Dear Friends, Old and New,

I'm reaching out to ask for your help in producing my new opera, Blind and Fading.

Many of you know me as a prolific composer and dedicated teacher who lives humbly — while Gina and I put our two kids through college. Despite these constraints, I manage to self-produce a large body of work each year, entirely on my own dime. Many of you might have been at the show last june;

The Illuminati Players Live at Opera America 2025.

This spring, however, the Muse is asking more of me than I can manage alone. Blind & Fading is a work I'm deeply proud of. Like much of what I write, it crosses genres while remaining respectful of tradition. I'm also incredibly proud of The New Illuminati Ensemble — a group of virtuoso musicians who believe in this music and continue to perform for cost. Together with them, I can offer you my art at its highest quality, and now! you may join us as an executive producer. Any amount helps.

Even with my background in what my friends and I call "Guerrilla Theatre" — making quality art for a fraction of the usual cost — an ambitious project like this one adds up. This is only the second time I've turned to GoFundMe. The first was for my debut opera recording, The Viking, a 15-minute work that a loyal group of supporters brought to life a couple of years ago. [I've included a link so you can see and hear what your generosity made possible] — thank you again.

Blind & Fading is a full hour long and calls for a larger ensemble, including percussion. As you can imagine, the costs reflect that scale. I believe, as I hope you do, that art like this matters — that as human beings we need it. This is music that celebrates the human struggle, which is essentially what Blind & Fading is about.

My goal, as always, is to write music that lifts the human spirit, in the tradition of the heroes who inspire me: Beethoven, Shostakovich, and others who dared to create something lasting. Please follow the YouTube link to see and hear more about the production.

If you're able to contribute — at any level — I would be profoundly grateful.

With Deep Thanks- Frankie D