Soul of Word

Soul of Word was conceptualized through a partnership between UTSA Lyric Theatre, Wesley S. Uchiyama Penix, and UTSA Film. Howell was the catalyst for the project and served as the librettist for the opera. She pulled inspiration from student-artists involved in the project through interviews, she uncovered a common theme of language and self, and explored these themes in the mini-opera format.

Howell included  references to Japanese culture as a means of respect for her friend & colleague, composer Wesley S. Uchiyama Penix. The word 'kotodama,' heard in the final chorus of the mini-opera, means 'soul of word' - this served as the primary thought-driver for the piece. In researching the topic, Howell conducted interviews with students of Mexican heritage who struggle with identity because due to the loss of the Spanish language that often occurs during assimilation into American culture. Additionally, Howell spent time with a student of Romanian heritage and uncovered hard truths about a language divide between older Romanians who have survived communism and the younger generation that has grown up in the States. 

Howell hopes to explore the plight of Romanians in a future work.

Soul of Word was produced both on stage and on film in 2023.

Soul of Word in the news

Sombrilla Magazine: Lights. Camera. Transformation.

“Soul of Word” won a Remi Award at the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival earlier this year and was one of four UTSA student films selected to be screened at San Antonio’s 45th annual CineFestival in July...

UTSA Today: Film and music student are taking opera to the big screen

UTSA music students are temporarily exchanging their spots on stage for on-screen roles in a first-of-its-kind collaboration...Leading the project is Jourdan Laine Howell, Associate Professor of Instruction, Voice & Lyric Theatre in the School of Music...

CADENZA, Opus 48: Opera on Film: Big Voices on the Big Screen

"Opera on Film" - a course unlike any other - is bringing opera students together with film students to develop and produce an original musical film.

Making of Soul of Word (2023)

Behind the scenes on the production of a short film opera. Music by Wesley Penix. Libretto by Jourdan Laine Howell.

UTSA Lyric Theatre's Epigrams

UTSA Lyric Theatre Gives commissioned composers the opportunity to premiere their works and challenges student vocalists in its brand new opera production, EPIGRAMS...

CADENZA, Opus 48: UTSA Lyric Theatre: Epigrams

The initiative, known as Epigrams, supports three main goals: to commission new operas, to give composers...