Photo by Yiannis Soulis.
Photo by Carlo Sgarzi
On November 8, 2025, Rob gave the Italian premiere of This Ever Existence Flare at Teatro Ariosto in Reggio Emilia. It’s an experimental opera in three acts, billed as “a multiform spatial electroacoustic opera without beginning or end.”
The work grows out of the Book of Sound, the imagined masterwork of Helder Velasquez Smith. Smith is a fictional alchemist, astronomer, sci-fi writer and composer from Brasília, voiced by Damon Locks. Across three acts of “galactic parables,” the opera follows humanity into an evolving cosmic landscape that Rob calls the Astropocene. The libretto comes from Rob’s book Flitting Splits Reverb Adage.
Rob wrote the music, libretto, set design and video, and conducted the ensemble Immortal Birds Bright Wings: Damon Locks (voice, electronics), Rachele Amore, Silvia Fiume, Elisa Giovanditti and Alessandra Franchina (voices), Fabrizio Puglisi (piano), Koun Jeong (gayageum, electric piano), Pasquale Mirra (vibraphone), Danilo Gallo (bass), Mauricio Takara (percussion), Cristiano Calcagnile (drums) and Mathieu Constans (video).
Co-produced by Festival Aperto / Fondazione I Teatri di Reggio Emilia and AngelicA | Centro di Ricerca Musicale.
