Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine

Tracing her journey from the segregated United States to international stardom in Paris, soprano Julia Bullock embodies the legendary artist, activist and icon, Joséphine Baker, in this portrait of a woman who reshaped the stage and stood boldly against injustice.

Directed by acclaimed opera-maker Peter Sellars, the event weaves together opera, jazz, spirituals and the elegance and raunch of the early 20th-century French music hall into a powerfully emotional song cycle, with spoken interludes by the poet Claudia Rankine.

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Tyshawn Sorey reimagines Baker’s songs through a rich, expansive sound world, opening new dimensions of her story, resulting in an intimate and striking tribute, celebrating Baker's legacy with a new urgency and brilliance.








Produced by the Barbican.

Original production: Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam.

Images by Ruth Walz.

Lighting designed by Ben Zamora, based on the original design by James F. Ingalls.

Part of Concert Theatre.

Barbican Classical Music Programme receives major support from Marcus Margulies and additional support In Memory of John Murray.





Creative team







Performers