Bishma & Shikhandi - the Opera!

Aim

Bishma and Shikhandi is a self-funded project to tell the story of two characters from the Mahabharata through opera and gamelan.

Bishma and Shikhandi are two fascinating characters from the Hindu epic, The Mahabharata. Their lives are linked through hatred and love and both, in their own different ways, are slaves to their fates.

Librettist/ singer Wirawan Cuanda and composer/ gamelan musician Ginevra House joined forces in York (UK) in 2022 to create The Bishma Cycle - three songs about this righteous yet impassive character whose spirit is holy and good, but who dedicates himself as advisor to the 'evil' King Duryodhana. 

Bishma's nemeisis is Shikandhi - a passionate warrior-princess with a grudge so deep she is willing to immolate herself, stand in a river on one leg for a year, and switch gender to fulfil her desire to kill Bishma.

Now Wira and Ginevra are starting work on the next phase - The Shikhandi Cycle - with a plan to create three or four songs exploring the personality and motivations of this intriguing and under-researched character.

This time we'll work in Surakarta, Indonesia. We are covering our own costs for transport and accomodation, but are asking for support to pay the musicians we will work with, to cover rehearsal space, and to support costs associated with any (free) performance we do while out there, should we get to that point!

A little money goes a long way in Indonesia - even just money for meals during rehearsals is a big contribution. If you would like to help make this project come to fruition, please contribute what you can. A little goes a long way!

Any funds left over from this raise will go towards the next phase - the full opera!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made