Nairobi, March 19 -- After four years of work, composer Paola Prestini was just a week away from premiering her commissioned opera with a company in the US state of Minnesota -- before coronavirus abruptly halted performances worldwide.
The global pandemic has effectively shut down live music everywhere from prestigious houses to indie venues, Broadway to festivals, and left artists in the United States like Prestini with an unclear path forward in a country with a minimal safety net for anyone, let alone creatives.
The New York-based musician, who also co-founded Brooklyn's popular arts institution National Sawdust, said learning that production of her opera "Edward Tulane" was postponed until 2021 was a moment when "your heart stops."
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