Three virgins sit in a meadow, passing the time with songs, riddles, and livestream updates as they await the appearance of the majestic unicorn. Rumor has it that this animal can only be subdued in the presence of pure maidens. But the weeks are dragging on, the court is getting antsy, and the king is threatening dire measures to verify the purity of his employees.
Sound like a fairy tale? Think again. The Hunt is a new chamber opera with book and music by Kate Soper. It was commissioned by Miller Theatre and will premiere there on October 12 and 14. The work reclaims a well-worn medieval legend to interrogate the contemporary obsession with regulating and restricting female sexuality, the consequences for gender deviance, the value of beauty, and the price of safety.
Columbia News recently caught up with Soper, who received her DMA in Composition from the university’s Music Department in 2011. The conversation ranged from The Hunt to her other projects, and how she manages two full-time jobs—vocalist/composer/writer/performer and professor.
How did the Miller Theatre commission of The Hunt come about, and what is it like to work with Melissa Smey, Miller’s executive director?
I had been working on The Hunt for a couple of years, and had just finished workshopping a draft when Melissa decided to officially commission it for Miller Theatre. I've worked with her a few times now, and am so grateful for her support of my projects. She is candid, engaged, and, overall, a great partner. And it's fun to be putting on a show in my old stomping grounds.
What was it like to be a student in Columbia's Music Department?
My experience at Columbia was quite formative. I came in at the age of 22, not knowing all that much about the new music scene. I was quickly immersed in the intense culture not only of the department at that time, but of the city in general. Probably the most important elements for me were the cohort of other composers I was with—some of whom are still my close collaborators—and the ability to live and work in New York. I've since moved away, but am glad to have a foothold here and be able to return often.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I am in post-production for a studio album of my opera, The Romance of the Rose, which I recorded with my ensemble, Wet Ink, in August. I’m also writing a large-scale work based on Homeric epithets to premiere in New York next summer. In the longer term, I'm working on a solo, evening-length, music-theater show, where I'll play Orpheus in a post-apocalyptic bunker. So that should be fun.
