Chagrin Foundation For Arts

As part of the outreach programming prior to the opera, "blind injustice," chagrin foundation for arts & culture presented a musical concert called "freedom rocks" on september 26, 2024 as a fundraiser. The concert featured internationally renowned trumpeter, dominick faranacci with his jazz band. It also included a new theater group, 'voices of injustice,' a group of six local men who have been exonerated for crimes they did not commit who tell their stories dramatically in an original play called "the lynched among us". One of the actors, alfred cleveland, collaborated with mr. Farinacci on an original piece composed by mr. Farinacci that provided a powerful jazz accompaninent to mr. Cleveland's story that he dramatically narrated of his wrongful conviction and exoneration. The concert took place at the cleveland metropolitan bar association, a long-time supporter and partner, in downtown cleveland.

Chagrin foundation for arts & culture, as a final fundraising event prior to the opera, "blind injustice," presented another freedom rocks concert at brother's lounge on the west side of cleveland on may 8, 2025. The concert featured 'faith & whiskey,' a rock and roll band led by former ohio supreme court justice, michael p. Donnelly. In attendance were six exonerees (three whose stories are told in the opera "blind injustice"). They spoke to the audience about the opera and their involvment as people who had been wrongfully convicted for crimes they did not commit, and how powerful the music is in telling their stories.

Chagrin foundation for arts & culture continued its partnership with kent state university hugh a. Clauser school of music in preparation for the opera, "blind injustice". The university provided chagrin foundation with pro bono rehearsal space in the month of june 2025. In addition, 24 of the 55 artists and production staff for the opera were kent state graduates and faculty.