A call for justice.
A city-wide suite of offerings.
An opera in seven movements.

Born from the vibrant collaboration between composer Jonathan Berger, visual artist Enrico Riley and poet/librettist Vievee Francis, the work responds to the murder of Eric Garner and the ongoing theft of Black life at the hands of the State. Music, text, projected visuals and movement interweave in a story centered on Garner’s daughter, Erica.

Uplifted by a 75-person choir of singers, and adapted for the outdoors, the project comes to New York City and gathers our community as co-conspirers—to breathe and keep breathing any way we can.

The transdisciplinary opera debuts in New York City on the 10th anniversary of Eric Garner’s killing.

  • Lincoln Center's Summer for the City

    This summer, The Ritual of Breath Is the Rite to Resist debuts in New York City on July 19 as part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City Festival.

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  • Civic Partnerships & Community Activations

    Ritual of Breath is enriched by civic partnerships across the city, through which we are offer community activations and rituals of healing throughout the summer

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  • About the Opera

    The Ritual of Breath Is the Rite to Resist is a chamber opera-theater work by Jonathan Berger, Enrico Riley and Vievee Francis that responds to the murder of Eric Garner and the ongoing loss of Black life at the hands of authorities.

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Our city-wide community activations will kick off on June 14th. We’ll be sharing more about these partnerships and community activations in early May.

Meet the Artists

All Artists

Civic Partnerships

Join in on Instagram

Throughout the summer, our civic partners will be hosting community activations. Join in our collective work and learn about these events by following @theritualofbreath

Ritual of Breath is a creative act of resistance, born in response to the murder of Eric Garner and the ongoing theft of Black life at the hands of the State. It is an opera, but also a set of offerings, healing rituals and collective activations tha