Transcendental Nightingale tells the true story of Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910), the first woman to be licensed as a medical doctor in the United States in 1849. In this aria, the 26-year-old Elizabeth is processing a series of rejections from medical schools who will not consider her application. She has been advised that the only way to earn a medical degree is to leave the United States for Europe and apply to schools under an assumed name, disguised as a man. Now, she makes a final decision about how to move forward with her dream: pursue her degree under a false name, or face yet another rejection as her true self?

This piece was commissioned by DAAD Scholarship winner vocalist Victoria Erikson and the text was written by Professor Jodi Goble