HOT Favorite Jay Hunter Morris in Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain

Jay Hunter Morris Cold Mountain

HOT’s Executive Director Simon Crookall witnessed the debut of Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain last night, which featured Hawaii’s honorary second son, Jay Hunter Morris (pictured with Jennifer Higdon). Simon had this to say:

It was thrilling to be at the premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain last night. Based on the best selling novel of Charles Frazier, the opera deals with the tortuous journey of Confederate soldier W P Inman, as he travels back to his beloved Ada in Cold Mountain, North Carolina.  

As the leader of the Home Guard, Teague, Hawaii favorite, Jay Hunter Morris, oozed evil from every pore, singing with his customary lyricism and power.  In the lead roles, Nathan Gunn and Isabel Leonard were outstanding.  

In her first opera, the Pullitzer prize winning composer, Jennifer Higdon, created an evocative and lush score which brought this tragic human tale into sharp focus.  The rich choruses which formed the highlight of each act were powerful and emotional.  (Jennifer won the Pullitzer prize for her Violin Concerto, which I co-commissioned for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.)