New Wave Opera to Present: Rising Tides

New Wave Opera to preview queer fantasy opera Deep Water, a new opera by Caroline Louise Miller, at free concert at TOC Concert Hall 

March 1, 2026 – Portland, OR: New Wave Opera (NWO) presents Rising Tides, an exploration of our warming world, the beauty of nature, and the fight for social justice through opera and song, in collaboration with The Old Church Concert Hall’s Free Lunchtime Concert Series. 

Audiences will hear previews from Caroline Louise Miller's new queer fantasy opera Deep Water, which features teenage oracles Val and Bluejay as they wander a post-apocalyptic world to document the fall of humanity. "The Vapour" is a haunting meditation on the destruction of forest fires. In "Immortality Becomes Tedious, " Val and Bluejay lament how depressing the work is,  arguing over the point of it all.  New Wave Opera is proud to be performing the world premiere of Deep Water in June 2026. This is your chance to hear excerpts of this compelling and timely opera in advance of the premiere. 

Miller says about the upcoming performance: “In writing Deep Water, I am continually inspired by the vast complexities of human experience, exploring entanglements of climate grief with the need for love, levity and play. In this upcoming performance, I am especially excited to share the excerpt Immortality Becomes Tedious, in which Val and Bluejay reminisce and lament on the difficulty of remaining the same over centuries while the earth experiences devastating changes. ”  

Composer Caroline Louise Miller.

Complimenting selections from Deep Water are works inspired by the natural world, social justice, and the climate crisis. Renowned Portland soprano and voice teacher Susan McBerry narrates Upon a Broken World, by Lisa Neher and various poets, contemplating the end of wars, the struggle to maintain hope, and the beauty of day to day interactions. The concert features a bouquet of Portland’s most accomplished composers, including works by Stacey Philipps, Lisa Marsh, Drew Swatosh, and William Campbell. The performing arts play a crucial role in confronting the climate crisis,” says NWO President Lisa Neher. “Statistics and daily obligations can overwhelm and distract us, but the arts bring people together to pause and feel, and that shared experience drives sustained collective action.”

In addition, Rising Tides features selections from operas in progress by Pacific Northwest composers. Dianne Davies' "A Solemn Promise," based on the novel North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, is a dramatic showdown between the stern and powerful Mrs. Thornton and the strong-willed outsider Margaret. In Lisa Neher and Bea Goodwin's "No, Nancy! You Can't Say That!" Carolyn Keene, author of the famous Nancy Drew novels, bursts into Nancy's world to stop her from being so independent. Her editors insist that she make Nancy more ladylike. But Nancy fights back and wants to know why she should be anything other than herself. 
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Rising Tides features a team of Portland’s leading performers of contemporary music:
soprano Lindsey Rae Johnson, mezzo-soprano Lisa Neher, pianist Stephen Lewis, and renowned soprano and voice teacher Susan McBerry as narrator, with Caroline Louise Miller on electronics.

Free Admission, no advance pre-registration required.

To learn more about this show and more from the upcoming season, visit NEWWAVEOPERA.ORG.

Stephen Lewis, Lisa Neher, and Lindsey Rae Johnson performing selections from Deep Water at Portland State University in January 2026. Photo by Dianne Davies.

Event Info at a Glance

WHAT: Rising Tides
WHEN: Wednesday, April 15, at Noon
WHERE: The Old Church Concert Hall, 1422 SW 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97201 and Livestreamed
COST: Free
RUNTIME: 60 minutes