A Special Preview of the new opera Before Night Falls and discussion with Composer Jorge Martín '81

Sponsored by the Association of Yale Alumni (AYA), Yale GALA, Yale Club of San Francisco, Yale Latino Alumni Association

Jorge Martín's Before Night Falls, an opera based on the memoirs of Reinaldo Arenas, the gay, Cuban, dissident author who died of AIDS in New York in 1990, premiers at the Fort Worth Opera in May 2010.

The opera follows the life of Arenas from his time as a rebel in the Cuban revolution to his eventual escape to and death in the United States and explores issues of sexuality, ethnicity, and immigration.

Yale Opera students Chrystal Williams ’10 MUS, Eric Barry ’10 MUS and Vince Vincent ’10 MUS will perform excerpts from the work. Following the performance, we will have a conversation with composer Jorge Martín ’81 and a reception.

Mr. Martín was born in Santiago de Cuba in 1959. His family settled in the U.S. in 1965. He acquired the rights to Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas’ memoir Before Night Falls and wrote the libretto himself with the help of Dolores M. Koch, who translated the book and knew Arenas personally.

This program will be held on Thursday, March 11th, 2009, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the University Club, 800 Powell Avenue, San Francisco, CA. A wine and cheese reception will follow (cash bar available).

Related Links...

Jorge Martín's Website:

http://www.jorgemartin.com/index.html

Fort Worth Opera:

http://www.fwopera.org/

Yale School of Music:

http://music.yale.edu/