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MN Opera Commission: Chim Lạc (Lost Bird)

My good friend Oanh Vu and I were commissioned by MN Opera to write a mini opera, which will be available to stream for free starting February 9th at 1pm. It's part of a month-long series of short operas created by Minnesota artists.

Oanh wrote the story and co-created a beautiful shadow puppet show with Andrew Young, with the help of puppeteers liping vong and Ty Chapman. I composed the music and songs that came to life thanks to the MN Opera orchestra, vocalists Lady Midnight and Monique Bạch Hạc Nguyen, classical guitarist Milena Petkovic, percussionist Eri Isomura, music mixer Andy Thompson, and sound designer Mike Hallenbeck.

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Quest 13: Arias on Tap, the Sequel

For the next Composer Quest quest, we're partnering with Opera on Tap Twin Cities again to premiere new arias and art songs. You can write for up to 4 voices accompanied by electronic piano. Optional additional instruments are clarinet, bassoon, and euphonium. Send your new composition to charlie@composerquest.com and twincities@operaontap.com on or before December 28 at 11:59pm central time.

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Follow Your Dreams! With Candy Bilyk

Theater, film, and video game composer Candy Bilyk shares the best piece of advice she ever heard from Katy Perry: "Follow your dreams!" Candy was happy to share her own (actually practical) advice on composing and the music business. In Composer Quest Episode 37, we talk about everything from "synthestration" to grant writing to her opera about a fairy-eating carp.

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