About
Founder and Director:
Empire Opera. Inc., www.empireopera.org
Owner:
Scorpion Publishing llc, www.scorpionpublishingllc.com
A classical musician who has performed throughout the US and Europe, Saavedra’s discography includes Stained Glass Windows (2013), and Song Leaves (to be released fall 2025). As a composer he has had several premieres of original musical works including the opera The Great Supper in 2010, the children’s opera Sweet Dreams in 2012, and his String Quartet No. 1 in G Major in 2015. He is also the founder and director of Empire Opera Inc. having produced more than 30 musical events since 2007. In October 2020, he created and hosts the online classical music radio show, Evening Serenade, which can be heard on BitChute and YouTube. As author, he is currently writing a book on converting sacred texts to opera.
Song Leaves
Walt Whitman may be most famous for his thought-provoking poetry in Leaves of Grass. But he devoted much of his time to help with wounded and dying soldiers during the Civil War. Poems that focus on life, death, love, and war were selected to create this collection.
My joy in composing Song Leaves was allowing Whitman’s poetry, written in a bygone era, to motivate modern musical expression.
Poems like ‘Look Down Fair Moon’ reflect death on the battle field, while ‘To You’ is an invitation to friendship. Whitman’s words encompass the span of a life giving a fuller understanding of what it means to be human.
An “ambulance” from the Civil War.
Featured Works
While Song Leaves was written for the bass voice and piano, other low voices will be featured on an upcoming program including a bass-baritone and a contralto, both fitting for the depth in voice the music calls for.
A recital and live recording is in the works for Veteran’s Day 2025. More info will be added.
Audio samples will be added to the Media page as they become available.
Passion
I began composing Passion in 1993 (believe it or not!). What an undertaking this EPIC story has become. As most creative works go, it has not taken all of these years to write this work. It is just that life happens and projects get put on hold, etcetera, etcetera, and so on and so forth.
But the journey has been real. I had the first presentation of a few scenes back in 2005 then again in 2007 when Empire Opera began.
More scenes were completed and presented at the Soiree of 2009. And another performance of selected scenes was in 2014. As this work nears completion, another presentation is planned for 2025.
Converting the Passion story into a theatrical work is a joy and a pleasure. The characters truly come alive with dramatic scenes that one only reads in the Bible. Your support can help this project to completion. If you would like to give a tax-deductible donation, visit empireopera.org. Thank You!
Calendar
November 2025
New York City
(more info tba)