KUNM | By Mia Casas
Opera isn’t exactly a genre that pulls in a lot of young people. But at Albuquerque Academy, they’re not only performing operas, but writing and scoring them.
The club engages middle schoolers in creating one opera each academic year. And despite the bouncy tune, this particular production deals with tough issues: climate change and immigration. It’s called “Problems With the Apocalypse.”
“Each opera, every year, has had some kind of connection to the current events,” said Becca Holmes, teacher at Albuquerque Academy.
She started Opera Club seven years ago after working at the Santa Fe Opera. This year’s creation is about twin alien brothers who must evacuate their planet due to a climate crisis. The twins don’t find the warm welcome on their new planet that they expected.