GLORY GONE: An Immersive Opera by Nathan Felix

On the eve of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the Maxwell will welcome NYC composer Nathan Felix to premiere the opera Glory Gone. The opera will be part of an immersive musical experience featuring original works by local artists, including UNM students and alumni. The event will uniquely activate the Museum's environment and spaces in ways that have not been previously explored, to present a transformative experience for the audience both aurally and visually. Nathan Felix is a Mexican-American artist known for his immersive operas and experimental films. His music has premiered in Bulgaria, Portugal, Spain, Japan, China, Sweden, Denmark, Mongolia and the U.S. and has been featured on the BBC, MTV, NPR, TPR & PBS. In 2022, he collaborated with the Albuquerque Museum to present the immersive chamber opera, La Malinche: Traitor | Savior. At the Maxwell, we aim for the same fantastic results. Glory Gone explores the theme of restoring voices and the search for one’s purpose and identity in the face of discrimination. Gloria, the heroine of the opera, is a prolific Mexican-American singer who rose from poverty and into the national limelight by crossing over into the American mainstream. After a concert, Gloria is assaulted by an obsessed and jealous photographer. The opera follows Gloria as she heals from the trauma of being a target of racial violence, and from the physical wounds that have stripped her of her singing career. The Maxwell's new institutional vision, established in 2020, is composed of the "Three Rs": Restoring Voices, Reconciling Injustices and Realizing Community. As such, we're honored to be working with Felix and helping him tell stories that highlight underserved communities.