“Both Eyes Open recasts the incarceration of Japanese Americans to show us disturbing truths about America then and America now. In this exciting, experimental opera we mash up the lyrical with the raucous; an ambitious aesthetic with vaudevillian low brow humor. We hope you enjoy the ride: a fresh, new work that reframes the WWII Incarceration of Japanese Americans to resonate with the timely issue of anti-Asian and anti-immigrant hatred.” – Philip Kan Gotanda

EPSG:4326

Both Eyes Open: A Chamber Opera on the Japanese American WWII Incarceration

University of California, Berkeley

Performing live on a pair of huge invented musical instruments, the duo of acclaimed composer, performer & instrument inventor Paul Dresher and percussionist-extraordinaire Joel Davel consistently generates "an exciting sense of mystery and surprise." (<em>Portland Press Herald</em>) </p>
<p>Playing the 15-foot Quadrachord or the 10-foot Hurdy Grande, and featuring Don Buchla’s magical Marimba Lumina and Lightning controller, Dresher and Davel create lush textures and rhythmically propulsive grooves that fascinate the ear and the eye. Exploring unique sound-colors amplified by live digital looping, this electro-acoustic duo creates complex sonic layers as rich as a full orchestra.

Joel Davel

Events

Past events

Feb 16, 2025

Both Eyes Open: A Chamber Opera on the Japanese American WWII Incarceration · UC Berkeley Department of Music

11 - 12 Mar, 2022

Dresher Davel Invented Instrument Duo · Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

About

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