Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine

Step into the dazzling, defiant world of the iconic Joséphine Baker, as soprano Julia Bullock brings her voice, spirit and story vividly to life in this powerful, genre-crossing performance.

Tracing her journey from the segregated United States to international stardom in Paris, soprano Julia Bullock embodies the legendary artist, activist and icon, Joséphine Baker, in this portrait of a woman who reshaped the stage and stood boldly against injustice.

Directed by acclaimed opera-maker Peter Sellars, the event weaves together opera, jazz, spirituals and the elegance and raunch of the early 20th-century French music hall into a powerfully emotional song cycle, with spoken interludes by the poet Claudia Rankine.

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Tyshawn Sorey reimagines Baker’s songs through a rich, expansive sound world, opening new dimensions of her story, resulting in an intimate and striking tribute, celebrating Baker's legacy with a new urgency and brilliance.

Creative team

Tyshawn Sorey Composer & Piano/Percussion
Text by Claudia Rankine
Director Peter Sellars
James F. Ingalls Lighting Designer
Jody Elff Sound Designer
Michael Schumacher Movement Director
Carlos Soto Costume Designer
Betsy Ayer Stage Manager
Pamela Salling Assistant Stage Manager

Performers

Julia Bullock Joséphine Baker
International Contemporary Ensemble
Jennifer Curtis violin
Rebekah Heller bassoon
Travis Laplante saxophone
Daniel Lippel guitar
Alice Teyssier flute