In 2014, ten years before Oregon ArtsWatch would describe composer Ethan Gans-Morse and poet/librettist/artist Tiziana DellaRovere as a “powerhouse duo holding down the southern end of the Oregon School of Composition for years,” Anima Mundi Productions came into existence to support the production of the couple’s first opera, The Canticle of the Black Madonna.
The opera, which The Oregonian would describe as “a huge achievement,” embodied themes that would define the nascent nonprofit in the years to come: Our world is filled with seemingly insurmountable challenges, but when we open our hearts and come together in a spirit of shared humanity, then real transformation is possible, and that opening, that sharing, and that transformation can be accessed through the powers of creativity and the fine arts.
Anima Mundi, Latin for “the soul of the world,” is evoked by name in Tiziana’s beautiful poetry in that first opera. It refers to an ancient belief that our planet and all creatures living on it are inextricably linked together as a vibrant organism. DellaRovere and Gans-Morse see a similar interconnection between community, society, and the collaborative arts.
In 2018, they were commissioned by the Rogue Valley Symphony to create a large work in honor of the Symphony’s 50-year anniversary. How Can You Own The Sky?—a symphonic poem comprising four symphonic movements by Gans-Morse, four epic poems by DellaRovere, and a collaboration with Native American professor and performer Brent Florendo and the members of his Family Drum, Dancing Spirit—further reinforced the importance of this approach to the arts. The piece was described by Florendo as “that rare and special piece that works on all levels, socially, culturally, and artistically, because it’s the fruit of a two-year trust relationship.” Music director Martin Majkut wrote that the piece “provides emotional catharsis on par with the great masterworks of the past… Both the musicians and the audience were deeply touched by the experience.”
Based on experiences like these, the couple decided it was time to expand, and in 2019, Anima Mundi Productions, now a fully operational 501c3 nonprofit, launched the Heart of Humanity concert series with the mission of “bringing world-class musicians to Oregon for concerts that turn the concert hall into a space for renewed hope, communal healing, and mutual understanding.” This endeavor was aided by Jane Kenworthy, formerly Executive Director of the Rogue Valley Symphony, who was instrumental in helping launch the concert series.
Each year, the Series has presented at least three concerts, usually in the SOU Music Recital Hall in Ashland. Each season has addressed a societal theme, ranging from immigration to racial justice to war and the soul to women in the arts to artists from conflict zones to environmental challenges.
To date, the company has produced over 25 concerts and musical films, brought multiple Grammy Award-winning artists to Ashland, commissioned nearly 30 new works of music, poetry, and art—including three original operas and a multimedia oratorio based on Oregon stories—created “Pianos for Peace” in downtown Ashland, and partnered with numerous local nonprofits and educational programs to serve our community, including BASE, Unite Oregon, Southern Oregon Education Service District, Uniting for Ukraine Rogue Valley, Peace House, Rogue Climate, ScienceWorks Museum, SOU, five local high schools, and the Rogue Valley Peace Choir.
Over the years, the company has grown in every dimension. It now boasts a small but mighty staff—operations director Lisa Frank and community engagement director Stephanie Jones—who work closely with Gans-Morse and DellaRovere as the company takes on ever greater artistic and administrative challenges.
The Heart of Humanity Series is now entering its seventh season, For Love of Nature, which spans concerts at SOU, a film screening and special events at ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum, and multiple free community events, youth programs, and multimedia art projects.
Explore the upcoming season at https://animamundiproductions.com/tickets/
Or dive into the company’s past projects at http://animamundiproductions.com/projects