Local mezzo-soprano and composer Sarah Mattox has joined forces with Vespertine Opera Theatre to present a workshop production of her brand new opera, Heart Mountain.

Heart Mountain is based on the journal of Kara Matsushita Kondo, a woman born in the Yakima Valley and interned with her family at the Heart Mountain, Wyoming camp during WWII. The story centers on Kara and her sisters and the profound effect the internment had on their lives. It is an intensely personal story culminating in Kara’s choice to answer a devastating injustice with an act of true beauty.

Heart Mountain will be conducted by Stephen Stubbs, who won the 2015 Grammy for Best Opera Recording.  He is regarded as one of the best baroque opera specialists in the country, but Stephen also takes great interest in new music.  Stephen was also awarded the 2015 Mayor’s Arts Award for “Raising the Bar” in Seattle.  Visit this page to learn about all of the cast members of Heart Mountain.

You can tune in to Second Inversion at 3pm on Wednesday, July 8 to hear a special edition of The Takeover, co-hosted by Sarah Mattox and Dan Wallace Miller, Artistic Director of Vespertine Opera Theatre.  Sarah and Dan preview Heart Mountain with some excerpts and touching stories about the music.

The performances are this Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m. at TheLAB@Inscape in the International District.