Named one of the top 100 Composers in the World by National Public Radio, and one of the Top 30 Professionals of the Year by Musical America—among other distinctions—composer Paola Prestini has developed a unique, genre-transcending musical voice through her creations and projects that have a global impact. Her works give voice to those whom society has silenced and offer platforms for fundamental causes. She is the Co-Founder of National Sawdust, an institution through which she has collaborated with noted artists of various disciplines, like poet Robin Coste Lewis, visual artists Julie Mehretu and Nick Cave, and musical legends David Byrne, Philip Glass and Renée Fleming. Paola’s works have been performed throughout the world with the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Dallas Opera, London’s Barbican Center, Mexico’s Bellas Artes, and many more.
Paola Prestini’s new work Primero Sueño will have its world premiere at The Met Cloisters on January 23rd through the 26th; details are at the link at the end of this interview.
Ten years ago, you co-founded National Sawdust and turned it into an important New York cultural institution led by women. What was your mission in establishing this organization and how have these past ten years enhanced or maybe even redefined that mission?
The mission was to support composers and musicians of all genres through the commissioning, mentoring, and presentation of their work. Having grown up as an artist in the city, I was painfully aware of the need for good materials in order to disseminate one’s work, and so the acoustics of the space were of paramount importance. Also important was to re-envision opportunities for women and those often marginalized in the classical music scene. And so, through a revolving system of curation and representation on a team whose values are aligned, we’ve tried to keep all aspects of the National Sawdust community representative of the world we want to inhabit: one that is an equitable and joyful sphere of influence.
In the 2024-25 season, you’ll be having a total of five world premieres of opera and music theater works throughout the United States. One coming up this month is “Primero Sueño” a site-specific processional opera taking place at The Met Cloisters that explores the life of proto-feminist Mexican nun Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, co-composed with Magos Herrera, who will also star as the eponymous protagonist. What can audiences expect from this work? What would you like them to take away from it?
Primero Sueño is a fever dream of the iconic proto-feminist writer, Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz, that merges her soul and intellect. We present it as a processional opera through the Met Cloisters, where the audience witnesses cloistered life, which was how many women in the 17th century were secured the right to study and be free. I co-composed it with Magos Herrera, and it is directed by Louisa Proske. Sor Juana’s aim in life was her hunger for knowledge, and in this dream, she unmasks herself and explores her passion for the mind – ultimately recognizing her limitations and then accepting that this quest is life long, and that it will be done in solitude. Although she is an intellectual, she unconsciously reveals herself as a mystic, and understands there are things beyond her comprehension – that there are a higher consciousness and frequencies of life beyond her imagination. This all happened and was written in the 17th century – her mind, her writing and her scope of consciousness all transcended the confines of gender in her time.
Sor Juana serves as an incredible icon of my own ethos and way of being in the world, as artists and individuals. We are both deeply committed to creating musical work which centers on equity and freedom as key drivers of the artistic process – uplifting marginalized voices, creating a nourishing sense of community through collaborative work, and expanding knowledge about ourselves, the world, the cosmos and beyond. Given this profound resonance, it is an honor and an exciting opportunity to be bringing the words and poetry of Sor Juana’s Primero Sueño to life in operatic form for the first time.
The quest for freedom of mind, body and soul continues to this day, as we write this work in the context of modern political and social realities. Women’s bodies are not their own, our intellects are not prioritized as demonstrated through pay equity, and in general – equity for women, marginalized genders, people of color and many other marginalized communities is still very much a fight and dream…
Paola Prestini (Photo by Brigitte Lacomb)
Your multi-modal opera “Sensorium Ex”—that will have its world premiere in May at the Common Senses Festival in Omaha, Nebraska—deals with the topics of AI and disability. Why was it important for you to create such a work?
This work was such an opportunity. I got to work with the brilliant artists poet Brenda Shaughnessy, and the directors Jerron Herman and Jay Scheib, and together with our team have created a space for this lore-inclusive vision of opera to thrive. I love working to create concepts and forms that have not yet been created, and this kind of opera is the first of its kind. My hope is that by documenting all aspects and creating an open-source codex at the end, it will open up more opportunity for the future of the form that is ultimately more inclusive and inviting. In Sensorium AI we are working on creating a more expressive and open-source version of an augmented communication device for folks who are nonverbal or with minimal speech.
As an advocate for women and gender-marginalized composers, you have created the Hildegard Commission, a program that supports composers, and the Blueprint Fellowship for emerging composers and women mentors at Juilliard. What do these two initiatives mean to you and how have they enriched your own life as a composer?
They mean everything! I struggled as a woman composer when I was coming up in the field twenty years ago. There were so many closed doors and there was a lack of transparency. I felt it was my job to do my part to augment the possibilities in the field and to battle against the sexism. Seeing the change happen and being part of the change is incredibly fulfilling. And it gives me hope.
You hail from the birthland of opera. What influence has the Italian grand opera tradition had on your development as a composer?
I grew up listening to Puccini and Verdi and Mexican folk songs. So, for sure it had an influence on me. I loved the human voice and knew I wanted to focus on opera as a form from an early age.
What advice do you have for aspiring young composers? What are the advantages and the pitfalls for them in today’s world that are different from when your student days?
My advice is to form a community early on, and to be generous with your time but aware of what you need to be healthy and to thrive. It’s a long road full of challenges and the people around you help you get there. The myths of the big career breaks are dangerous. We do what we do because of love of the form, not accolades. I would say that what’s different now is the amount of information to navigate and the distractions. It’s important to find the places and the people with whom you find refuge to protect your spirit and creativity.
Any special message for your audiences in NYC and beyond?
I feel so fortunate to get to live and create in this city where art can be found on each corner. I look forward to sharing Primero Sueño and Portal, a site-specific work at the Brooklyn Navy Yard that I’m creating with Jad Abumrad, Jessica Grindstaff and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus this May!
Primero Sueño at The Met Cloisters ~ Info and tickets
Top: Paola Prestini (Photo by Brigitte Lacomb )
