Maestra Zoe Zeniodi returns to conduct Barzakh, an opera by composer Osama Abdulrasol with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen from December 10 to 16 in Antwerp. Under the stage direction of Thomas Bellinck, Barzakh explores themes of confinement and judgment, drawing parallels between the Arabic concept of barzakh —a space between life and death—and the limbo of pre-trial detention. Developed in collaboration with incarcerated individuals through workshops in Belgian prisons, Barzakh combines personal narratives with Abdulrasol’s evocative music, questioning conventional portrayals of crime and punishment in opera.
