First performed in 1927 at the height of the Weimar Republic, Ernst Krenek's opera "Jonny Spielt Auf' went down in history as a so-called 'jazz opera'. The narrative portrayed the story of a black musician who played in a hotel band that used music to lure the masses into a new era of social freedom and equality. With a New Media grant from the Rockefeller Foundation I envision expanding the 45-minute musical performance I am composing for Munich's Intermedium media arts festival into a full multi-media opera with live stage performance, a fourpiece jazz ensemble and innovative live video projections that interact with the performers. With funds from the grant, I will be able to purchase the specialized technical equipment necessary for presenting the opera in traditional theaters that have hosted my current piece, Rebirth of a Nation, which is touring internationally through Spring 2005.