ArtsEmerson

Iphigenia is an operatic collaboration 'debased' on the plays by Euripides, between saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter and bassist/composer /vocalist Esperanza Spalding. Featuring improvisation as a metaphor for agency and choice, classical and jazz forms collide in a full orchestral score that features Shorter’s groundbreaking method of symphonic improvisation, with his venerated quartet at the center. Spalding's libretto is deeply poetic and then suddenly radical – Iphigenia is multiplied, her identity is fractured and shared until the stage is occupied by a chorus of her. Iphigenia will receive its premiere at ArtsEmerson following a technical residency and previews at MASS MoCA.