Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 7 PM and Sunday, March 2 at 3 PM
Central Presbyterian Church — 200 E 8th St, Austin, Texas 78701


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Hear Me Roar!

Katrina Saporsantos, Director
Annette Eicker, cello
Jordan Walsh, percussion
Benjamin Dia, piano

On March 1-2, 2025, Da Capo, Inversion’s professional ensemble dedicated to new music for treble voices, presents Hear Me Roar!, a concert consisting of music that amplifies, uplifts, and empowers voices that are often oppressed and silenced—that of folks in the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, and countries suffering from the ravages of war. This concert will feature several newly commissioned works by composers who belong to the communities this program holds space for, as well as the winning entry to the Sandra Fivecoat Memorial Composition Contest. This program also features percussionist Jordan Walsh, cellist Annette Eicker, and pianist Benjamin Dia. Katrina Saporsantos directs.

Purchase tickets at https://hearmeroarrr.eventbrite.com/

Program

* indicates world premiere performance
full Program PDF here

  • Text: Reena Esmail based on a quote of Brian Palmer | Music: Reena Esmail 

    Descanti: Cami Everitt, Erin Yousef, Kate Winchester

    Listen, listen

    Listen to the sound of your breathing,
    Listen to the waves it makes.
    Listen to your voice as you’re singing
    Listen to the space it takes.
    Listen to your heart as it’s beating
    Listen as your soul awakes.

     ‘Cause one act of love, I know, for sure, is to listen.

    Listen to the voices inside you
    Guiding you to being whole.
    Listen to the people who see you
    They will help you hold your soul.
    Listen to the ones that oppose you
    They can even play a role.

    ‘Cause one act of love, I know for sure is to listen

    Time is fleeting,
    There’s just so long we remain
    So listen deeply
    For you might never have that moment
    to listen
    again. 

    Every act of love is a mirror
    Showing us our purest light
    Every act of love is a pathway
    Into one another’s lives
    Every act of love is essential
    To build a world that survives.

    And that first act of love, I know, for sure, is to listen.

    Listen, listen

    Program Note: 

    Reena Esmail is an Indian-American composer who works in both Indian and Western classical music spaces, and brings those two worlds together in her compositions. When Reena was working with Urban Voices Project, a choir on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, she met a man named Brian Palmer who used to say “One act of love, I know for sure, is to listen.” Brian passed away tragically a few years later, and Reena wrote this piece as she tried to grapple with his loss. In this piece, she reminds us to listen not only to ourselves but also to one another–no matter how easy or difficult it is, whether we agree with something or not­–because we never know when this chance to do so will be gone forever.

I advocate for Peace.

  • Text: Ukrainian for “Peace, Now” | Music: Joan Szymko

    Myr, Zaraz

    Peace, Now.

    Program Note: 

    Joan Szymko is widely regarded as an outstanding composer of choral music in America today. During the last week of March 2022 when she was in the middle of concert week preparations, she suddenly found herself pondering the concert she was about to conduct and the growing fragility of democracy around the world, epitomized by the assault on Ukraine. It is her hope for both singer and listener to hold grief close to our hearts and feel solidarity with the people in Ukraine and all those suffering anywhere in the world.

  • Text: Toujan Atari | Music: Shireen Abu-Khader; arr. Hawanim Ensemble

    Soli: Erin Yousef, Kendall Richard, Kristen Beiler Thomas, Wravan Godsoe

    Cello: Annette Eicker

    Bairut

    Bardan wa salaman ya Bairut

    Qumi, qumi Bairut

    O Beirut

    May the fire of pain and tragedy be cooled down, and may there be peace, O Beirut.

    Rise up, rise up Beirut

    Program Note: 

    This song was written by Palestinian Jordanian artist, composer, and educator Shireen Abu-Khader as a response to the tragedy that befell Beirut in 2020. It was a devastating catastrophe for the people of Beirut as it is a hub for many Palestinian and Syrian refugees. At its core, this song is a love song to a beautiful city and its people who up to the present continue to get caught in the crosshairs of socio-political unrest, and an offering of hope for their future.

I dream with my eyes wide open.

  • Music and Text: Laura Mercado-Wright

    Soli: Carlee Abschneider, Christa Tumlinson, Ritika Bhattacharjee

    It’s a boy!

    It’s a girl!

    Girl!

    Boy!

    Rover, Red Rover

    Let him/her come over

    You’re not a girl

    You’re not a boy

    I want to climb that tree, Mama.

    Why do I have to wear a shirt, Mama?

    Can I please cut my hair short, Mama?

    You’re not a girl

    You’re not a boy

    Rover, Red Rover

    Let him/her come over

    Over and over and over and over 

    I want to…

    Why do I…

    Can I please…

    Program Note: 


    This piece is a series of powerful memories, snippets of the past, moments that felt unimportant at the time but have lingered for years. I grew up in a time and culture in which I was discouraged from being curious about gender or gender expression, but from a young age I knew there were times I felt more masculine than feminine and wanted to present myself that way. While it was waved away as a "tomboy" phase, it has never passed for me; the memories of being restricted in my activities, clothing & grooming, and being taunted by my classmates when I made choices that didn't match their definitions have all stuck with me. I am only now, in my 40's, feeling free enough to revisit and consider those parts of myself. This piece is a montage of memories, both innocent and painful. The opening is a moment of gathering and self-regulation, then the humming brings in the idea of a mother and newborn baby, full of possibility and tenderness, then the expectations for that child start to grow through the oo's and oh's, and finally the baby starts to make sounds for "boy" and "girl", learning right from the start that gender is meaningful and powerful. From that rhythmic momentum comes a familiar children's rhyme, evoking the way kids learn and teach each other about gender roles in school, which builds into a demanding climax of frustration. It ends unsettled, undecided, bringing back themes from the earlier sections to highlight the need for more understanding. – Laura Mercado-Wright

  • Text: Langston Hughes | Music: Evan Blaché (ASCAP)

    It was a long time ago.

    I have almost forgotten my dream.

    But it was there then,

    In front of me,

    Bright like a sun,—

    My dream.


    And then the wall rose,

    Rose slowly,

    Slowly,

    Between me and my dream.

    Rose slowly, slowly,

    Dimming,

    Hiding,

    The light of my dream.

    Rose until it touched the sky,—

    The wall.


    Shadow.

    I am black.


    I lie down in the shadow.

    No longer the light of my dream before me,

    Above me.

    Only the thick wall.

    Only the shadow.


    My hands!

    My dark hands!

    Break through the wall!

    Find my dream!

    Help me to shatter this darkness,

    To smash this night,

    To break this shadow

    Into a thousand lights of sun,

    Into a thousand whirling dreams

    Of sun!



    Program Note: 


    Being asked by Rina Saporsantos to write a piece based off of the theme “Hear Me Roar” made me think of all the times in life growing up I felt like my flames were doused by a lot of systems in the world. I wanted to use a text that could express the feeling most, and ended up with the poem, As I Grew Older by Langston Hughes. This poem echoed not just what I felt as an adult, but also as a kid and teenager — Evan Blaché

  • Music and Text by James Tecuatl-Lee

    Solo: Cassidy Wallace

    The dream is done and darkness

    Parts, revealing hope

    Upon the crystal stair, born

    And dead, and on the rope

    The storied bell of freedom

    Chokes on her own weight.

    Her sister, shining justice,

    lolls in the belfry, sedate.

    The dream is done and darkness

    Parts, revealing hope

    Upon the crystal stair, born

    And dead.


    And now, feeling deeply

    In what world we are,

    It is easy to question

    Whether spring is wise

    To put flowers forth,

    Whether clever hopes expired,

    Can ever be reformed,

    Whether all being lost

    Depends on my being lost,

    The truth: I miss you.

    I miss you so much.


    Yet this day too may end,

    And more lovely than the dawn,

    Night must transform, inspire,

    Permit of dreams…


    Program Note: 

    This piece is a reflection on the era we are living in. The central focus is on the loss of ideals, especially in my native country (the US). The words are a kind of pastiche of references to poetry from times of democratic idealism and from times of authoritarian expansion. At the risk of stating the obvious, we just witnessed four years ago a sustained effort to cast doubt on the voting process, followed by an attempt by the sitting president to incite his supporters to violently overturn the results of the election. Four years later, a majority of citizens in this same country, having witnessed all of this, voted to put this same person back into the office of the president. This is a pivotal moment in the history of our country, seeming to negate its foundational narratives. I wrote this piece to acknowledge the feeling of rude awakening that I think many are experiencing, the stark reality we face, but also my belief in the importance of "dreaming" and my hope that in time we will collectively dream a better narrative for our country again. — James Tecuatl-Lee

  • Text and Music: Zenaida Stewart Robles

    She walks in pools of sadness.

    Her face is cool in moonlight.
    No one can cover it.

    She walks in pools and moonlight.

    She lingers on.

    Program Note: 


    Written by award-winning Black American composer, vocalist, and teacher Zanaida Stewart Robles, this piece is “… a choral expression of the sadness and loneliness one might feel when depressed. It's like being submerged underwater with waves of despair crashing over you, keeping you down. You can't breathe, but you can't give up. It's like coming completely apart while trying to hold it together.”

  • Text: Song of Solomon 8:10 | Music: Robin Estrada

    soli: Jennifer Hymel, Jamieson Taylor, Katrina Saporsantos, Cami Everitt, Christa Tumlinson, Bethany Naef Ammon

    Ako'y isang batong muog, 

    dibdib ko ang siyang tore;

    sa piling ng aking mahal 

    ay panatag ang sarili.

    I am a wall, 

    and my breasts are towers; 

    I am in my beloved’s eyes 

    as one who brings peace.

    Program Note: 

    Robin Estrada is a Filipino-American composer based in San Francisco who ranks among the bold and innovative talents in Philippine composition. “Ang Awit Ni Solomon” (The Song of Solomon) was conceived as a work for 16 female voices that was premiered at the Concurso Coral de Ateneo and won for Estrada the Musica Nova Award. In this piece, Estrada applied extended vocal techniques to evoke sounds of the jungle in an innovative work that combines Western forms with Southeast Asian Musical styles.

I am strong. I am Strength.

  • Music: Florence Price

    Annette Eicker, cello and Benjamin Dia, piano

    Program Note: 

    Florence Price (1887-1953) was an African American composer and an influential figure in Chicago's Black Renaissance whose music, since 2019, has been performed more frequently in wider classical canon. “Adoration” is a short, late work by Price that was originally written for organ, and to be used in church services. Its gorgeous, lyrical melodies and its approachability have made it popular in other arrangements, such as this one for cello and piano.

INTERMISSION

Sandra Fivecoat Memorial
Composition Contest Winner

  • Text and Music: Gay Kahkonen


    The night is still.

    The night is silent.

    All the world is fast asleep.

    The night is still.

    The night is silent.

    Come Bright Spirit, wake the night.

    Bring us your light.

    Bright Spirit come, illuminate the night,

    Make the world alive with your light.

    Bright Spirit come, awake the day!

    Bright Spirit sweep away the shadows!

    Open our eyes and let us see the world alight!

    Bright Spirit come to us this day,

    To liberate us from the darkness!

    Open our hearts and let us feel ourselves alive!

    Open up our eyes,

    Open up our arms,

    Open up our minds,

    Open up our hearts!

    Bright Spirit come,

    Bright Spirit come,

    Shine!


    Program Note: 

    Gay Kahkonen is a composer and flutist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community. She earned her B.Mus. from Oberlin Conservatory where she also studied theater and dance. Kahkonen’s compositions are performed nationwide and abroad and are published by ALRY Publications. Come Bright Spirit was originally written to celebrate the Winter Solstice and the return of the sun’s light to the Earth. However, it may be interpreted as a call on the Light in each of us to shine forth in times of darkness and tribulation. These concerts will be the work’s premiere. 

    Gay is the winner of Inversion’s 2025 Sandra Fivecoat Memorial Composition Contest. 

About Gay Kahkonen

Our 2025 Sandra Fivecoat Memorial Composition Competition winner Gay Kahkonen is a composer and flutist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community. She earned her B.Mus. from Oberlin Conservatory where she also studied theater and dance. Kahkonen’s compositions are performed nationwide and abroad and are published by ALRY Publications.

I listen deeply. I remember. I fight.

  • Text: Shantel Sellers | Music: Michael Bussewitz-Quarm

    soli: Kate Winchester, Suzette Emberton, Bethany Naef Ammon, Julia Sterner Holden, Kendall Richard, Rebecca Stidolph, Carlee Abschneider, Christa Tumlinson, Layna Bergstedt, Sophio Dzidziguri


    I’m not lost; 

    Someone find me. 

    I’m your mother, 

    I’m your daughter

    I am sister to you all. 

    I’m not lost; 

    Someone find me. 


    Mother, Mother Nigawis Mother

    Come home to me. Ngashi Mother

    Ina Mother

    Shima Mother

    I’m not lost; 

    Someone find me. 

    Daughter, Daughter Ndaanis Daughter

    Come home to me. Ndaanis

    Michunwintku My Daughter

    I’m not lost; 

    Someone find me.

    Sister, Sister Mit’han My Younger Sister

    Shiadi Older Sister

    Come home to me. Nmisenh My Sister

    Niizh Manidoowag Two Spirit Person

    Sing, Sing Linto, Hashtaal Sing, Sing

    Sing a dirge for her, Linto, Hashtaal

    She walks Wi-ilowan Sing About a Woman

    among the stars. Ic-ilowan Sing a Dirge/Song of Grief

    Sing out for her! Baashk’amaaza! We Burst Into Song Together

    Let the world Hear Baashk’amaaza!

    Let the world know Baashk’amaaza!

    Her voice!

    I’m not lost; Come home to me.

    Someone find me. Come home to me.

    Find me. Come home to me.

    Find me.

    Program Note: 

    The award winning music of American composer Michael Bussewitz-Quarm engages singers and audiences through the soulful exploration of social and environmental themes around the world. Native American (Anishinaabe-kwe) poet, novelist, and historian Shantel Sellers, on the other hand, created “I’m Not Lost” to bring attention to the plight of murdered and missing Indigenous women.** “I’m Not Lost” includes Native words and phrases from across North America: Abenaki, Odawa/Ojibwe, Lakota, and Navajo/Diné. Each verse cries out for missing mothers, daughters, sisters, and Two Spirit (transgender) loved ones. The performance of “I’m Not Lost” is more than the singing of a song but an expression of longing and grief for those voices that have been silenced. 


    ** Native American women are more likely to be abducted, assaulted, and mudered than any other population group, with the perpetrators rarely charged or convicted.The MMIWG (Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls) movement sheds a light on this form of genocide.

  • Text: Brittny Rae Crowell | Music: B.E. Boykin

    Jordan Walsh, djembe

    If we are only stardust

    Let your names reach to the sky above us

     

    Like petals wafting on a breeze

    We lift you up beyond our reach

     

    “Kum Buba Yali, Kum Buba Tambe”

    Amen, Amen

    ”Kum Buba Yali, Kum Buba Tambe”

    We say your names

     

    If we are only stardust

    May your blood never be in vain

     

    Like petals wafting on a breeze

    We lift you up beyond our reach

     

    “Kum Buba Yali, Kum Buba Tambe”

    Amen, Amen

    “Kum Buba Yali, Kum Buba Tambe”

    We say your names

     

    Each day we grieve another face

    Maybe all this stardust

    Will carry us home one day

    To a home where we can run

    A home where we can pray

    A home where we can breathe,

    To sleep and dream without fear—

    Is justice this far away?

     

    We cry your names

    For the strength to keep on fighting

    With the hope that you are flying 

    “Kum Buba Yali, Kum Buba Tambe” 


    Program Note: 

    B.E. Boykin is an African American composer who has been commissioned and collaborated with several organizations, including a number of ACDA divisions, the Minnesota Opera, and the Kennedy Center. Boykin’s setting of this poem by Brittny Ray Crowell to music is a call for justice for the people of color taken from this world before their time, without concern for their humanity: a home where we “... can run” in memory of Ahmad Arbery, “... can pray” in memory of the Mother Emanuel shooting, “... can breathe” in memory of George Floyd, “... sleep and dream” in memory of Breonna Taylor.

  • Text and Music: Liv Grace; arr. Liv Grace & Grace Brigham

    soli: Rosa Mondragón Harris and Ritika Bhattacharjee

    djembe: Jordan Walsh

    I can’t do this anymore

    See my brothers on the floor

    Pushed and shoved against the wall

    It’s like we’re not human at all

    I told my mother 

    That I’m ‘bout to go to war

    I grab my sisters and brothers and others

    Hand in hand we start the march

    The enemy’s pushing me down to the ground

    The enemy’s guns on my crown

    But bullet holes don’t phase me

    I’ve seen the enemy kneel on my neck

    Face to the floor eyesight hazy

    Might not be able to breathe but believe tonight you’re gonna hear me roar.

    I said hear me roar!

    Oh I can’t do this anymore

    See my brothers on the floor

    Pushed and shoved against the wall

    It’s like we’re not human at all

    Oh grab your mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and others

    Hand in hand we will stand

    Lift our voices

    Fend for one another

    We will not back down

    No they cannot stop us now

    The battle’s just begun 

    We not gon’ stop until we’ve won

    Who cares if the enemy’s pushing me down to the ground

    The enemy’s guns on my crown

    But bullet holes don’t phase me 

    I’ve seen the enemy kneel on my neck

    Tear gas and my eyes get hazy

    Might not be able to breathe but believe tonight you’re gonna hear me roar.

    I said hear me roar!

    Eric, John, Michael, Ezell, Dante, Michelle, Laquan, George, Tanisha, Akai, Tamir, Rumain, Jerame, Matthew, Frank, Natasha, Tony, Anthony, Mya, Phillip, Eric, Walter, William, Alexia, Brendan, Victor, Jonathan, Freddie, Joseph, Salvado, Sandra, Albert, Darius, Billy, Samuel, Micahel, Brian, Christian, Troy, Assham, Felix, Keith, Junior, Lamantez, Paterson, Dominic, Anthony, Alonzo, Tyree, India, Lavonte, Michael, Jamar, Richard, Nathaniel, Benni, Miguel, Michael, Kevin, Bettie, Quintonio, Keith, Janet, Randy, Antronie, Wendel, David, Calin, Dyzhawn, Christopher, Marco, Peter, Torrey, Darius, Kevin, Mary, Demarcus, Willie, Terrill, Sylville, Alton, Pilando, Terence, Paul, Alteria, Jordan, Aaron, Ronell, Stephon, Antwon, Botham, Pamela, Dominique, Atatiana, Christopher, Christopher, Eric, Michael, Breonna, George.

    Say their names

    Lord let their deaths not be in vain

    Bring us together 

    Give us power

    Give us peace.

    Program Note: 

    Liv Grace is a young black composer, lyricist, and emerging recording artist from Dallas residing in Washington D.C. She penned “Hear Me Roar” during her senior year of high school in response to the devastating murder of George Floyd. This song is a protest, a march, a cry for justice and equality. It is a litany to the beautiful souls whose lives were lost and dreams were cut short. Every name belongs to a real person.

  • Text: bell hooks | Music: Tara Mack

    “The moment we choose to love, we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others. That action is the testimony of love as the practice of freedom.”

    Program Note: 

    When I worked as Director of the Education for Liberation Network, we published a social justice plan book for educators. One of my jobs was to find a quote from a social justice activist, artist or thinker for each week. Somequotes particularly resonatedwith me,andyears laterIdecided to write a set of pieces based on some of my favorite quotes.

    Each piece inVirtues of Resistance explores a different virtue that inspires us to become activists or that we may experience within struggle–Faith,Anger,Courage,Community,LoveandJoy. And each quote tells a story that challenges us, affirms us or inspires us to keep going.

    Love sets a quote by activist, philosopher and feministbell hooks.Even when we are protesting, demanding, shouting, boycotting, our actions should always be grounded in love–love for ourselves, love for each other and even love for the human potential of those who are causing harm. Love in the face of oppression is a radical act.

  • Text: Amir Rabiyah | Music: Mari Esabel Valverde

    You opened your arms for the forgotten ones

    the discarded & misunderstood

    you showed them a mother’s love

    enveloped them in a delicate

    and powerful embrace, beautiful star

    when the dust settles, we’ll always remember

    how you showed us how to fight

    even while the jagged blade of sorrow

    pressed on us, to fight

    ceaselessly, to tend to one another

    You said, when the dust settles

    I hope my girls will be okay

    You cried out from the cells of Attica

    and outside Stonewall’s battered streets

    Do you hear me? Are you listening?

    How many more have to die?

    your heart bigger than any cage
    even in the midst of so much loss
    you remind us to dream
    to hold tomorrow between our lips
    we deserve to kiss without fear
    to grow old
    to sway our hips
    to wear what we wish
    to relish in the pleasure of our bodies
    the seeds you planted continue to grow
    into blooming song
    when the dust settles, we will raise our voices
    just as you have always done, in glorious proclamation
    we will let everyone know—
    We are still here!
    We are still here!

    Program Note: 

    Award-winning composer Mari Esabel Valverde has been commissioned by multiple multi-award organizations and ensembles throughout America. She has also built a reputation as a singer, educator, adjudicator, and translator. “When the Dust Settles”, with text by the queer, trans, mixed race, disabled poet, educator and librarian Amir Rabiyah, pays homage to Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, American author, transgender and intersex rights activist, and veteran of the Stonewall Riots who, to this day, fights the fight for a trans woman’s right to life and pleasure. At a time when transgender rights are being trampled on, we need this song more than ever!

I Celebrate Me. I Celebrate Us.

  • Text: Kendra Preston Leonard | Music: Steven Sérpa

    soli: Julia Sterner-Holden, Sophio Dzidziguri; Maureen Papovich (Cybele)

    CHORUS OF GALLI:

    Magna Mater, Cybele, 

    Great Goddess, Great Mother.

    Snow!

    Snow on the ground

    means

    spring is

    coming, bulbs are throbbing

    here

    under our feet.

    Here,

    I can feel it coming,

    spring,

    pushing,

    rising,

    breaking out

    of the cold

    and the dark,

    spring is

    aching to

    burst into

    the sun.

    Blood is rising,

    all are waking.

    Here,

    I give you my blood,

    I give you my life,

    Great Goddess!

    Magna Mater!

    I sing to you!

    CYBELE:

    Now by the lakes, the reeds will grow;

    from beneath the earth, a tree will rise.

    Nurture the land,

    and I will give you my blessing.

     

    Up on the hills, the vines will flower;

    deep within the forest, orchids will stir.

    Guide the unknowing,

    and I will give you my blessing.

     

    Down in the caves, the bears will wake;

    out upon the mountain, the piglets will nurse.

    Protect the unwary,

    and I will give you my blessing.


    CHORUS OF GALLI:

    Great Goddess,

    I sing to you!

    I give you my blood,

    I give you my life,

    Spring! Spring is coming!

    Snow!

    Program Note: 

    At its heart, our opera "Montevergine" explores themes of identity, love, and acceptance. Inspired by a 13th-century Neapolitan legend, the plot follows two young men on pilgrimage to the shrine of Mamma Schiavona, the Black Madonna of Montevergine, for the Feast of Candlemas. Mamma Schiavona, the “Slave Mother,” venerated as protector of outcasts, is rooted in both Christian and ancient pagan traditions—her shrine built on the site of an older temple to the Phrygian goddess Cybele, “Mother of Gods.”

    The men are in love and condemned by their community for that love. They are subjected to a brutal lynching, stripped naked, bound and pack in with snow and ice, and left to die on the mountainside. Mamma Schiavona intervenes, melting the snow with her divine warmth and saving the couple, while admonishing the villagers for their hatred.


    “Snow! Snow on the ground” is one of "Two Goddess Choruses" from the opera. In this scene, a femminiello—a third-gender identity in Naples—blesses the couple and urges them to honor both the Madonna and Cybele. They are interrupted by the arrival of Cybele herself, accompanied by her Galli: ancient eunuch priests who renounced maleness to serve the goddess, adorned in vibrant yellow robes with painted faces and bleached hair. This ritual chorus with aria bridges past and present, as it draws on the timeless cycles of death, rebirth, and the transformative power of love and acceptance. – Steven Sérpa

  • Text and Music: Rosephanye Powell

    Jordan Walsh, djembe; Annette Eicker, cello

    I shall not be moved. 

    Do you see me? 

    Or am I invisible? 

    See me, proud, strong, unyielding. 

    There’s no denying me. 

    I am woman too!

    Laughter hides my pain and tears. 

    My confident voice contains my fears. 

    Uniquely woman, beautiful me.

    I am uniquely me. 

    I am woman too.

    And I shall not be moved.

    Look at me and you will see a woman who’s beautiful. 

    I overcome with all my sisters. 

    Celebrate, my sisters. Let’s celebrate us!

    All unique and beautiful. 

    Let’s celebrate, my sisters. Let’s celebrate us!

    We shall not be moved!

    Let’s celebrate, sisters. Let’s celebrate us!

    Celebrate!

    Program Note: 

    Rosephanye Powell is an American choral composer, singer, professor, and researcher who has been hailed as one of America’s premier composers of choral music. She wrote this rousing and exuberant piece to celebrate the women and “sisters” in our lives for their uniqueness and beauty.

Inversion Cares Partner

Gender Unbound is a trans and intersex arts community organization that is proudly led by trans and intersex artists.

Their mission is to uplift and support transgender and intersex people in Central Texas through building community spaces, spotlighting local talent and fostering connection, joy, relaxation, and creativity. They host events ranging from art markets, to music and performance showcases, to film nights, to creative workshops, to art gallery exhibits, and more—all planned by and featuring trans and intersex artists. Gender Unbound is a volunteer-powered organizing team that prioritizes sustainability and joy-centered work.

Thank you Jae Lin, Gender Unbound Executive Director, and Evan Mahony, Gender Unbound Organizer, and their volunteers for being at our concerts this weekend!

https://www.genderunbound.org

Hear Me Roar Artists

Annette Eicker, cello

Benjamin Dia, piano

Bethany Naef Ammon (A1)

Cami Everitt (S1)

Carlee Abschneider (S2)

Cassidy Wallace (A2)

Christa Tumlinson (S2)

Erin Yousef (S1)

Jamieson Taylor (S2)

Jennifer Hymel (A1)

Jordan Walsh, percussion

Julia Sterner-Holden (S2)

Katrina Saporsantos, Director

Kendall Richard (S2)

Kristen Beiler Thomas (A1)

Layna Bergstedt (A2)

Kate Winchester (S1)

Maureen Broy Papovich (S1)

Rebecca Stidolph (A2)

Ritika Bhattacharjee (A1)

Rosa Mondragón Harris (A1)

Sophio Dzidziguri (A2)

Suzette Emberton (S1)

Wravan Godsoe (A2)

PRODUCTION


Zoe Riemer, Stage Manager
Elise Etherton, Sound Engineer
Jack Kloecker, Photography & Videography
Kathy Leighton & Jeremiah Jordon, Front of House

INVERSION PERSONNEL


STAFF

Trevor F. Shaw, Artistic Director
Katrina Saporsantos, Executive Director and Da Capo Conductor
Adrienne Inglis, Artist and Community Relations

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jonathan Riemer, president
Guillermo Delgado
Jenny Houghton
Kathy Leighton
Meredith Ware Morrow

DONORS

Many thanks to our individual, business, and sustaining donors going into our seventh season! For a current list of donors, visit the donation page on our website.

Many Thanks to