FNO – Musica nova – Taite ry: Denis & Katya

In November 2016 two Russian teenagers, Denis Murayov and Katya Vlasova, started a broadcast on the Periscope live streaming app. They told their audience they had run away from home after an argument with Katya’s parents and gone hiding in an abandoned cottage. Three days later, they were still entrenched there, besieged by the police.

While the events at the cottage unfolded, the audience watching the live stream grew. Friends, relatives, classmates, teachers from the couple’s home town, and strangers from around the world took part in the discussion linked to the live broadcast.

The following day, Denis and Katya had already made global news. With thousands of followers, they had become an internet phenomenon that eventually came to a tragic end.

The opera has six characters whose roles are performed by two singers. They tell Denis and Katya’s story from six different points of view.

The full synopsis can be found in the programme leaflet.