Aaron Copland’s The Tender Land is set in the dustbowl prairies and tells the story of a young farm girl named Laurie, who is approaching her high school graduation and contemplating her future when two strangers arrive in town, and rumours circle around them. Laurie grapples with the tension between her desire for a broader life beyond her rural upbringing and her deep connections to her family and home. 

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The opera features a rich tapestry of folk-inspired music, which captures the pastoral beauty of the setting and the internal conflict faced with growing up.