Bulrusher is the first complete length opera commissioned and developed by West Edge Opera. Bulrusher was initially commissioned in 2020 and premiered in the 2024 Summer Festival in Oakland, CA.

Commissioners & Supporters Include: Davidson Bidwell-Waite & Edwin Waite, Michèle & Laurence Corash, David Denniston & Todd Yancey, Russ Irwin, Bernice Lindstrom, Robert Ripps & Steven Spector, Bernard Osher Foundation, Carol Franc Buck Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, and Zellerbach Foundation.

The development of Bulrusher took place over the course of three years, with a series of milestones built into the process including:

October 2020 | A libretto reading with actors from Oakland Theater Project, led by dramaturg Leigh Rondon-Davis and West Edge General Director Mark Streshinsky.

May 2021 | A selection of music from Bulrusher, presented to the public as a part of SNAPSHOT 2021, conducted by Emily Senturia.

November 2021 | Partial Piano-vocal workshop at Cincinnati Opera’s Opera Fusion: New Works program, supported by The Mellon Foundation, in partnership with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. 

August, 2022 | Preview Performance at The Taube Atrium Theater in San Francisco.

January 2024 | Complete Piano-vocal workshop at Cincinnati Opera’s Opera Fusion: New Works program, supported by The Mellon Foundation, in partnership with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

August 2024 | World Premiere

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​For more information about Bulrusher including access to archival video, please contact emilie@westedgeopera.org