Antīgone’s of the Pandemic

Antigone's of the Pandemic is a tribute to the many volunteers worldwide who helped with the funerals and cremations during the pandemic, often at the risk of their own lives.

The opera is inspired by the myth of Antigone, the Greek heroine who was not allowed to bury her brother Polynices. She fought to give him his last rites and give him a dignified end to his life, at her own peril. Miranda Lakerveld and visual artist Siavash Naghshbandi created an intimate mourning ritual in which the viewer is in close contact with the performers. The opera contains songs of hope and mourning from different cultures, including new compositions by Alfian Adytia, Chetna Sahni Sehgal and Setareh Nafisi.