Composer, Nathan Felix, is set to present his chamber opera inspired by the life of Major Fernando Luis Ribas-Dominicci, a pilot in the United States Air Force who was killed in action during Operation El Dorado Canyon in 1986. The opera features Hispanic soprano Lucianna Astorga and baritone Nathaniel Payan. The opera titled, Ribas-Dominicci, will be presented on the Main Stage as part of the Opera Austin Festival at KMFA (41 Navasota) on Saturday, November 15 at 8:30pm CST.

Ribas-Dominicci, whose family has roots in Austin and resides in San Antonio, was an F-111F pilot in the United States Air Force who was killed in action during Operation El Dorado Canyon. Ribas-Dominicci was given orders from then President Ronald Reagan for the April 15, 1986 U.S. air raid on Libya where he was shot down in action over the disputed Gulf of Sidra off the Libyan coast. On December 25, 1988, after years of denying that they had the bodies of the two crew members, Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, offered to release the body of Ribas-Berrain’s co-pilot, Paul Lorence, to his family through Pope John Paul II. The body recovered and thought to be that of Lorence was actually that of then-Captain Fernando L. Ribas-Dominicci, which was identified by dental records and returned in 1989. Ribas-Dominicci was born in the town of Utado in Puerto Rico and since his passing, the airport in San Juan named Fernando Ribas Dominicci Airport and the City of Utuado honored its fallen hero by naming a main avenue as Fernando Ribas-Dominicci Avenue. Felix collaborated with the wife of Ribas-Dominicci, Blanca Ribas for the libretto and tone of the work.

Ribas-Dominicci is a 25 minute, 3-act, opera about love, valor and sacrifice. The opera will be presented as part of the Main Stage at the Opera Austin Festival on Saturday, November 15 at 8:30pm

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Nathan Felix.

Who: Nathan Felix
What: Chamber Opera, Ribas-Dominicci
When: Saturday, November 15 at 8:30PM CST
Where: KMFA – 41 Navasota, Austin, TX 78702

About Opera Austin Festival:
Opera Austin Festival was conceived by Austin-raised composer Nathan Felix with the intention to create a festival highlighting the collaborative and innovative spirit that thrives in Central Texas. The festival features performances by local companies and composers on a main stage, as well as a separate “Aria Stage” where up-and-coming singers perform new compositions. Opera Austin Festival won the “Best New Venture of 2024” in Austin.

About Nathan Felix:
Nathan Felix (born 1981) is a hispanic composer known for his immersive operas and experimental films. Felix has premiered 16 operas, 4 symphonies and various chamber works in Spain, Japan, Australia, Bulgaria, Portugal, China, Sweden, Denmark, Mongolia and the United States and has been featured on the BBC, MTV, NPR, TPR & PBS. Felix, a non-award winning composer, often focuses on telling Latinx themed and minority stories that highlight border issues, underserved communities and his hispanic heritage. Felix was a recipient for Opera America’s 2024 IDEA Grant. He also serves as the founding director for the Opera Austin Festival.