The run of Heart of a Soldier just concluded, the spanking new world premiere commissioned by the SF Opera to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11 (or rather, to honor the fallen). There was a swirl of emotions surrounding the response to the opera, but you don't evoke the most traumatic event in recent history without stepping on a few open wounds.

Before the premiere, we chatted with the composer, Christopher Theofanidis, an up-and-coming figure in the musical world. He's on the faculty at Yale University and has made a splash with his Rainbow Body, one of the most played orchestral work of the last few years. You know you've hit the big time when big opera houses line up to commission your work, and on top of Heart of a Soldier, he's already working on an operatic version of Siddhartha for the Houston Grand Opera's 2013 season.