The Quad City Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $20,000. This grant will support its Masterworks IV concert – Omar’s Journey. The NEA will award 1,127 Grants for Arts Projects awards nationwide totaling more than $31.8 million as part of the recent announcement of fiscal year 2025 grants.
“The NEA is proud to continue our nearly 60 years of supporting the efforts of organizations and artists that help to shape our country’s vibrant arts sector and communities of all types across our nation,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “It is inspiring to see the wide range of creative projects taking place, including Omar’s Journey.”
“In bringing ‘Omar’s Journey’ to the stage, we’re not just performing an opera; we’re sharing a masterpiece that bridges cultures and epochs through its compelling music and narrative,” said QCSO Music Director and Conductor, Mark Russell Smith. “The dedication and talent of our soloists and musicians will ensure that this story resonates deeply with our audience. The music, rich with emotional depth and cultural significance, showcases the exceptional skills of Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels in creating a score that is as innovative as it is moving. It’s a privilege to lead such a remarkable ensemble in a performance that celebrates the enduring power of music to tell stories that matter.”
“I am proud of our commitment to perform this powerful work with the QCSO,” said QCSO Executive Director, Brian Baxter. “Omar’s Journey lifts an important largely untold story from American history and connects us to the humanity of those who came before us. I look forward to the myriad ways it will start and continue conversations in our Quad Cities community.”
Omar’s Journey is the concert opera version of the Pulitzer Prize winning opera Omar by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, and its accompanying community engagement programs. The QCSO’s presentation will be a limited staging with vocalists and chamber orchestra that presents the story of Omar Ibn Said, an Islamic scholar taken from his West African homeland in 1807, enslaved and brought to South Carolina. Although Omar lived his entire life in slavery, he was able to produce a series of theological and historical manuscripts, including the only known autobiography by a slave written in Arabic, which forms the narrative for the opera.
The performances will take place at 7:30pm the Adler Theatre in Davenport, Iowa on February 1, 2025 and at 2pm at Centennial Hall in Rock Island, Illinois on February 2, 2025.
For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
ABOUT THE QUAD CITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra, based in Davenport, IA, is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the Quad Cities region by performing high-quality, live symphonic music that engages and entertains audiences. With a rich history dating back over a century, the QCSO continues to be a pillar of the arts in the community, showcasing world-class talent and fostering a love for classical music.