Join us at Chandler November 13th and 14th as Opera Vermont presents the world premiere of William Grant Still's Costaso. Costaso is an American opera, written and performed in English. Set in the then-Spanish-ruled American Southwest of the 18th century, it is a story of passion, betrayal and tragic sacrifice. A devoted couple, Lieutenant Ramón Costaso and his wife Carmela, are torn apart by the jealousy and corruption of a powerful authority figure. Still fills the drama with soaring arias, melodic brilliance, and a thrilling Act II duet for tenor and baritone between Costaso and his friend Manuel, on par with that from Bizet's The Pearl Fishers. This year's performance is the second installment of Opera Vermont's multi-year cycle devoted to the operas of Still, long known as the "Dean of African American Composers." Still was well-regarded for his Symphony #1 Afro-American Symphony, and recognized for being the first African-American whose work was performed by the New York City Opera. Despite his composing over 200 pieces, his music has been largely ignored by western classical music and opera since his death. Through its annual "Still: Unsung" cycle, Opera Vermont is now on a mission to perform all the operas he wrote at the professional level of production they deserve. Audiences who love the intensity of Puccini's Tosca will find familiar emotional ground here, alongside the excitement of discovering this opera in Still's distinctive American voice. Friday, November 13th at 7pm • Saturday, November 14th at 4pm Tickets at http://chandler-arts.org or 802-728-9878