FULL THUMBPRINT (Sankaram) Tuscon AZ 2024 Aysen Milliogullari, Bethany Pehrson, Beth Jargsdorf,
Information on the Performance
- Work Title: Thumbprint
- Composer: Kamala Sankaram
- Libretto: Susan Yankowitz Libretto Text, Libretto Index
- Venue & Opera Company: Crowder Hall, Tucson, Arizona, The University of Arizona
- Recorded: April 18 & 19, 2024
- Type: Staged Opera Live
- Singers: Aysen Milliogullari, Bethany Pehrson, Beth Jargsdorf, Betsy Carteri, Su Jin Park, Zhigiang Luke Xie, Stefean Vikingur, Jess Barrera, Adam Kirchner
- Conductor: Kristin Roach
- Orchestra:
- Stage Director: Cynthia Stokes
- Stage Designer: Sally Day
- Costume Designer: Chris Allen
- Lighting Designer: Todd Poelstra
Information about the Recording
- Published by: UArizona School of Music
- Date Published: 2024
- Format: Streaming
- Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
- Subtitles: yessubs, ensubs, gensubs
- Video Recording from: YouTube FULL VIDEO
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE
Thumbprint is inspired by the extraordinary transformation of Mukhtar Mai, a young woman whose world was shattered by an act of brutality that could have destroyed her. Instead, she discovers a weapon—her voice—and against all odds, to the astonishment of her country and herself, she seeks justice and finds it. “The worst thing in my life is also the best,” she says. “It has given my life meaning.”
Her journey resonates beyond borders in its implicit belief that even in the darkest times, one person, one voice, through a single act of courage, can change life for thousands.
The story is told through a dynamic score by Kamala Sankaram, filled with Hindustani and European opera influences, and a libretto by Susan Yankowitz, originating from a series of interviews with Mai.