ICELAND is an original, two-act contemporary opera, written and composed by O-Lan Jones and Emmett Tinley, with David Schweizer directing the piece through its overall development.
A contemporary love story steeped in the living mythology of Iceland, it begins with a chance encounter between Vala and Mundi, childhood sweethearts. The meeting sets the heroine and hero on a journey off the map of the known world, into the realm of “The Hiddenfolk”. Following their opposing trajectories and eventual reunion, ICELAND explores longing, courage, and the transcendent power of love.
Jones’ music scores the Hidden World, home to ancient creatures that influence and guide the protagonists. Her orchestration includes the langspiel, a tranditional Icelandic instrument, which connects her contemporary sound to Iceland’s cultural past. Tinley’s songs, based in a singer-songwriter folk tradition, give voice to Vala and Mundi’s human desires. The two composers’ styles weave together to create a rich texture in which the Human and the Hidden coexist.
Overtone Industries develops and presents new multidisciplinary operas and music theatre, bringing to life vivid original stories, myths, and fables. Overtone is passionate about live performances and its power to generate transformation, as performers and audience participate together in each unfolding moment. The organization believes artistic expression is an essential part of living, serving as a catalyst for both artists and audience members to understand themselves in a new way. Overtone is committed to an in-depth development process that gives each project the time and devotion it requires to come to life.
