Music Unbound: From Stage to Screen with Michael Abels - Screening & Discussion of Jordan Peele's "Us" (2019)

Join us for a special screening and discussion of Jorden Peele's Us (2019) as part of "Music Unbound: From Stage to Screen with Michael Abels."

"Music Unbound: From Stage to Screen with Michael Abels" celebrates the artistry of Michael Abels, the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer behind the scores of Jordan Peele’s Get Out, Us, and Nope. Abels’ work transcends boundaries, also including powerful concert compositions such as “Omar,” an opera co-created with Rhiannon Giddens.

On Friday, March 6, the experience kicks off at Cornell Cinema with a 7:15 p.m. panel discussion between Abels and Cornell faculty, exploring how music shapes storytelling on screen. The conversation will be followed by free screening of Us, featuring Abels’ spine-tingling score, at 8 p.m.

In Jordan Peele's Us (2019), an endearing American family is pitted against a terrifying and uncanny opponent. Accompanied by her husband, son and daughter, Adelaide Wilson returns to the beachfront home where she grew up as a child. Haunted by a traumatic experience from the past, Adelaide grows increasingly concerned that something bad is going to happen. Her worst fears soon become a reality when four masked strangers descend upon the house, forcing the Wilsons into a fight for survival.

The celebration continues on Saturday, March 7, at Bailey Hall with a Cornell Wind Symphony concert at 7:30 p.m., preceded by a 6:30 p.m. panel between Abels and faculty. Abels joins as guest composer for the concert, alongside soprano Lisa Williamson, flutist Juliana Pepinsky and clarinetist Louis Arques. The program includes Abels’ “Unbound” and “Winged Creatures,” selections from “Omar” and Duke Ellington’s “A Tone Parallel to Harlem.”

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience music that moves from the big screen to the concert stage.

Free admission! Space is limited and registration is strongly encouraged.

Presented in partnership with Cornell’s Department of Music and Cornell Cinema, this event is part of the Arts Unplugged series in the College of Arts & Sciences.