KINGSTON, Jamaica — Internationally acclaimed composer, conductor, scholar, cultural activist and film-maker, Shirley J Thompson will present the world premiere of her latest Heroines of Opera work, Seventh Sense: Incidents in the Life of Queen Amanirenas for Orchestra & Dance, in Chicago on March 6–7, 2026.

Thompson, who is of Jamaican and English heritage, will debut the masterwork as part of International Women’s Day 2026 celebrations.

She is recognised as the first composer of African descent to receive an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and the first of African descent to write music for a British royal coronation, having created a landmark piece for the 2023 coronation of King Charles III.

Commissioned by the Chicago Sinfonietta for its “Still I Rise” celebration, the production tells the story of Queen Amanirenas of Kush, the warrior ruler who defended her kingdom against Roman occupation and secured independence through strategic diplomacy.

The work combines orchestral music and contemporary dance, performed by the Chicago Sinfonietta under Maestro Mei-Ann Chen, along with Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre.

Seventh Sense continues Thompson’s Heroines of Opera series spotlighting overlooked women of African heritage. Earlier works include Sacred Mountain: Incidents of the Life of Queen Nanny of the Maroons, Dido Elizabeth Belle, Women of the Windrush, and The Woman Who Refused to Dance.

Performances are set for March 6 at Wentz Hall in Naperville, Illinois at 7:00 pm and March 7 at the Harris Theatre in downtown Chicago, also at 7:00 pm.