[PIZZICATO] It all begins with sad news: the composer is dead, murdered! An inspector leads the investigation and questions the suspects, the orchestra's instrument families: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. They all seem to have a solid alibi. So who is the culprit? Through this thrilling search and thanks to Nathaniel Stookey's original music, discover the orchestra's instruments and learn the most astonishing secrets of classical music.

Investigation at the orchestra: The composer is dead

Philharmonic Hall of Liege

Bold innovation and exceptional virtuosity converge to reflect the many ways music can illuminate. Two of San Francisco’s shining composers, Jake Heggie and Nathaniel Stookey, premiere works inspired by New Century’s spirit, honoring its past while imagining new possibilities. Bologne’s vibrant violin concerto restores a long-overlooked brilliance to the spotlight, and Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence culminates in a rich cascade of melody and emotion. Each piece offers its own light, forming a constellation of artistry, legacy, and brilliance.

EPSG:4326

Luminaries

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Tiburon, CA

First Congregational Church of Berkeley

Presidio Theatre Performing Arts Center

Calling all sneaky sleuths and would-be detectives! Who did the composer in? Was it the shifty string section, or maybe the treacherous trombones? Every instrument in the orchestra is a suspect! With music by Nathaniel Stookey and text by Lemony Snicket, The Composer Is Dead is a hilarious whodunit for the whole family.

The Composer Is Dead

David Pecaut Square

The Composer is Dead (Family Concert)

Mesquite Arts Center

Our season finale is an event you definitely don’t want to miss, as we proudly present two contemporary American classics: Jennifer Higdon’s Blue Cathedral and Nathaniel Stookey’s The Composer Is Dead. Blue Cathedral is one of Jennifer Higdon’s early and most celebrated works for orchestra, and was composed in 1989. The piece has since become a favorite in the American contemporary classical repertoire, appreciated for its evocative, meditative character and lyrical exploration of sound and emotion. Over the years, its expressive narrative has resonated with audiences and performers, contributing significantly to Higdon's reputation as a leading modern composer.

Season Finale - Senior Orchestra

San Mateo High School

Every year, the Henderson Symphony Orchestra is proud to welcome more than 2,000 kids to our 4Kids Concert. This year, we will be performing The Composer Is Dead, with text by Lemony Snicket and music by Nathaniel Stookey.

Concert 4Kids

Lee's Family Forum

Narrator Omari Tau will join us again for this exciting family-centered concert! This year we’ve chosen Nathanial Stookey’s The Composer is Dead, with text by Lemony Snicket. This performance presents an engaging way for a young audience to learn about the different instrument sections of the orchestra. Jenna Son, Grand Prize Winner of the 2024 Young Artists Competition will perform Sibelius’ Violin Concerto, Op. 47.

Family Concert: Lemony Snicket: The Composer is Dead

Placer High School Theater

**Bulrusher at West Edge Opera: A World Premiere**

Join us for a captivating journey through time and identity with the world premiere of "Bulrusher" at the West Edge Opera. This profound coming-of-age story, set in Northern California's secluded Anderson Valley in 1955, follows the life of an African-American girl who was found in a basket by the river. Raised by the local schoolteacher, Bulrusher's life takes a dramatic turn with the arrival of a young Black woman from Alabama, sparking a profound exploration of politics, sexuality, and self-discovery.

Based on the play by Eisa Davis, which was short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize in 2007, "Bulrusher" is a testament to the power of finding one's place in the world amidst the backdrop of racial and personal awakening. The opera is a collaboration between composer Nathaniel Stookey and playwright Eisa Davis, who together bring this poignant narrative to life.

This opera, sung in English with English surtitles, spans approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an intermission. The performances are scheduled for August 3, 11, and 15, promising an unforgettable experience that melds breathtaking music with a story of profound relevance.

The production boasts a talented cast and crew, including Emily Senturia as the conductor/music director, NJ Agwuna as the production stage director, and features performances by Shawnette Sulker as Bulrusher, Kenneth Kellogg as the Logger, Briana Hunter as Vera, and many more.

"Bulrusher" is commissioned by a group of dedicated patrons and supported by The National Endowment for the Arts and The Carol Franc Buck Foundation, highlighting its significance and the community's support for groundbreaking new works.

Don't miss this powerful world premiere that delves into themes of identity, belonging, and transformation. Reserve your tickets now and be part of a moving exploration of what it means to find oneself and one's community.

Bulrusher

West Edge Opera

In this perplexing murder mystery from New York Times bestselling author Lemony Snicket, everyone seems to have a motive, everyone has an alibi, and nearly everyone is a musical instrument. But the composer is still dead! Help LSO and narrator William Shomos solve the mystery by investigating the families of the orchestra in this humorous who-done-it. Arrive early for complimentary face painting, an instrument petting zoo, crafts, and other family activities.

Lemony Snicket's The Composer Is Dead

Nebraska Wesleyan University

The composer is dead… and everyone on stage is a suspect in this hilarious narrated introduction to the orchestra, based on the children’s book by Lemony Snicket.

When you hear music, what do you see? The amazing student artists of the Rainey institute share their visions as their interpretive art is projected above the orchestra!

Family Fun

Beachwood High School

Berkeley native Eisa Davis’ lyrical coming-of-age story follows a multiracial girl found as an infant floating in a basket on the Navarro River in Mendocino County. It’s 1955, and Bulrusher is 18 and restless, with a gift for clairvoyance that makes her feel like a stranger even amongst the eccentric, dialect speaking folks of her predominantly white enclave of Boonville. When a mysterious Black girl from Birmingham comes to town, Bulrusher discovers new facets of her identity — and uncovers her place in the world. A Pulitzer Prize finalist called “captivating and lushly poetic” by the LA Times, Bulrusher is infused with rhythmic language, passion, and down-home humor.

Peet's Theatre

In the musical murder mystery, The Composer is Dead by Nathaniel Stookey and Lemony Snicket, the killer could be anyone in the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra! Join Niklas Riesbeck as the Detective, as he tries to find out who is guilty. The concert opens with imaginative music by Edvard Grieg and Jean Sibelius. Suitable for children from 8 years. The Composer is Dead is performed in Swedish.

SR Berwaldhallen

In 1955, in the redwood country north of San Francisco, a multiracial girl grows up in a predominantly white town whose residents pepper their speech with the historical dialect of Boontling. Found floating in a basket on the river as an infant, Bulrusher is an orphan with a gift for clairvoyance that makes her feel like a stranger even around those who think they know her best: the taciturn schoolteacher who adopted her, the madam who runs her brothel with a fierce discipline, the logger with a zest for horses and women, and the guitar-slinging boy who is after Bulrusher's heart. Just when she thought her world might close in on her, she discovers an entirely new sense of self when a Black girl from Alabama comes to town.

McCarter Theatre Center

A terrible thing has transpired at the concert hall: the composer is dead! Where were the violins on the night in question? Has anyone seen the harp? With your help we will scour the stage for clues, examining each instrument of the orchestra with care – before the trail of evidence goes cold. It’s a bit of film noir fun for the whole family, a suspiciously charming introduction to the symphony for children of all ages.

Free Family Concert: The Composer is Dead

Von Braun Center

Family Concert

Mendocino College

We are excited that Nathaniel Stookey will be the composer of West Edge Opera’s first commission while he develops his first full-length opera, Bulrusher, based on the play of the same title by Eisa Davis who will serve as co-librettist. Bulrusher the play was short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize in 2007.
Bulrusher is a coming of age story about an African-American girl growing up in Northern California’s remote Anderson Valley in 1955. Found in a basket by the river, she is raised by the local schoolteacher and has never seen anyone that looks like her until a young Black woman from Alabama comes to town. Meeting someone like herself opens a political, sexual and identity awakening within her.
The development of the complete opera Bulrusher will take place over the course of three years, with a series of milestones built into the process.
Bulrusher will debut in a fully staged production as part of West Edge Festival 2023.

Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera

With music by Nathaniel Stookey and words by Lemony Snicket, The Composer Is Dead introduces instruments of the orchestra through a whimsical, whodunit mystery. Plus, enjoy Shostakovich’s rollicking “Galop” from his musical comedy and Lili Boulanger’s vibrant depiction of a spring morning that showcases the players of the orchestra.

Nathaniel Stookey

Events

Past events

Jun 14, 2026

Investigation at the orchestra: The composer is dead · Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège

13 - 15 Mar, 2026

Luminaries · New Century Chamber Orchestra

About

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