Singer

What happens when the myth of the American West fractures? When the hero splits into many selves, and the story refuses to behave? In Michael Gordon’s A Western, inspired directly by the film High Noon, Verdigris Ensemble presents the West as a kaleidoscopic dream: familiar figures multiplied, reflected, and distorted through sound and movement. Gary Cooper’s lone sheriff doesn’t appear once, he appears four times, sixteen times, splintered across the stage as the choir becomes shards of a mirror, transforming individuals into crowds and crowds back into a single voice. Raw, loud, and cinematic, A Western confronts the mythology of cowboys, guns, and justice head-on: asking what happens when the stories we rely on start to crack.

The evening opens with the world premiere of To The West, where singers become architecture: forming environments, landscapes, and ecosystems of the West through light, projection, and physical presence. Directed by Kevin Moriarty, conceived and conducted by Sam Brukhman, with visuals by Courtney Ware, this production pushes singers far beyond traditional vocal roles. Here, 16 voices become characters, terrain, and tension itself. To The West lulls audiences into a hypnotic cinematic world before A Western blasts it open. Three nights only, this is not a concert you casually attend: it’s a visceral reimagining of what music can be, and a defining statement in the new music movement Verdigris Ensemble is building.

Alto

Susannah Woodruf

Events

Past events

13 - 15 Mar, 2026

A Western · Verdigris Ensemble

Future and recently performed repertoire

Singer in A Western by Gordon

Verdigris Ensemble

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