Primero Sueño, the acclaimed processional opera by Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera, to have recording released on VIA Records Oct 31, followed by Mexican Premiere Performances Dec 5 & 11

The album, released ahead of Día de los Muertos celebration, features Magos as Sor Juana, German vocal ensemble Sjaella, Celso Duarte on Paraguayan and Mexican jarocha harp and percussion, and Luca Tarantino on theorbo and Spanish guitar. The Mexican Premiere Performances include a large-scale outdoor immersive processional performance Dec 5, taking place in the Zócalo and Atrium of the Cathedral of Puebla, followed by a December 11 performance in the Chamber of Deputies in Mexico City.

Primero Sueño, the acclaimed processional opera by Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera, to have recording released on VIA Records Oct 31, followed by Mexican Premiere Performances Dec 5 & 11

September 18, 2025

Silent Light is named a Finalist in 2025 International Opera Awards

Paola Prestini and Royce Vavrek's 'Silent Light' has been named a finalist in the World Premiere category of the 2025 International Opera Awards. The production opened the 10th anniversary season of National Sawdust

August 18, 2025

Paola Prestini Announces 2025-26 Season

Prestini's 2025-26 season follows a monumental 2024-25 season which included four critically acclaimed operatic world premieres and three major awards

July 11, 2025

Paola Prestini's 'Sensorium Ex' featured on PBS NewsHour

The opera, with libretto by Brenda Shaughnessy, was premiered at the Common Senses Festival in May 2025.

June 2, 2025

Paola Prestini's new opera 'Sensorium Ex' featured on NPR

Paola Prestini's 'Sensorium Ex' was featured on NPR's Weekend Morning Edition.

February 25, 2025

Common Senses Festival Announces 2025 lineup, including the world premiere of 'Sensorium Ex'

The centerpiece of the 2025 festival is the world premiere of Sensorium Ex, composed by Paola Prestini with a libretto by Brenda Shaughnessy, directed by Jerron Herman & Jay Scheib; and the AI-driven Augmented and Alternative Communication (AAC) App, Sensorium AI, developed by VisionIntoArt and Luke DuBois at the NYU Ability Project.

February 12, 2025

The premiere of Prestini and Magos Herrera’s opera Primero Sueño garners international press and critical raves

In January 2025, Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera premiered their immersive co-composed opera Primero Sueño at the Met Cloisters, the work's premiere received rave reviews from critics.

January 23, 2025

Paola Prestini featured on NY1

Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera speak with NY1's Philip Klint about the world premiere of "Primero Sueño" at the Met Cloisters

January 22, 2025

Paola Prestini featured in 'The New York Times'

Paola Prestini, Magos Herrera, and Louisa Proske speak with Elizabeth Vincentelli about the world premiere of "Primero Sueño"

January 21, 2025

Paola Prestini receives 2025 Creative Capital Award

Creative Capital awarded artist grants totaling $2.45 million to 55 artists to create 49 new works across the U.S. on the basis of their groundbreaking formal and conceptual approaches.

January 2, 2025

Paola Prestini to receive Composers Now 2025 Visionary Award

Paola will receive a Visionary Award during the Composers Now Festival Opening Event at National Sawdust on January 29.

October 10, 2024

Silent Light Premieres to Rave Reviews

Paola's new opera, Silent Light, opened the 10th season of National Sawdust to extraordinary rave reviews from critics.

December 26, 2024

Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera's Primero Sueño to premiere at The Met Cloisters January 23 - 26, 2025

Performances feature Herrera as Sor Juana, Leipzig-based vocal ensemble Sjaella, and a team of virtuoso multi-instrumentalists, directed by Louisa Proske with costumes, props and wearable technology by Andrea Lauer

December 17, 2024

Brooklyn Youth Chorus to give world premiere of Paola's new work 'Port(al)' May 1-4 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Staged In the Vast Agger Fish Building, Brooklyn Youth Chorus’s Most Ambitious and First Independently-Produced Work to Date Considers the Global Significance of Port Cities and Leads Audiences Through a Musical Tour of the Navy Yard’s Past

October 11, 2024

Paola Prestini on IDAGIO with Fred Plotkin

Fred Plotkin, pleasure activist, and passionate opera expert, speaks each Friday with fascinating people in the music world. He is the author of Opera 101 and Classical Music 101 and leads opera symposia for New York Times Journeys. In this episode, Fred speaks with composer Paola Prestini.

September 25, 2024

Doris Duke Foundation Awards VisionIntoArt and Sensorium AI the Inaugural Performing Arts Technology Lab Grant

The Doris Duke Foundation announced the 20 pioneering artists, technologists, and arts organizations that will receive grants through the inaugural Performing Arts Technologies Lab, a first-of-its-kind accelerator for projects seeking to explore innovative uses of digital technology in the performing arts.

October 1, 2024

NATIONAL SAWDUST ANNOUNCES "LIVE FROM NATIONAL SAWDUST"

Created in Collaboration with WNYC’s New Sounds and Apple Music Classical, and Curated and Hosted by Paola Prestini and Andrew Ousley, Live from National Sawdust Is a Three-Album Series Resounding with the Joy, Faith, and Healing Audible at National Sawdust.

October 4, 2024

"The Old Man And The Sea" - For Your GRAMMY Consideration

For your GRAMMY consideration, composer Paola Prestini presents “The Old Man and The Sea,” the world premiere recording of the first-ever operatic adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novel, out now from VIA Records. Categories include Best Contemporary Classical Composition and Best Opera Recording.

September 4, 2024

Paola Prestini Announces Her 2024-2025 Season

Composer Paola Prestini announces a singular 2024-25 season, featuring the world premieres of five major opera and music-theater works across the United States.

August 13, 2024

Paola Prestini's Opera "Sensorium Ex" To Premiere May 22-25, 2025

Sensorium Ex is an ambitious new opera by acclaimed composer Paola Prestini, co-directed by Jerron Herman and Jay Scheib, that synthesizes artificial intelligence, disability, and the arts in a groundbreaking and innovative artistic work.

July 26, 2024

Paola Prestini's Operatic Adaptation of The Old Man and The Sea to be released August 30, on VIA Records

The world premiere recording of the first-ever operatic adaptation of Hemingway’s novel about suffering and perseverance features singers Measha Brueggergosman Lee, Armando Contreras, Rodolfo Girón, and Yvette Keong, cellist Jeffrey Zeigler, and the GRAMMY Award-winning Phoenix Chorale.

December 14, 2023

Paola Prestini featured in VAN Magazine profile "Explosions of the Voice"

Paola Prestini spoke with VAN Magazine writer Julia Conrad for a sit-down profile interview on her recent immersive opera work "No One Is Forgotten," as well as her recent opera projects "Sensorium Ex" and "The Old Man and The Sea" and her longtime work at Brooklyn venue, National Sawdust.

October 9, 2023

For your Grammy® consideration, Edward Tulane

Edward Tulane is submitted in the categories Opera Recording, Contemporary Classical Composition, Engineered Album, Classical.

July 7, 2023

Composer Paola Prestini joins Blu Ocean Arts

Composer Paola Prestini joins the roster of Blue Ocean Arts; the management agency run by Helen Henson and Michael Henson.

May 26, 2023

Paola announces album release of opera 'Edward Tulane', out June 2 on VIA Record

The live original cast recording of her opera Edward Tulane, which is based on the novel The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by two-time Newbery Medalist and #1 New York Times best-selling author Kate DiCamillo.

March 1, 2023

From UN Women: Commission on the Status of Women to address the gender gaps in innovation and technology

The United Nations performance of Paola and Magos Herrera's 'Con Alma' represents a unique opportunity to celebrate the power of activism, solidarity, resilience building, and leadership that many women and youth-led networks and movements demonstrated around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic.

January 30, 2023

Con Alma at the United Nations

Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera present Con Alma at the United Nations Headquarters on March 14

February 8, 2023

Onassis Foundation announces 'Archive of Desire: A Festival Inspired by Poet C.P. Cavafy', April 28-May 6

Curated by Paola, the festival assembles multi-genre events that engage with Cavafy’s poetry.

October 2, 2022

FROM THE CATACOMBS: Jeffrey Zeigler and Helga Davis – Memoria

With works by Marcos Balter, Natasha Trethewey, Paola Prestini and Yuan-Chen Li, this is a program about memory

August 10, 2022

Minnesota Opera to World Premiere ‘Edward Tulane’

The Minnesota Opera is set to showcase the world premiere of “Edward Tulane,” a new opera by composer Paola Prestini...

July 19, 2022

San Francisco Chronicle

Cabrillo Festival returns with collection of works that touch on social, political issues

June 28, 2022

Tanya Tagaq Gets Backxwash, Daedelus, July Talk for 'Tongues' Remix Album

Hear Prestini's remix of "In Me" with Zeigler and New Century Chamber Orchestra and a remix of "Tongues" from Daedelus

June 23, 2022

Active Hope - Season 2, Episode 2: Stolen Land, Sovereign People

Join us for the second episode of our second season featuring guests Lori Pourier and Natalie Hopkinson.

May 19, 2022

The Broad announces programs in conjunction with new exhibitions

A theatrical presentation of “Houses of Zodiac” will also be held on Saturday, June 4, at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 5

May 18, 2022

‘Aging Magician’ with San diego opera Receives Rave Reviews

The 90-minute piece — performed by Eckert, the 27-member Brooklyn Youth Chorus and the Grammy-winning Attacca Quartet

March 14, 2022

Composer Paola Prestini’s Houses of Zodiac to receive world premiere performances at the Broad Museum in Los Angeles, June 4-5

The immersive event features Jeffrey Zeigler, Georgina Pazcoguin, Dai Matsuoka, Bruce Steinberg, and Murat Eyuboglu

March 8, 2022

Sensorium premieres nationwide March 8 on ALL ARTS as part of The First Twenty series

Composer Paola Prestini’s new multi-platform project Sensorium is the subject of a documentary on ALL ARTS.

November 2, 2021

Paola Prestini joins Sozo Artists

Composer, activist, and thought leader Paola Prestini joins Sozo Artists.

September 14, 2021

Announcing Paola's 2021-22 Season

The composer's season includes residencies, album releases, and world premiere performances.

June 27, 2021

Paola's Opera 'Aging Magician' to Receive West Coast Premiere

The opera will be presented by San Diego Opera at Balboa Theatre on May 13 and 14, 2022

June 8, 2021

Paola announced as Music Academy of the West composer-in-residence

Her summer 2021 residency will feature the premiere of 21c Liederabend, Op. MAW

May 19, 2021

Paola and Beth Morrison to Creative Direct '21c Liederabend, Op. Worldwide'

The first program of the 'Contemplations from National Sawdust' series celebrating the organization's 5th anniversary.

February 22, 2021

Thalea Quartet to Premiere Paola's String Quartet "The Red Book" at Caramoor, April 11

Commissioned by Caramoor, The Red Book is a new string quartet inspired by the eponymous book by psychologist Carl Jung

July 19, 2021

Paola Prestini and Jeffrey Zeigler announce Houses of Zodiac: Poems for Cello, a new album, film, and video installation

Houses of Zodiac is Prestini's first solo album collaboration with husband Jeffrey Zeigler.

January 19, 2021

'No One Is Forgotten' Premiering February 24 at HERE

Winter Miller, Paola Prestini, and Sxip Shirey are adapting Winter's play, No One Is Forgotten, into an operatic hybrid.

February 17, 2021

Paola Joins Apollo Theater and Kennedy Center for 'Active Hope' Podcast

The first episode of the podcast, hosted by Paola, Kamilah Forbes, and Marc Bamuthi Joseph, is now available.

December 7, 2020

Paola presents the 'Con Alma' digital event on December 13

Join dozens of musicians on December 13 from around the world for “Con Alma,” a live performance based on the new album.

December 4, 2020

Paola's new album 'Con Alma' with Magos Herrera out now

The project explores the question of how we can find communion and shared experience in a time of isolation.

November 27, 2020

Paola Profiled in The Financial Times

Paola spoke with journalist John Rockwell about the joy of collaboration ahead of the release of new album, Con Alma.

October 28, 2020

Paola announced new album 'Con Alma' with vocalist/composer Magos Herrera

The album features original works by Prestini and Herrera alongside classic songs from the Mexican and Jazz songbook

September 23, 2020

Paola to participate in 'Tree of 40 Fruit: The New York Apples' at Pioneer Works on October 3

On October 3, Paola will join Pioneer Works for a planting ceremony for "Tree of 40 Fruit: The New York Apples."

August 3, 2020

Paola featured in The Met Guild podcast 'Opera in the New Millennium'

Paola joined lecturers Naomi Barrettara and Elspeth Davis to discuss her work as a contemporary composer.

July 16, 2020

Jeffrey Zeigler performs Paola's 'From the Bones to the Fossils' during Bang on a Can's Marathon

The Livestream, which takes place on August 16, will feature a performance of Paola's piece by cellist Jeffrey Zeigler.

May 26, 2020

Paola joins All Arts Live Virtual Conversation Series to discuss grappling with the COVID-19 Pandemic

Paola joined Taylor Mac, Aszure Barton, and Du’Bois A’Keen live for a conversation about adapting during the pandemic.

September 1, 2016

Paola Announces 2016-2017 Season

This season featured the premiere of new works and acclaim

September 1, 2017

Paola Announces 2017-2018 Season

2017-2018 saw the premiere of a new opera, album, production.

September 1, 2018

Paola Announces 2018-2019 Season

2018-2019 saw the premiere of Room 35 with cellist Jeffrey Zeigler at the famed Italian series, La Milanesiana, and more

June 11, 2020

Paola speaks with the Mexican Cultural Institute in DC

Paola and Mexican singer, Magos Herrera, about the destiny and reinvention of performing arts in the new normal.

May 26, 2020

Join me and Helga through August as part of Live @ National Sawdust Digital Discovery Festival

Masterclasses are live performances that present established artists performing and discussing their experiences

April 22, 2020

Universe in Verse

For Earth Day 2020, Maria Popova asked me to be part of her tremendous yearly project, the Universe in Verse

March 15, 2020

Postponement Galore

Like everyone fortunate enough to have work, my Spring and Summer and Fall were canceled

April 20, 2010

Paola announces her new work, Oceanic Verses

Paola announces her new opera, Oceanic Verses, a collaboration with filmmaker Ali Hossaini

February 10, 2020

New York Philharmonic premieres Paola's 'Thrush Song'

The New York Philharmonic premiered Paola's new song cycle 'Thrush Song,' based on the Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring.'

Primero Sueño, the acclaimed processional opera by Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera, to have recording released on VIA Records Oct 31, followed by Mexican Premiere Performances Dec 5 & 11

October 21, 2025

Silent Light is named a Finalist in 2025 International Opera Awards

September 18, 2025

News