Water Memory (Jala Smirti) was awarded the Antinori Foundation Grand Prize in the 96-Hour Opera Project in June 2024.

Written by Kitty Brazelton and Vaibu Mohan, Water Memory (Jala Smirti) is based on a provided prompt of integrating AI into a creative work. The two were paired by the 96-Hour Opera Project team and the match was serendipitous.

Both composer Kitty Brazelton and librettist Vaibu Mohan shared the experience of witnessing the decline of a beloved older woman in their family due to dementia. For this creative team, Water Memory (Jala Smirti) has become a deeply personal story about the power of memory, family, and connection.

Composer: Kitty Brazelton
Librettist: Vaibu Mohan
World Premiere Performance
Performance runtime: approximately 65 minutes—with no intermission

Post-Performance Panel Discussion

Sunday, June 14 | Immediately Following the Performance

Audience members are invited to remain after the June 14 performance for a special on-stage conversation featuring artists behind the production alongside Georgia Tech innovators exploring memory, caregiving, technology, and human connection.

Participants include: 

• Kitty Brazelton, New York-based American composer, bandleader, improviser, singer/songwriter, and instrumentalist
  Sal Kibler, MA, Gerontologist, Tools for Life/Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation
• Indira Mahajan, Soprano
• Niharika Mathur, PhD candidate in Human-Centered Computing (HCC) at Georgia Tech
• Chris Rozell, Executive Director, Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society; Julian T. Hightower Chaired Professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech

Lobby Activation: Soft Systems

June 2–14 | Ferst Center Lobby

In collaboration with The Atlanta Opera, Ferst Center for the Arts presents Soft Systems, an immersive art and technology gallery inspired by Water Memory.

The interactive exhibition explores memory, empathy, and accessibility through multisensory installations engaging sound, touch, and spatial experience. Inspired by assistive technologies and tools used by individuals living with dementia, the featured works examine how art, design, and innovation can foster connection, recognition, and comfort.

Featured artists and collaborators include: 

• Emma Chammah, Atlanta-based Artist
• Sylvia Janicki, PhD graduate at Georgia Tech
• Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation, Tools for Life and Assistive Technology at Georgia Tech
• Alliance Theatre’s Memory Café, Creative experiences for people living with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s and their care givers.