Gabriela Ortiz

Ana y su Sombra

chamber opera for children

Music by Gabriela Ortiz
Libretto by Mónica Sánchez Escuer

About the work

ANA Y SU SOMBRA is an hour long humorous and joyous exploration of the migrant experience. Ana is a little girl whose family has moved from Mexico to America. She doesn’t feel she belongs, she misses her home and her friends, and longs to return. Her shadow, however, loves the adventure of a new place and wishes to remain in America. They fight and decide to call it quits from each other. During their respective journeys they learn the meaning of home and of voyaging, and find a peace in their new life together.

Gabriela Ortiz is Mexico’s leading composer today. Recently having her works premiered and toured by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, ANA Y SU SOMBRA is only one of her many operas that surprise in the way that they look at compelling and contemporary issues of today. Written to be enjoyed by children and adults, this operatic storybook experience, sung in Spanish with English supertitles, is perfect for the whole family.

SPECS

BACKGROUND

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Two Latin Grammy nominated Gabriela Ortiz is one of the foremost composers in Mexico today, and one of the most vibrant musicians emerging in the international scene. Her musical language achieves an extraordinary and expressive synthesis of tradition and the avant-garde; combining high art, folk music and jazz in novel, frequently refined and always personal ways. Her compositions are credited for being both entertaining and immediate as well as profound and sophisticated; she achieves a balance between highly organized structure and improvisatory spontaneity. Although based in Mexico, her music is commissioned and performed all over the world.