I served as pianist for the premiere of three selected scenes of this opera. 

From Charney: "it’s based on the true historical story of British explorer Henry Stanley and his final expedition through the African Congo into Sudan to rescue a Egyptian appointed governor from Sudanese Islamic freedom fighters. Part of the story may have been the inspiration for Jospeh Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. My musical inspirations are grounded in the early 20th century operas of composers like Strauss and Stravinsky, as well as my own experience with jazz, and my research concerning Iranian ritual opera called Ta’ziyeh."