Stewart Copeland's Immersive Rock Opera 'The Witches Seed' Debuts in Italian Quarry

Stewart Copeland, founder and drummer of The Police, has composed the music for 'The Witches Seed', an immersive rock opera with horror themes set in an abandoned granite quarry in the Italian Alps. The production features songs by Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders and stars Italian pop-rock singer Irene Grandi. The libretto is by British-Irish playwright Jonathan Moore, with orchestral direction by Irish conductor Eimear Noone, the first woman to conduct at the Academy Awards. Immersive video scenographies are by concept and visual artist Edvige Faini, known for Hollywood films like 'Planet of the Apes' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. The opera is produced by Fondazione Tones on the Stones, which for 15 years ran the Tones on the Stones festival in Val d'Ossola, Piedmont. In 2021, the foundation established Tones Teatro Natura at Cava Roncino in Oira Crevoladossola, a performance space built in a former granite quarry designed with modularity, transparency, and sustainability. The world premiere of 'The Witches Seed' is scheduled for July 22 and 23, 2022. The project was conceived by artistic director and soprano Maddalena Calderoni.