Organization

Singer

Mezzo-soprano

Jazmine Olwalia

Katya

Assistant Conductor

Glenn Lewis

Chorus master

Mark Trawka

Pianist

James Lesniak

Set designer

Andrew Lieberman

Costume designer

Millie Hiibel

Sound designer

Rob Kaplowitz

Baritone

Brandon Bell

Denis

Conductor

Lighting designer

Todd Nonn

Stage director

Haley Stamats

Opéra Orchestre National de Montpellier

Opera Philadelphia

Pittsburgh Opera

Music Theatre Wales

Others

Pittsburgh Opera Chorus

Orchestra

Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra

English

Russian

Denis and Katya

Pittsburgh

United States

Bitz Opera Factory

Denis and Katya Venables

Public

Approved

On November 14, 2016, Denis Muravyov and Katya Vlasova, fifteen-year-olds in the rural Pskov region of Russia, died after a three-day standoff with Russian Special Forces. They live-streamed their last hours onto internet sites, leaving behind a trail of devastating video footage: drinking and smoking, cuddling and crying, and preparing to die. 

Denis and Katya could have been your children, best friends, or classmates. Two teenagers who lived every moment—including their last—online. What led to their violent deaths? Why did they choose to broadcast their final moments on social media? And what does it say about the voyeuristic society that watched, liked, and objectified them in real-time, transforming two kids into clickbait? 

This visceral opera uses verbatim text to examine the vast public response to the events surrounding the tragedy of these two Russian runaways, exploring how stories are shaped and shared in our age of trolls, conspiracy theories, fake news, and 24/7 digital connection. 
 
The New York Times called Denis & Katya "an intimate, haunting triumph", and Musical America called it “ … the most brilliantly original operatic work I’ve seen in a decade."

Denis and Katya by Venables, From (2023/2023), Directed by Haley Stamats,, Conductor Glenn Lewis, Bitz Opera Factory, Pittsburgh, United States

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Ensemble

Co-Producer

Program, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues