Dies Irae, Desirée: A Chamber Opera for the Digital Age
PRÆMU IS COMING. (Probably.)
Mark your calendars: March 13th, 2026. The signal is clear. The date is set.
But, well, you know, interstellar travel is tricky. Ionospheric perturbations, solar flares, and space traffic are unpredictable. So, if Præmu doesn’t come on the 13th... he will definitely come on the 14th. Or the 15th.
- We have secured the Landing Site (The Vault in Hillsboro, Oregon).
- We have the Welcoming Committee (Third Angle New Music).
- But we still need you to help us fund the technology to guide the Elyrhan spaceship in.
How Your Donation Makes an Impact
We’ve spent the past year and a half on the story and music. Now, we need your help to build Desirée’s world.
Here is exactly where your contribution goes:
Multimedia World-Building: In this piece, the digital world is a character. Your funds support the creation of immersive visual environments that grow richer and stranger as the cult expands.
Transformative Costumes: Each failed prophecy reshapes the group. We need resources to tell that story visually through costume design.
Fair Artist Compensation: We are committed to paying our collaborators fairly. Many crucial contributors currently have no guaranteed funding for their passion and labor.
Professional Documentation: High-quality audio and video ensure this opera lives beyond its premiere, reaching future festivals and audiences.
Join the Movement
Everyone who contributes will be invited to lend their voice to the multimedia design by recording a testimonial about the many ways following Desirée’s teachings has changed your life for the better (we’ll supply the script!).
- $25: The Tuning Forks You’re watching the skies. Your support handles the essential production details.
- $50: The Attuned Assembly You hear the signal. Funds the creation of our digital assets and projection mapping.
- $200: The Resonant Order Join the inner circle. Directly supports the fabrication of the cult’s evolving costumes.
- $500: The Harmonic Council A pillar of the faith. Ensures fair compensation for our performers and technical artists.
- $1,500: Co-Commissioner Visionary status. You aren't just watching the launch; you are building the ship. Special recognition included.
The Creative Team
This premiere is led by a collaborative team of artists who specialize in crossing disciplines and building work that sparks to many.
- Maria Finkelmeier: Composer / Co-Director
- Brady Walker: Librettist / Co-Director
- Supreetha Krishnan: Interactive Visual Designer / Animator
- Third Angle New Music: Led by mezzo-soprano Sarah Beaty in the title role, the cast includes: Quinton Gardener, Maddie Tran, Sarah Tiedemann, Will Pyle, Valdine Ritchie Mishkin, and Chris Whyte.
The Story & Why It Matters Now
Dies Irae, Desirée is a new opera that uses satire, multimedia, and a score that moves between ecstatic and unsettling to explore cults, fanaticism, and how the internet fosters the growth of fringe belief systems. The story follows a doomsday UFO cult that gathers again and again (and again) for a promised event: the night an alien civilization will carry the faithful to another galaxy.
Thank You
With your help, we can bring the full, ambitious world of Dies Irae, Desirée to the stage and witness it across three nights where prophecy fails.
Learn more here:
www.mfdynamics.com/dies-irae-desiree
This fundraising campaign is made possible by our fiscal sponsor, Departure Arts, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to supporting risk taking artists.