Valley native’s opera will be performed

Staff report

CLEVELAND

An opera written by Youngstown native Dr. J LanYe (formerly Jo Ann Lanier) will get a second performance at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Ohio Theater, downtown, with LanYe as conductor.

“Highway to Canaan” is about a slave’s journey to freedom via the Underground Railroad. It premiered in 2011 at a church in Shaker Heights. Much of the action takes place in Ohio, and Youngstown is mentioned. For tickets, go to playhousesquare.org.

LanYe, who lives in Cleveland, is a lecture-recitalist, singer-pianist and composer. She served as visiting artist at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.