Infernal Angel for baritone voice, violin, bass clarinet, trumpet, trombone, percussion, and vocal sextet examines the fateful relationship between Joan of Arc and Gilles de Rais (the historical figure who inspired the gruesome Bluebeard tale). Commissioned and produced by The Curtis Institute of Music, this 60-minute, music-driven theatrical work will premiere on May 9-10, 2025 featuring Ty Boque (baritone) as Gilles de Rais and students of Curtis Opera Theatre, and Curtis New Music Ensemble, embodying other roles.

Infernal Angel, part two of a diptych, probes the multidimensional alliance between music, performance, and the body of the performer. The action is situated inside a stop-motion animated film “set” designed by visual artist and musician, Alex Sopp. As the work navigates history and invention, players are asked to become ‘the other’ - instrumentalists and singers engage in stylized movement and vocalizations to render them a part of the animated stage design, the composer becomes a performer, and pre-recorded music mixes with live performance to create a multi-dimensional experience . Part one of the diptych, Savior, was commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for MusicNOW (World Premiere Apr 2, 2018) and will have its Philadelphia premiere the same evening!