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Work of the week

Work of the Week – Anthony Davis: Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote

Mixtec-style illustration: Pancho Rabbit and a smiling coyote stand in a desert before a monumental wall with pre-Columbian reliefs. A glowing path leads to a vertical gap in the wall where the sun rises, casting golden light across the orange sky.

Anthony Davis's chamber opera Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote is a binational commission exploring the migrant experience at the U.S.-Mexico border. Based on Duncan Tonatiuh’s award-winning children's book, the opera uses a bilingual animal fable to make themes of hope, exploitation, and family unity musically tangible. The production blends jazz, classical, and Mexican folklore into a contemporary "Animal Farm".

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Work of the Week – Hans Werner Henze: Fantasia for Strings

Black and white portrait of young Hans Werner Henze in a light shirt. Standing before tall reeds, sunlight casts shadows of the grass onto his face.

In 2026, we will celebrate the 100th birthday of composer Hans Werner Henze. His well-known Fantasia for Strings is based on a film score he wrote in 1966. Henze composed music for director Volker Schlöndorff that brings to life the depths of the story of Der junge Törless (Young Törless). Henze was a visionary, conductor and cosmopolitan – an artist whose influence extended far beyond his musical scores. To mark the start of the anniversary celebrations in January, Camerata Bern will be performing Fantasia for Strings in its concerts.

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