Molly is the Mezzo Soprano soloist in this concert performance of Fahad Siadat’s Conference of the Birds.

The Conference of the Birds is an a capella oratorio composed by Fahad Siadat with a libretto by Sholeh Wolpé. The work utilizes virtuosic musical techniques found in singing styles across the globe. The chorus moves throughout the work embodying the birds on the journey while also functioning musically as the ‘orchestra’ to tell the story and support the vocal solos.

The story follows the birds of the world who embark on a journey to find their sovereign, Simorgh, a divine/mythical creature. Led by the wise Hoopoe they travel through Seven Valleys, each a spiritual realm of understanding that unfolds as they journey toward Simorgh’s sanctuary. The libretto is drawn from Sufi mystic poet Attar’s seminal text about the journey of the soul as it seeks union with the Divine.