The American music industry accolade, the Grammy Awards, has nominated Kazakh-American opera performer Timur Bekbosunov for Best Opera Recording as a member of the Black Lodge opera production team, QazMonitor reports.
David T. Little’s Black Lodge seamlessly blends industrial metal and rock core with a classical string quartet and operatic sound, showcasing an opera libretto by the acclaimed beatnik poet Anne Waldman. The libretto draws inspiration from the complex mythology of William S. Burroughs, and what’s more, the opera's name pays homage to David Lynch and his iconic Twin Peaks series, with the legendary filmmaker contributing a poem to the opera's libretto.
In his role, Timur portrays a tormented writer confronting demons of his own creation in a quest for escape. The production spans a range of musical genres, from the haunting operatic aria, 'The Hungry Ghost Who Sings In Lamentation,' to the heavy metal intensity of 'Here, My Severed Digit,' and the punk rock vibes of 'A Theory of Puncture,' featuring riffs by Matthew Setzer from the legendary industrial band Skinny Puppy. Together, these elements form a whirlwind of experiences for the audience.
Black Lodge harnesses bristling energy that wowed a packed house at Opera Philadelphia when it premiered in 2022 in a production by Beth Morrison Projects. The debut merged elements of the film with a live performance by Timur & Dime Museum.
Kazakh-American singer Timur has made solo appearances with LA Philharmonic, Bang on a Can All-Stars, Comédie de Genève, Sarasota Opera, Utah Opera, Santa Cecilia Academy, LA Opera, Nouvel Opéra Fribourg, Müpa Budapest, Hawaii Opera Theater and the Industry LA, among others. He premiered over thirty operatic works, collaborating with composers, including Thomas Adès, David Lang, Evan Ziporyn, Michael Gordon, Silvano Bussotti, Ellen Reid, David T. Little, Gerald Barry, Mohammed Fairouz, Louis Andriessen, Anne LeBaron, the late Gian-Carlo Menotti, Peter Eötvös, Tobias Picker, Kate Moore and Nick Urata of DeVotchKa.