Ayre will feature an eclectic display of language, musical composition, and cultures performed by mezzo soprano opera singer, Dawn Upshaw, the award-winning contemporary ensemble Eighth Blackbird, and South American composer and guitarist, Gustavo Santaolalla at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23 in the Memorial Auditorium on Stanford Campus.

The 40- minute performance will combine Upshaw’s singing with musicians from Eighth Blackbird and guitarist Gustavo Santaolalla.

Upshaw’s lyrics are mostly derived from 15th century folk songs which combine tales of religious strife, love, and tragic wars that were experienced during this time. The songs are also in various languages, including Ladino (a lost language of Spanish Jews), Arabic, Hebrew, Sardinian, Spanish, and ancient Aramaic.

As a singer of opera and concert repertoire, Upshaw has had nearly 300 appearances and has premiered more than 40 works in the past decade. The three-time Grammy Award winner began her career in 1984 as a First Prize Winner in the auditions for the Young Concert Artists, a non-profit organization which discovers and launches young artists.

Upshaw will be accompanied by guitarist, Gustavo Santaolalla, a premier composer and producer of South American alternative music using a ronroco, an Andean string instrument that has five double-strings. Santaolalla also contributed two songs to Ayre.

Eighth Blackbird, a sextet which includes the flute, violin, cello, clarinet, piano, and percussion will add a theatrical flare to the performance. According to www.eighthblackbird.com/index.html, the sextet will perform a solo during the first half of the show. This musical group has been featured in many performances, including appearances on many of CBS’s programs.

Ayre, composed by Osvaldo Golijov and commissioned by Carnegie Hall had its first world premiere in Zanker Hall, New York, on March 31, 2004. Now this masterpiece is being performed by Upshaw and Eighth Blackbird on tour through San Diego, Los Angeles, Palo Alto, and Davis.