I Believed in Magic addresses themes of gender, power, fear, and desire, reimagining classic favorites through an evening of bedtime stories. Throughout the evening, works by composers such as Florence Price and Mary Kouyoumdjian serve as musical scores to retold fables. Fíjate, a world premiere by Palaver’s own Teagan Faran, is a response to Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, retold from the perspective of the pursued woman. It draws on themes from the original Berlioz as well as Faran’s deep knowledge of tango idioms, relating them to Paris’s role in globalizing and exoticizing tangoian tastes during Berlioz’s time. Palaver also shares Nina Shekhar’s Above the Fray, which takes Bach’s famous prelude from Cello Suite No. 1 through transformations, degradations, and reshapings. Another premiere, Xenia St. Charles Iris Llyllyth’s Canary Resuscitator, continues the theme through ambient chorale-like references to snippets of Mozart. The title refers to the use of canaries in coal mines to warn of gas leaks as a metaphor for the US trans population, especially around issues of healthcare and wellness. This piece is intended both as a response to and a respite from the political turmoil surrounding trans rights. 

Private for Summit only - to attend the event, you must be registered to attend the summit.

The concert is sponsored by the USM Crewe Center if the Arts.