On May 14, 2026 at 8:00pm and May 16, 2026 at 2:00pm, Chickasaw American composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate's first opera Loksi' Shaali' (Shell Shaker), comes to Wilmington Concert Opera during the 2026 Opera America Conference. Loksi' Shaali' is the first opera written by an American Indian composer to be sung and premiered entirely in a U.S. tribal language, and features a stellar, primarily Indigenous cast. This groundbreaking work, performed here in the world premiere chamber version, includes Chickasaw translation by Lokosh (Joshua D. Hinson) of Tate's original libretto and will feature operatic singers of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Mvskoke, Pueblo of Acoma, Taíno, and Tiwa Nations and heritages. Wilmington Concert Opera, a women- and minority-founded and run company, focuses on accessibility and inclusion.
