Bouque sings the role of Wendell in the premiere of Amber Vistein’s new opera “Dark Exhalation.” Presented in collaboration with Brown University and New Music USA.

“Dark Exhalation is a new multi-media opera for four vocalists and amplified live ensemble (flute, clarinet, viola, cello, double bass, electric guitar, percussion) that incorporates cinematic sound design, immersive sound spatialization techniques, and video projection to create a hybrid audio-visual experience.

At its heart, this evening-length work explores the generative possibilities of fragility. The events of the opera unfold in an urban environment sometime in the not too distant future. We find each character dealing with some form of isolation: grief, loneliness, or addiction. Each is fragile in their own way. When a massive solar storm is detected, and found to be rapidly speeding towards the Earth, they each map their personal situations and vulnerabilities onto the events of the cosmos; interpreting cosmic happenings as representative of their individual struggles: a solar flare is a dead lover’s rage, a tide of dying birds is a man’s broken heart, and the roiling plasma of the solar surface is the restless blood of someone suffering substance withdrawal.

When the solar storm arrives, it causes a blackout that extends for hundreds of miles. Food, gas, and medicine shortages quickly follow. But in the wake of the storm’s destruction, radically altered circumstances allow unexpected connections to blossom. Ultimately, Dark Exhalation is a narrative of care, a care inspired by the mutual fragility that we all share: extending from the sub-personal through to the personal, societal, and cosmic.”

Find out more at https://www.newmusicusa.org/projects/dark-exhalation/?fbclid=IwAR1jkU7_qYC2RGHasi0MsqzMiEY5EYODolwhmnsBoOdP3TWYF4xLAMHjBpg