The Mile-long Opera

ART AND DESIGN
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A project that brought together New Yorkers to celebrate their love for the city

Called “The Mile-Long Opera: a biography of 7 o’clock”, the 6-evening long public engagement project in early October offered an ambitious, immersive, and sensible glimpse into the personal stories of hundreds of New Yorkers at 7 p.m. everyday, as narrated by 1,000 singers.

The performance was a collaborative work of architecture studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro, composer David Lang, acclaimed poets, public space advocates, and various performers. Set in The High Line, one of the most dynamic public spaces for observing NYC and its multitude of intersecting lives, the free choral work invited audiences, as they walked along The High Line,  to move in and out of groups of singers and reflect on the hopes and fears of city-dwellers. “Ultimately it’s a celebratory project,” said Elizabeth Diller, founder of Diller Scofidio + Renfro and the only architect named on Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people of 2018, “It’s still a kind of love affair with New York.”

The performance was made possible by a city-wide community engagement initiative involving non-profit cultural organizations across all of NYC’s 5 boroughs. 7 partner organizations, each serving as a hub for engaging their local audiences, recruited performers, held public rehearsals and workshops, and hosted social and cultural events in the lead-up to the final performances.

Also Explore: The Mile-long Opera in 360°

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