At the end of March, *Gilgamesh: The Opera* had its world premiere at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles. The production was organized by the Assyrian Arts Institute—a nonprofit organization founded by Assyrian-American entrepreneur Nora Betyousef Lacey with the mission of bringing Assyrian cultural heritage to a global stage.
The opera is based on the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of humanity’s oldest surviving literary works, and was performed with a live orchestra, Assyrian folk instruments—including the zurna and the oud—and singing in Akkadian, the language spoken in ancient Assyria thousands of years ago. Parts of the performance were translated into Akkadian by an Assyriologist, and traditional Assyrian dances were woven into the performance.
Reviewer Amanda Callas of Broadway World described the work as a visionary and essential cultural contribution, noting that it is not merely an opera—it is an act of resistance against the erasure that continues to threaten the Assyrian people and their cultural heritage.
The opera is scheduled to go on an international tour, and the Assyrian Arts Institute has stated its ambition to reach Assyrians and audiences around the world.
