{"id":10002892,"date":"2025-12-19T10:10:34","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T16:10:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectsuccess.org\/?post_type=tribe_events&p=33980"},"modified":"2026-01-02T09:46:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T15:46:15","slug":"my-name-is-florence","status":"publish","type":"tribe_events","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsuccess.org\/so\/event\/my-name-is-florence\/2026-02-08\/","title":{"rendered":"My Name is Florence"},"content":{"rendered":"
Who was Florence Price, beyond the music?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

Prolific American composer Florence Price made history as the first Black woman to have a symphony performed by a major U.S. orchestra. My Name is Florence, a world premiere from MN Opera\u2019s New Works Initiative, was inspired by writings and correspondence unearthed in the backyard of her family home.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Composed by B.E. Boykin to a libretto by Harrison David Rivers, the opera presents vignettes from Price\u2019s life that bring into focus the impact of family, legacy, and the transformative power of a seat at the piano. With warmth and humor, My Name is Florence explores the complexities of identity, generational connection, and\u00a0ultimately the\u00a0power of music to transform. It is a celebration of Price\u2019s enduring legacy in music and a reclamation of the space she occupies within the American musical canon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Estimated Run Time: 1 hour 20 minutes<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>Sung in English with English captions projected above the stage.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Content Warnings\/Age Recommendations<\/h5>\n

Contains\u00a0mature themes including racial discrimination\u00a0and\u00a0sexism.\u00a0Recommended for ages 11 and older.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Themes<\/h5>\n
    \n
  • As a child,\u00a0Florence\u00a0finds\u00a0something she\u00a0truly loves\u00a0to\u00a0do:\u00a0play piano.\u00a0She describes playing piano as \u201cthe feeling of\u00a0walking barefoot in the grass.\u201d What is something that you love to do? How would you describe how it feels?<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Florence\u2019s mother believes that racism is so unchangeable\u00a0that\u00a0Florence\u00a0would be more successful and respected by\u00a0saying that she is Spanish instead of African American.\u00a0Do you believe that similar issues\u00a0exist today?\u00a0Why or why not?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • As an adult,\u00a0Florence works incredibly hard to become a successful music composer. However,\u00a0she\u00a0is\u00a0frequently\u00a0ignored or dismissed, despite the\u00a0quality of the music.\u00a0In the face of these frustrations, she\u00a0continues creating music, even if\u00a0it receives no attention. In your life, what is something that you would\u00a0continue to\u00a0do, even if no one else\u00a0saw value in it?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    Accessibility<\/h5>\n

    Many performance venues offer accessibility accommodations such as wheelchair seating, assistive listening, sensory ear plugs, ASL interpretation, open captioning, or audio description, among other options.\u00a0These accommodations are\u00a0specific to each\u00a0event, and\u00a0may not be available everywhere. When registering with us, please let us know what\u00a0accommodations\u00a0you\u00a0need\u00a0and we will follow up with you!\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Transportation<\/h5>\n

    If you do not have access to a ride, call Project Success and we can provide transportation for you. Please let us know if you need a ride when you make your reservation. We will need at least 2 days\u2019 notice to set up transportation.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Additional Media<\/h5>\n

    Here is a brief clip of the\u00a0composer and librettist talking about the opera:<\/span><\/p>\n