Commission to Tania Rubio

Fonema Consort presents the live stage premiere of Green Alter Egos: an insect opera by Pablo Santiago Chin, expanding the work from its original online format into a fully realized theatrical production. The opera reconceives the stage as an ecosystem in which projected video portraits of insects function as the primary figures, shaped through the ensemble’s vocal writing and instrumental textures. The premiere will be presented as a double-bill with a newly commissioned companion work by composer Tania Rubio, supported by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Titled Insectropolis, the project includes an interdisciplinary workshop with Near North Montessori School that introduces students to connections between music, biology, and visual media, as well as an intimate performance at a local urban farm led by flutist Dalia Chin, situating excerpts of the music within an active ecological setting. The project culminates in an immersive concert premiere at the Garfield Park Conservatory, where the operas are experienced through a deliberate integration of environment, sound, and performance.

Further Information:
fonemaconsort.com

Dates

June 16, 2026
The Wild Mile, Chicago