Embark on an evening of cultural resonance and profound dialogue as we delve into the intersection of arts diplomacy and our shared commitment to our planet amidst the challenges of climate change.

Join us for a pre-performance dinner discussion with Charlie Stringer, Managing Director with Renewable Resources Group and former Los Angeles County Water Control Board member. Together, we will explore how the arts serve as a catalyst for climate change awareness, environmental sustainability, and the profound connection between culture and nature. The insightful conversation sets the stage for the enchanting performance of "Book of Mountains and Seas”, a collaboration between LA Opera and Beth Morrison Projects that promises to inspire.

From Mr. Stringer:

California is ground zero for a convergence of global trends that is having a profound impact on supplies of water and arable land, posing risks to food production, communities, and the environment. Demand for food is growing due to population growth, an expanding middle class, and increasing desire for healthier and premium food options. At the same time, the health of natural ecosystems is threatened by competition for land and water with both agriculture, and rural and urban communities. Climate change is exacerbating the situation by causing water availability to be more erratic.

About the Performance: 

"Book of Mountains and Seas" transports audiences into a realm of wonder, where sunbirds, demons and hairy giants inhabit a world rich with ancient Chinese mythology. Composer/librettist Huang Ruo draws inspiration from a classic compilation of Chinese mythology《山海經》first transcribed in the fourth century B.C. Over the years, these stories have become part of Chinese written and oral history, shifted and reshaped to match contemporary times. Through this masterful adaptation, Ruo invites reflection on our modern relationship with nature, evoking reverence for the environment and underscoring the imperative of stewardship over our natural resources.

This compelling production marks LA Opera's 12th collaboration with Beth Morrison Projects, bringing to life stories of creation and destruction that challenge us to honor our planet and embrace our role as caretakers of the Earth. "Book of Mountains and Seas" reveals timeless truths about the universe, creation, humanity's place in nature, and the profound interplay between ambition, fate, and the world we inhabit.

Kindly RSVP: To ensure an intimate gathering, we have limited seating for 21 guests. Reservations will be confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis. A small, non-refundable deposit of $20 is required to secure your spot. Your registration fee will cover dinner and your seat to the show. You can find the registration form below.

Speaker

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Charles Stringer is Managing Director with Renewable Resources Group (RRG), a sustainable water and land investment management firm with offices and assets in the Americas, Australia, and Europe. Charlie has been with RRG since its inception and served for many years as Principal and General Counsel. He co-leads RRG’s $1B+ portfolios invested in the sustainable development of water, specialty crop agricultural, renewable energy, and habitat conservation. 

Charlie has worked his entire career at the forefront of emerging environmental and natural resources laws, policies, and sustainable impact investments, with a specific passion for creating new ways to develop scaled commercial opportunities that also protect and advance the needs of people and the environment. Charlie has led the establishment of many innovative and successful partnerships that align public, NGO, and investor interests. He began his career as a commercial litigator before joining the US Environmental Protection Agency, where he prosecuted hazardous waste and natural resource damages cases and helped spearhead the development of national policies on the relationship between American Indian sovereignty and environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act and new laws affecting water and air quality. Charlie left EPA to serve as a tribal attorney and senior policy advisor to over 20 Indian tribes in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest on sustainable tribal commercial ventures, the protection and enforcement of tribal treaty rights and federal trust obligations, as well as water rights, water quality, forestry, and tribal fisheries.

Speaker

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Huang Ruo has been lauded by the New Yorker as "one of the world's leading young composers" and by the New York Times for having “a distinctive style.” His vibrant and inventive musical voice draws equal inspiration from Chinese ancient and folk music, Western avant-garde, experimental, noise, natural and processed sound, rock, and jazz to create a seamless, organic integration using a compositional technique he calls “Dimensionalism.”

Huang Ruo’s diverse compositional works span from orchestra, chamber music, opera, theater, and dance, to cross-genre, sound installation, multi-media, experimental improvisation, folk rock, and film. Huang Ruo’s music has been premiered and performed by the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, National Polish Radio Orchestra, Kiel Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, New York City Opera, Opera Hong Kong, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Asko/Schoenberg Ensemble, Remix Ensemble, Nieuw Ensemble, Quatuor Diotima, and Ethel Quartet, and conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, Marin Alsop, Michael Tilson Thomas, James Conlon, Dennis Russell Davies, Ed Spanjaard, Peter Rundel, Alexander Liebreich, Xian Zhang, and Ilan Volkov. Huang Ruo’s opera Dr. Sun Yat-Sen had its American premiere at the Santa Fe Opera in 2014 and will receive its Canadian premiere by the Vancouver Opera for its future season. His opera Paradise Interrupted received its world premiere at the Spoleto Festival USA in 2015 and was performed at the Lincoln Center Festival in 2016, before going on tour to Asia and Europe. In addition, Huang Ruo was recently named the composer-in-residence for Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam and National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan.

This event is currently at capacity. If you would like to be added to waitlist, please contact Jasmine Regala at jregala@pacificcouncil.org.