Thank you so very much to everyone who has donated! Great news - as of January 2014, we are almost halfway to our goal.
Our fundraising campaign will continues directly through our website: www.apsisrequiem.com
Please stay tuned for exciting news as we continue this journey forward together!
![]()
![]()
WHAT IS APSIS REQUIEM?
Apsis Requiem is an immersive pop opera that explores the journey of grief and healing in community. Parts opera, musical theater, film, and chant, it draws the audience into a fantasy world as it cycles through the five basic stages of grief. Its central component is a multi-genre score, which weaves classical and pop music into a sweeping cinematic landscape.
Inspired by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, our team recognized the numbing effects of individual, collective and environmental tragedy. We envisioned a creative space where all could gather and begin to process pain. Drawing influence from traditional ceremonies of grief, we set out to create an experience in community healing - a Requiem for the living.
ALBUM RECORDING & CONCERT
This campaign will fund a FULL ALBUM RECORDING of Apsis Requiem, as well as a live orchestral CONCERT STAGING in Los Angeles in Fall 2014. The completed concept album will be the basis for the full theatrical production.
![]()
THE SCORE
Apsis Requiem re-imagines the traditional Requiem as an operatic blend of chamber pop, beat-driven synths, and dramatic orchestral explosions. The piece is written for live orchestra, chorus/ensemble, and featured soloists - as well as a liberal arsenal of percussion and production effects.
Dialogue and lyrics merge contemporary English with the traditional Latin Requiem text and several additional languages. Its raw, intimate moments allow for tender pop narrative, while extravagant choral escalations provide the perfect setting to re-interpret age-old texts. All of this while weaving moments of collective breath and mantra into a fluid soundscape of accessible and heart-opening melodies.
![]()
THE STORY
A WRITER isolates himself in his studio as he struggles to deal with profound loss. He escapes into a dark fantasy world, where his heroine ROSETTE is swept into an adventure based on the FIVE STAGES OF GRIEF. The writer's difficult journey is revealed through intermittent film vignettes, mirrored in the mystical tale he creates.
![]()
Rosette arrives in the bleak land of DENIAL, where the locals have been enslaved by EIDOLON, a chilling tyrant whose robot minions patrol the kingdom.
![]()
The abduction of a child triggers dark memories from Rosette's past, and her ANGER is ignited. An epic battle ensues as she sparks the locals to revolt against their oppressive restraints.
![]()
Rosette pursues the child's captors through the forest toward Eidolon's lair. Along the way, she is entranced by the SACCHARINE WITCH, a shadowy outcast who craves control of the forest. She struggles to continue as she fumbles through the bewitching haze of BARGAINING.
![]()
Rosette arrives at Eidolon's lair and is thrown into the cold dungeon of
DEPRESSION. Here she encounters the archangel MYCHAL, whose power has been enchained and manipulated by Eidolon in this place of despair, hopelessness and regret.
![]()
Rosette finally chooses to face her own traumatic past as she leads us into the cosmic space of
ACCEPTANCE. Along the way, the writer experiences his own catharsis, and we finally understand his connection to this imagined reality.
![]()
The audience is invited to participate through movement, breath and chant. We will ALL have the opportunity to contribute to this experience in collective healing.
![]()
LISTEN
Check out highlights from our original demos here:
HOW YOUR TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION HELPS
Recording costs:
- Studio space and equipment rental
- Talent - rehearsals and recording
- Engineering, production, orchestration and copyist costs
- Record distribution
Concert event costs:
- Space and Facility rental
- Talent - rehearsals and performance
- Equipment rental including sound and lighting
- Marketing - getting the word out!
Any additional funds will help us launch this piece into full production!
THANK YOU!!!
Many, many thanks to the countless artists and volunteers who have given their time, talents and energy toward making this vision a reality. Now, we gratefully welcome your help!
