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On March 19, hetweetedthat the Opera decommissioned him over the phrase.
@TulsaOperajust DEcommissoned me.
I was asked to create a new work for them.
They asked me to omit Damn.
Roumain was unable to speak with Graves personally about the piece afterward, he adds.
Picker says Graves withdrew from singing the piece, and he forwarded her message to Roumain.
Picker tells Vulture it is shocking that Roumain saw a racial dynamic in the interaction.
I wasnt stifling his voice, I was giving him a note, he says.
This was an artistic disagreement, Picker says.
It has been turned, by the BOA and Daniel, into something that it isnt.
Roumain hopes the Opera will work toward change in response to the incident.
Tulsa Opera could actually end up becoming a leader in the field, he says.
That, really, is the way the story should end, he says.
The Opera has added a second performance, and will broadcast the concert over radio and livestream it.
Through it all, Roumain says he wants to lead with love.
I love Tulsa Opera, Roumain says.
I want them to succeed.
Thats not the question.
The question is, does Tulsa Opera still love me?
