In Cal Performances’ season opener, expect tragedy and transcendence

Messiaen poured his intense, sometimes conflicting feelings into the song cycle “Harawi,” a unique work of tragedy and transcendence that draws on a range of influences, from composers Richard Wagner and Maurice Ravel to the music of the Andes Mountains. Now, soprano Julia Bullock, pianist Conor Hanick and two adventurous dancers are bringing this 1945 masterpiece to vivid life in a new production created by New York City-based American Modern Opera Company, , set to receive its U.S. premiere at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall on Friday, Sept. 27, for the opening night of Cal Performances’ 2024-25 season.