Songs of Resilience · August 9, 2026 · Vashon Center for the Arts

What does it mean to bear witness? Sheila Silver's powerful new song cycle gives voice to individuals confronting social, political, and humanitarian crises: a Pulitzer-winning journalist witnessing hunger in Sudan, a mother discovering banned books in Florida, a Palestinian American writer and a Turkish student navigating systemic oppression. Each song captures courage, conscience, and the weight of moral reckoning.

The evening unfolds at Vashon Center for the Arts, one of the region's most vibrant arts spaces. Doors open at 6pm, giving you time to move through the atrium and gallery, take in the art on the walls, enjoy a beverage, and settle into conversation with the community around you. The performance begins at 7pm. Afterward, stay and continue the conversation with the artists and the composer.

Sheila Silver is a leading voice in American opera and classical music. Her works include the Seattle-premiered A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Of this work, she writes:

"In the early months of 2025, I began to think about composing a set of songs - based on the news events of the day - that would reflect resistance, resilience, and courage. While I found two of the texts, for the others I asked writers to contribute and discussed with each of them what they might like to do. It was exciting to have texts written specifically for this work. Conceived and composed between April 2025 and February 2026, the songs celebrate human ingenuity, kindness and passion in the midst of tyranny, chaos, and cruelty."

Performed by Rising Waters Collective founders Julia Benzinger, Holly Boaz, Ibidunni Ojikutu, and Lucy Weber, and pianist Jay Rozendaal.

Songs of Resilience (Vashon)

Voices of Conscience in a Turbulent World