Dies Irae, Desirée: An Opera for the Digital Age
PRÆMU IS COMING. (Probably.)
Mark your calendars: March 13th, 2026. The signal is clear. The date is set. The Shadow Maker’s reign ends, and we will be reborn in endless blue.
Buuuut interstellar travel is tricky. Ionospheric perturbations could easily scramble the quantum-locked propulsion systems. Solar flares happen. Traffic on the Milky Way is unpredictable.
So, if Præmu doesn’t come on March 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 ship in.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Seating on Præmu’s Elyrhan Shuttle is assigned based on contribution level. Don't get stuck in the cargo hold. Donate today to secure Priority Boarding for the Ascension.
The Story & Why It Matters Now
Dies Irae, Desirée is a new opera that takes a critical but empathetic look at cults, fanaticism, and how the internet fosters an emotional vacuum where extremists can plant, nourish, and accelerate fringe belief systems.
Through a blend of satire, multimedia world-building, and a score that moves between ecstatic and unsettling, we are dramatizing a doomsday UFO cult that gathers again and again for a promised event: the night an alien civilization will carry the faithful to another galaxy.
We have the venue. We have the musicians. Now, we need you to help us build the world.
Why We're Asking You to Give
Thanks to our partnership with Third Angle New Music, the premiere is already supported with:
- World-class musicians
- The venue (The Vault!)
- Travel support & base production costs
But the heart of this opera — the multimedia design, the cult’s evolving aesthetics, and the ability to document the work — remains unfunded.
Just as it’s hard to understand movements like QAnon without understanding the digital ecosystems that sustained them, it’s impossible to dramatize a modern cult without showing that online architecture at work.
We are in the final stretch to deliver the immersive, multi-sensory world this story deserves.
How Your Donation Makes an Impact
Here is exactly where your contribution goes:
- Multimedia World-Building: In this piece, the digital world is a character. Your funds support Supreetha Krishnan’s immersive 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 (Donation Tiers)
The Council tracks all contributions. Will you be left behind, or will you secure your seat on the journey to Zazul, Tlön, and Yaddith?
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.
- $25: The Tuning Forks: Entry-level support. You are watching the skies with us. Every dollar helps us secure the small details that make the production hum.
- $50: The Attuned Assembly: You hear the signal. This level supports the creation of our digital assets and projection mapping.
- $200: The Resonant Order: You are part of the inner circle. This contribution directly aids in the fabrication of costumes that define the cult’s visual progression.
- $500: The Harmonic Council: A major pillar of support. This tier ensures our performers and technical artists are compensated for their time and talent.
- $1,500: Co-Commissioner: Freakin’ Visionary Status. You are directly responsible for bringing this work to the stage. You will receive special recognition in our program and play a pivotal role in the opera's legacy.
The Creative Team
This premiere is led by a collaborative team of artists who specialize in crossing disciplines.
- Maria Finkelmeier | Composer / Co-Director / Conductor+Electronics: Third Angle New Music’s Guest Creative Director, Maria is known for kinetic, vibrant works that fuse live music, electronics, and multimedia storytelling.
- Brady Walker | Librettist / Co-Director: A writer focused on stories where the psychological, the absurd, and the culturally urgent collide.
- Supreetha Krishnan | Interactive Visual Designer / Animator: A digital artist bringing data visualization, animation, and interactive systems to life.
- Premiere Ensemble | Third Angle New Music: Led by mezzo-soprano Sarah Beaty in the title role, the cast includes artists with rich backgrounds in new music: Quinton Gardener, Maddie Tran, Sarah Tiedemann, Will Pyle, Valdine Ritchie Mishkin, and Chris Whyte.
Thank You
If the themes of belief, longing, humor, and hope speak to you, your support will have a direct, measurable impact.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about Dies Irae, Desirée. With your help, we can bring its full, ambitious world to the stage—on three nights when prophecy fails, and you get to witness it.