Educational Outreach director: Mahakala Oratorio
The plans for this commission and related outreach projects shifted drastically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Original plans for a premiere performance and youth workshops on improvisation, composition, and technology became online media. Outreach for Mahakala Oratorio included the development of an online interactive presentation, as well as facilitating an online workshop for young composers at W.O. Smith Music School.
Written by Leila Adu, Mahakala Oratorio’s inspiration draws directly from the Buddhist deity of the same name. In her work, Leila Adu uses ancient texts describing Mahakala as a tool to empower listeners to consider the idea of radical compassion in this era of social, political, and environmental extremism. The music itself reflects Leila's genre-mixing style, which draws on the traditional music of New Zealand; her informal training in punk, indie, and hip-hop as well as freely improvised music in the African-American free jazz tradition; and formal training for chamber ensemble and orchestra.
