Classical singer Julia Bullock opened her season with a concert performance of Messiaen’s Harawi – a twelve-part, hour-long song cycle inspired by original Harawi music and Quechua poetry from a diverse range of Andean cultures – at the University of Iowa, joined by pianist Conor Hanick. Next week, they both travel to California for three performances of the piece in the staged production created by their mutual opera company, AMOC*, the collective credited with “revitalizing what American music theater can mean with several of our most revolutionary young talents” (Los Angeles Times).

Directed by AMOC* artistic director Zack Winokur, the staged Harawi features Bullock and Hanick along with dancers Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, who also share choreography credits on the piece. In a statement about the work, Bullock and Winokur explain: 

“Harawi explores dichotomies: life and death, pain and joy, spirituality and sensuality, sacrifice and preservation, fulfillment and loss. [Messiaen] seems to be asking from a place of personal grief: how do you stay connected to someone you love while the accumulated memories of your relationship begin to fade or drift? How do you recover and move on?”

 When Bullock and AMOC* premiered the production at France’s Aix-en-Provence festival in 2022, Concerto.net observed:

“The singer and pianist face challenges that seem impossible, and yet are achieved. … Ms. Bullock dares to explore the extremes, musical and emotional. … All the gestures are spellbinding. Ms. Bullock’s remarkable voice is central. Over the years, each of her special talents has been enlarged. Her voice has become large, not by making it louder, but by enriching breath. Her quiet notes remain textured whispers. Always there is a special quality, whether Ms. Bullock is challenged by rapid rhythms or wide leaps. She remains a consummate actor who delivers great pleasure.”

Click here for Julia’s full schedule.

Sep 27; Oct 1, 4
Harawi tour with AMOC*

Zack Winokur, director
Conor Hanick, piano
Bobbi Jene Smith, choreographer and dancer
Or Schraiber, choreographer and dancer

Sep 27: Berkeley, CA (Zellerbach Hall; Cal Performances)

Oct 1: Beverly Hills, CA (The Wallis)

Oct 4: Santa Barbara, CA (Campbell Hall, UCSB)