Very Feral Today is a new interdisciplinary performance piece conceived and produced by stage director Marcus Shields , scenographer Frank J Oliva, and the chamber ensemble Duo Étrange.Presented for four performances only on June 21, 22, 24, and 25 at 7:30PM, the work will take place at Gallery 311, located at 526 West 26th Street in the heart of Chelsea’s gallery district.Classical concert, documentary, and theatrical ritual. Very Feral Today explores the porous line between musical performance and lived experience. Through a 70-minute program for soprano and cello, the piece delves into how personal memory, grief, desire, and private history surface — often uncontrollably — within the act of music making.Performing live are Duo Étrange, the acclaimed cellist-soprano duo of Sahara von Hattenberger and Vanessa Croome, known for their emotionally rich, physically attuned performances. Their program includes music by David Lang, John Tavener, Alex Groves, Randall Woolf, J. S. Bach, Anders Hillborg, Jeffrey Fong, and Maya Fridman.Directed by Marcus Shields with scenography and lighting by Frank J Oliva, Very Feral Today is staged within a gallery space to foreground the intimacy, exposure, and visual tension of performance as a form of communication. The work reimagines classical concert convention, placing the artists in a shared, ritualistic space where gesture, memory, and sound become deeply entangled.
Duo Étrange is an acclaimed voice and cello ensemble “redefining vocal chamber music.” Founded by soprano Vanessa Croome and cellist Sahara von Hattenberger, the duo is known for their bold programming and commitment to creating new work. Recipients of the 2025 New Music USA Creator Fund for their upcoming collaboration with composer Kebra Seyoun-Charles, they will release their debut album with ATMA Classique in 2026, featuring five world premieres, including a new work by Nicole Lizée. Upcoming highlights include multiple concert débuts across North America and artist residencies at Yellow Barn, Avaloch Farm, and Le Vivier. Duo Étrange is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.Marcus Shields is a stage director and generative artist working in opera, new media, and classical music–based performance. His productions span major opera houses and experimental venues, with recent past work for the Curtis Institute, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Chautauqua Institute. He directs across formats, integrating video, installation, and classical repertoire into image-driven, atmospheric stagings. Upcoming projects include “Combattimento/Glitch” in New York City, a new David Hertzberg premiere for Rochester Philharmonic, La Passion de Simone at Curtis, and Falstaff at Juilliard.Frank J Oliva is a Cuban-American Scenographer. His work spans and sometimes blends various media, including theatre, music, opera, photography, events and installation. A longtime collaborator with Marcus Shields, their work has been seen this season at the Curtis School and the Colorado Springs Symphony. Frank’s work has also recently been seen at New York Theatre Workshop, DR2, The Royal Court Theatre, Gablestage, TheatreMitu, Weston Theatre Co, Northern Stage and Detroit Public Theatre, among others. His work has been exhibited at the Prague Quadrennial, and is the Recipient of The Opera America Tobin Prize, a Carbonell, a Drama Desk and three Silver Palms. Forthcoming work includes new productions at The Irondale Center, The Curtis School and Gablestage.Sahara von Hattenberger is a cellist celebrated for her genre-defying work across classical, jazz, and contemporary music. As co-founder of Duo Étrange and a member of the Chamber Orchestra of New York, she is known for commissioning new works and pushing the boundaries of modern cello performance.She regularly performs with several New York–based ensembles, including the American Composers Orchestra and Fort Greene Orchestra. Her debut solo album 1Q84 (2024) reimagines Claude Bolling’s cello-jazz suite alongside newly commissioned pieces, earning acclaim from outlets such as All About Jazz and Textura. Sahara’s recent engagements include residencies at Bang on a Can, Yellow Barn, Avaloch Farm, and Le Vivier.Vanessa Croome is a critically acclaimed soprano known for her work in contemporary and classical repertoire across opera and recital. Recognized for her versatility and range she has premiered new operas at the Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and Opéra de Montréal, with recent debuts at the Jacksonville Symphony, Orchestre Métropolitain, Orchestre de l’Agora, and Salle Bourgie. A former resident artist at Santa Fe Opera and Opera de Montréal, Vanessa is the co-founder of Duo Étrange. Upcoming engagements include residencies with Bang on a Can and Avaloch Farms.