And this year’s Pulitzer Prize for Music goes to… Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels for the opera “Omar.”

“Omar” was inspired by the memoir of an enslaved Muslim man, Omar ibn Said, whose autobiography was written, mostly in Arabic, in 1831. In 1807, Said was captured during a military conflict, taken from his home in Futa Toro (in what is now Senegal), and sold to slavers. He was 37 years-old. He was also from a wealthy family and highly educated.

In the U.S., he had contrasting experiences under a cruel master and one who realized his exceptional nature. It was the latter who encouraged him to write his story down. Said was offered the chance to return home, but doubtful about the fate of his people, he chose to remain in North Carolina.

The opera was commissioned by Spoleto Festival USA. Giddens wrote the libretto and composed the music, and then handed it off to co-composer Abels for him to orchestrate it. According to The New York Times, the score is “a melting pot inspired by bluegrass, hymns, spirituals, and more, with nods to traditions from Africa and Islam. It’s an unforced ideal of American sound: expansive and ever-changing.”

And according to the Pulitzer committee, it’s “an innovative and compelling opera about enslaved people brought to North America from Muslim countries, a musical work that respectfully represents African as well as African American traditions, expanding the language of the operatic form while conveying the humanity of those condemned to bondage.”

Here are some clips and promotional material from the West Coast premiere with LA Opera:

https://www.laopera.org/performances/202223-season/omar/

The composers talk a little bit about it here:

Congratulations to Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels!