Marking 45 years since the assassination of Malcolm X, New York City Opera will present an abridged concert version of X, The Life and Times of Malcolm X, a brilliant and groundbreaking opera about the great civil rights leader which had its world premiere at City Opera in 1986. Composer Anthony Davis, librettist Thulani Davis, and Christopher Davis, originator of the story, and Rhoda Levine, creative consultant, will offer insights on their inspiration and creative process.  This special event, which will also include the participation of Classical 105.9 WQXR host Terrance McKnight, is part of a series of collaborative programs co-presented by New York City Opera and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The performance will feature baritone Sidney Outlaw as Malcolm, soprano Marsha Thompson as Louise/Betty, mezzo-soprano Krysty Swann as Ella, Robert Mack as Elijah/Street, Bradley Moore, pianist, and will be directed by Beth Greenberg.

515 Malcolm X Boulevard (at 135th Street) New York, NY 10037

The Schomburg Shop at (212) 491-2206 or Telecharge.com

For more information visit nycOpera.com and schomburgcenter.org

New York City Opera and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture are collaborating on a series of programs following the success of last season’s Black History at New York City Opera, co-presented by the two organizations. Their collaboration is part of City Opera’s Opera Matters, a series of events combining conversation, media and live music to celebrate opera’s connections to the visual arts, film, literature, mass media and pop culture, the African-American experience and the world at large. Curated by City Opera's dramaturg Cori Ellison, Opera Matters brings together prominent artists, scholars and celebrities from diverse artistic and cultural communities to reveal opera’s vital place in today’s culture. Classical 105.9 WQXR, New York City’s sole 24/7 classical music station, is the media sponsor.

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a research unit of The New York Public Library, is recognized as one of the leading institutions of its kind in the world. A cultural center as well as a repository, this Harlem-based modern research library also sponsors a wide array of interpretive programs, including exhibitions, scholarly and public forums, and cultural performances. For over eighty years The Schomburg Center has collected, preserved, and provided access to materials documenting black life, and promoted the study and interpretation of black history and culture.