Ms. Navarro was selected for her ¿Y los Pasteles? Ópera Jíbara en Dos Actos (Where Are the Pasteles? Jibaro Opera in Two Acts), librettist: José Félix Gómez.
About Ms. Navaror and her work:
Puerto Rican composer Johanny Navarro has had her works commissioned and performed by leading ensembles and soloists, including the New World Symphony and the American Harp Society. Her catalogue includes works for opera, orchestra, chamber ensemble and choir. The Afro-Caribbean influence is Navarro’s cultural inspiration, and it is especially present in her musical aesthetic. Her music has been performed in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, the United States, France, Italy and Spain.
¿Y los Pasteles? is a comic opera, guided by Chica, an empowered young woman deeply in love with her country and culture. Throughout the opera, she encounters different situations that make her trust herself to overcome them. She falls in love with her culture and traditions and also with a beautiful soul. The work takes place during Christmastime, and its traditions, such as food, music and festivities, are emphasized.
And the Announcement:
"OPERA America is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2020 Discovery Grants from the Opera Grants for Female Composers program. These seven composers will receive a total of $100,000 to support development activities of theatrical works for the trained voice and instrumental ensemble. Opera Grants for Female Composers promote the development of new works by women and raise the visibility of women writing operas. The grants are made possible through the generosity of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
Grantees were selected from an applicant pool of 47 composers by a panel of industry leaders consisting of Mark Adamo, composer/librettist; Troy Cook, baritone; Kristine McIntyre, stage director; Evans Mirageas, the Harry T. Wilks artistic director of Cincinnati Opera; Brandon Neal, associate producer, Office of the President at The Julliard School; and Laurie Rogers, conductor.
Over the past four decades, OPERA America has awarded more than $20 million to support the work of opera creators, companies and administrators. However, until the launch of Opera Grants for Female Composers in 2013, fewer than five percent of the organization’s grants for repertoire development had been awarded to works by female composers. Opera Grants for Female Composers have helped to reverse that trend by investing over $1.2 million in operas by women to date, including support for Laura Kaminsky’s As One, now the most performed American opera in the country, and Ellen Reid’s p r i s m, which went on to win the Pulitzer Prize.
“OPERA America is focused on increasing gender parity across all sectors of the industry, both artistic and administrative, through initiatives like the Opera Grants for Female Composers, which have been enthusiastically received by the field as a whole,” stated Marc A. Scorca, president/CEO of OPERA America. “Thanks to the generosity of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, these grants bring new voices, perspectives and stories influenced by a broad spectrum of personal, musical and cultural influences.”
In addition to the grants, OPERA America invites and subsidizes all grant recipients to attend its annual Opera Conference and its New Works Forum, enabling them to develop relationships with potential collaborators and producers. The grant recipients also receive mentorship from creative consultant Peggy Monastra, senior advisor and former artistic director of G. Schirmer Inc./AMP, who provides guidance on the strategic planning and business aspects of new work development, including best practices for collaboration and workshops and how to engage and negotiate with potential producers."