Composer Kitty Brazelton and librettist Vaibu Mohan won Atlanta Opera’s 96-Hour Opera Festival with their work “Jala Smriti — Water Memory,” which explores using AI to aid people with dementia. They will share the $10,000 Antinori Foundation Grand Prize and receive a commission to create a chamber opera for The Atlanta Opera. The festival, now in its third year, aims to discover new talent among underrepresented communities and featured multiple works examining the intersection of art and AI.
Why it matters:
- Innovation and inclusivity: The winning opera’s focus on using AI to support dementia patients highlights the innovative and inclusive potential of contemporary opera to address real-world issues and integrate advanced technology.
- Expanding audience reach: By livestreaming the festival and engaging audiences beyond the live events, The Atlanta Opera demonstrates a successful model for expanding the reach and accessibility of opera, potentially attracting a broader and more diverse audience.
