Student’s Opera about Experiences of War to be Performed at Lunch & Learn

The impact of war is felt most directly by the soldiers who are fighting it, but the realities of deployment also affect families and friends whom the soldier leaves behind. School of Music graduate student Jason Hoffman, a veteran who served for 11 years in the Army as a professional musician, has turned his perspective on war and its effects into an original opera, War Without End, which will be the focus of an upcoming event open to the campus community.

An abridged version of War Without End will be performed at a Lunch & Learn event sponsored by the Office of Military and Veteran Students on Thursday, April 23, at noon in Room 613 of the Union. A 30-minute question-and-answer session with Hoffman and Don Accamando, director of the Office of Military and Veteran Students, will immediately follow.

War Without End is a multimedia performance, blending pre-recorded video with live instrumental music, vocals and dramatics. The story is told from a more personal perspective, describing to audiences the turmoil felt by those who have been deployed into a battle zone. In particular, the opera depicts the experiences of a modern soldier deploying to the Middle East and the effects on family and friends.

“Including all of these viewpoints was very important to me because when the U.S. goes to war it affects us all, not just one segment of the population,” explained Hoffman, who also earned a bachelor’s degree in music technology from Duquesne in 2014.

According to Accamando, the Lunch & Learn offers a good opportunity for faculty and staff to receive comprehensive professional development regarding issues and challenges that are unique to veterans.

“Any opportunity we have to share the experiences of veterans with the faculty, staff and students will build on their existing perception of what it means to be a veteran and a student at Duquesne,” Accamando said.

To RSVP to the Lunch & Learn, email accamandod@duq.edu.