Creative Team

Original Cast

Anne Harley | "Hoopoe"
Fahad Siadat | "Narrator"
Catalina Jackson-Urueña | Dancer
Featured Soloists: Amanda Achen, Molly Pease, Saunder Choi, David Conley, Paul Chwe Minchul An, James HaydenEnsemble: Joslyn Sarshad, Chloé Vaught, Ianthe Marini, Drew Corey, Elizabeth Waller, Ariana Stultz, Vera Lugo, Frank Hobbs, Kion Heidari, Corona De Los Santos, Kirk Averitt, Jacob Sidney

"We are the birds in the story. All of us have our own ideas and ideals, our own fears and anxieties, as we hold on to our own version of the truth. Like the birds of this story, we may take flight together, but the journey itself will be different for each of us. Attar tells us that truth is not static, and that we each tread a path according to our own capacity. It evolves as we evolve. Those who are trapped within their own dogma, clinging to hardened beliefs or faith, are deprived of the journey toward the unfathomable Divine, which Attar calls the Great Ocean." — Sholeh Wolpé, librettist

The Conference of the Birds follows the birds of the world who embark on a journey to find their sovereign, Simorgh, a divine/mythical creature. Led by the wise Hoopoe they travel through Seven Valleys, each a spiritual realm of understanding that unfolds as they journey toward Simorgh’s sanctuary. The libretto is drawn from Sufi mystic poet Attar’s seminal text about the journey of the soul as it seeks union with the Divine.

The oratorio is composed by Fahad Siadat with a libretto by Sholeh Wolpé and directed/choreographed by André Megerdichian. The story is structured like nesting dolls, utilizing smaller tales and parables nestled within a larger narrative to advance the voyage of the birds. The result is an engaging and soul-lifting spiritual journey that not only illustrates the core tenets of the Sufi mystical path but also metaphorically addresses our 21st century spiritual and environmental woes. This project is an opportunity to explore further the relationship between musical principles and the ecstatic experience within Sufi spiritual practice, especially the experience of deindividuation—shedding of one’s ego—which is a core feature of a wayfarer’s path.

Rather than using instruments to support the vocal soloists as is typical for an oratorio, The Conference of the Birds is entirely a cappella, utilizing a collection musical techniques and timbres found in singing styles across the globe. Singers act as both the birds on the journey as well as musically function as the ‘orchestra’ to tell the story and support the vocal solos. The result is a sound world outside of any one cultural tradition, creating an emotional and relatable experience through the human voice.