’s very exciting to be doing something that feels like a direct response to our current social-political situation,’… he said of ‘War of the Worlds.’ … The venerable Cleveland Orchestra opened its 100th season by asking Sharon to direct ‘The Cunning Little Vixen,’ in which animation played on three screens surrounding the musicians.” Other MacArthur 2017 musician fellows include Tyshawn Sorey, Rhiannon Giddens, and Taylor Mac.
Posted October 13, 2017
