Davone Tines performs as Malcolm X.

Boston Modern Orchestra Project records Anthony Davis opera

The world premiere recording of the revised version of “X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X,” was released in October by BMOP/Sound. Recorded at Dorchester’s Strand Theatre, where the opera was performed for one night only on June 17, the album has been nominated for a 2023 Grammy Award.

“X” was composed by Anthony Davis, with a libretto written by his cousin Thulani Davis and story by his brother Christopher. Thulani Davis, renowned for her scholarship and writing, won a Grammy for her essay that accompanied the Aretha Franklin boxed set, “Queen of Soul — The Atlantic Recordings.” She also wrote the libretto for the opera “Amistad.”

“X” was first performed in 1986 and revived about 20 years later at Oakland Opera Theater, and then another 15 years went by before the Black Lives Matter movement, ignited in part by the murder of George Floyd, rekindled interest in Black composers.

Davis, who won a Pulitzer Prize for Music for his opera “The Central Park Five,” has found “X” to be a profound source for contemporary audiences nationwide.

Recent performances include Detroit Opera, Opera Omaha, Seattle Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.

“When it was first performed, the opera was a pioneering work

See OPERA, page 12