More Than Our Own Caves

About

More Than Our Own Caves is a commissioned song cycle by composer Omar Najmi with text by poet Marlanda Dekine. The work was featured within a solo concert program headlined by soprano Kelley Hollis, accompanied by pianist Julia Scott Carey. The presenter described the overall program as exploring themes of mental health and healing. Commissioned by Juventas New Music Ensemble for Hollis, the piece received its premiere in January 2023 at the Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Documentation places the work in a chamber vocal recital setting (soprano and piano), without theatrical staging or design elements. The premiere occurred within Juventas’s 2022–23 season event titled “Kelley Hollis: Center Stage.”