VIDEO
TERRENCE BLANCHARD COMBINES JAZZ, BOXING, & OPERA

December 21, 2015 | by Ross Eustis

A groundbreaking work combining the disciplines of opera and jazz, SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director Terence Blanchard’s 'Champion: An Opera in Jazz' tells the real-life story of world champion boxer Emile Griffith. Tormented by the death of opponent Benny Paret following their 1962 bout for the welterweight title, Griffith spent his life questioning himself and a society that would accept his accidental killing of a fellow athlete, but not his sexuality. 

Produced by SFJAZZ in conjunction with San Francisco's Opera Parallèle, Champion is a visually stunning production features a libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Michael Cristofer, elaborate staging and video elements with a jazz trio, orchestra and chorus, which bring out the full glory of Blanchard’s soulful score as it illuminates a tragic story that remains acutely relevant today.