Excerpts From The Opera

Terence Blanchard's 'Fire Shut Up In My Bones' won high acclaim after its St. Louis premiere, with the Met staging it to a rapturous reception in 2021 and again during the 2023-24 season. It was also the first opera by an African American composer to be performed on the Met stage. Blanchard is a firm believer in making opera accessible to everyone and, to that end, has worked with his group the E-Collective and the Grammy-winning musicians of the the Turtle Island Quartet to deliver this concert version of the work. With visuals by Andrew F. Scott bringing you right into the heart of the opera, the concert features excerpts from the stunning work, performed by Blanchard himself and his collaborators.

What Is The Story?

This bold opera tackles challenging themes and is based upon Charles M. Blow's memoir of the same name. The story centers around Charlie as he struggles to overcome a childhood and adolescence of hardship and abuse. Some key female figures - some real and others spiritual - help Charles to forge a new path for his life. Set against the backdrop of Southern America, 'Fire Shut Up In My Bones' has been marked out as a 21st Century masterpiece.