Okoye: When the Caged Bird Sings

Nkeiru Okoye's “When the Caged Bird Sings” is a 'musical celebration' whose compositional style, while rooted in the African American church, also encompasses minimalism and improvisational elements. With its message that adversities can be transformed into triumphs, the work celebrates the transformative power of African American women, echoing in part the experiences of author and activist Maya Angelou. The work functions as a communal ritual that, like an oratorio, an opera, or a stage play, brings together soloists, choir, and orchestra to both honor and celebrate hope and possibility. Award-winning director Rita Coburn also produced Maya Angelou’s Oprah radio program and was co-director of the acclaimed film “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” (2016), which won a Peabody Award. When soprano Angela Brown made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in “Aida,” she garnered international acclaim, with the New York Times declaring: ‘Finally, an Aida.’ Christie Dashiell’s debut solo album “Time All Mine” (2016) reached the Billboard charts for jazz and contemporary jazz albums, as well as the Top 50 Writer’s Ballots in the Jazz Times Critics’ Poll. Tenor Issachah Savage has sung roles in “Tannhäuser,” “Otello,” “Aida,” “Rienzi,” and other operas with leading opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera.