William Kentridge’s chamber opera ‘Waiting for the Sibyl’ (2019) made its debut in New York, Brooklyn’s Powerhouse Arts as part of the new Powerhouse: International festival. The opera, which won a 2023 Olivier Award, blends South African harmonies with Kentridge’s signature multimedia visuals.
The work, inspired by the Camaean Sibyl of ancient myth, explores fate and uncertainty. Initially commissioned by the Rome Opera, ‘Waiting for the Sibyl’ was created as a companion to Alexander Calder’s 1968 ‘Work in Progress’, a ‘ballet without dancers’. Both works premiered together in 2019; however, due to logistical and insurance challenges, the tour was unable to continue.
Kentridge then decided to replace Calder’s piece with his own ‘The Moment Has Gone’, a 19-minute film and musical performance that is thematically and visually linked to ‘Waiting for the Sibyl’.
