![]() It proves to be a busy week indeed - This week is the Mid-American Center for Contemporary Music's Fall Festival in Bowling Green - I'll be performing works by Carter J. Rice, Joseph Klein, and our guest composer for the festival, George Lewis - his Anthem for ensemble and voice. Schedule of concerts and details posted here! (scroll down to view the list) In addition, Saturday evening is opening night for this year's Michigan Opera Theatre season - I'll appear as a chorister in Wagner's early opera The Flying Dutchman. Lots of driving, dress rehearsal, and singing to do...I can't think of a better way to spend the week!
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A Song of Love and Death ![]() I am ecstatic to announce that on January 16, 2014, pianist Karl Larson will be performing Olivier Messiaen's Harawi in Ann Arbor, Michigan - at Kerrytown Concert House! Olivier Messiaen’s immense song cycle Harawi (1945) is the first part of what has become known as the “Tristan trilogy” - followed by Turangalîla Symphony and Cinq Rechants. Exploring tropes of love and death, Messiaen ecstatically blends borrowed Peruvian folklore and melodies with themes from the Tristan/Isolde fated-love story. The project was extremely personal for Messiaen – as he composed Harawi, his wife Clair Delbos was beginning to succumb to the long illness which eventually took her life. Additionally, the pianist for whom he wrote this and many other works, Yvonne Loriod, later became his second wife. His text explores ideas of fated love and death, invoking surreal images and descriptions of color, exotic sounds and incantations. Harawi makes monumental demands of both singer and pianist, and we are thrilled to present this true treasure of 20th century literature. The text to mvt. X of Harawi, “Amour oiseau d’étoile”, describes the above painting -Sir Roland Penrose’s “Seeing is Believing (L'Ile Invisible)”. Having viewed the painting in an art journal, Messiaen considered this image to symbolically represent the whole of Harawi. “…Your head inverted under the sky Your eye of star, tumbling chains, towards the stars …Far from the tableau my hands sing, Star, augmented silence of the sky. My hands, your eye, your neck, the sky” Samples of our work on Harawi: Audio, mvt. II After an invigorating, inspiring two weeks studying under world-renowned contemporary specialist Tony Arnold, singing works by Chaya Czernowin, Dan Visconti, and many others - I'm back from soundSCAPE 2013. We met scores of wonderful performers and young composers - I was honored to work with many of them. In an unexpected, humbling turn - my brother JJ and I were named co-winners of the Outstanding Performer award!
Still no rest for the wicked, however. . .in addition to upcoming auditions, I'll be appearing at next week's Week after Art Fair Song-Fest in Ann Arbor (Tuesday through Friday). September brings rehearsals with Michigan Opera Theatre Chorus for both their fall shows - The Flying Dutchman and La traviata. Also, this fall's BGSU New Music Festival brings a performance of Anthem by our featured guest composer George Lewis, among other works. See my updated schedule for more details. ![]() A year has flown by - and I happily get to return to the Italian border city of Maccagno for this year's soundSCAPE Festival! I'll be attending with my brother John J. Pearse, percussionist/conductor extraordinaire - we'll be performing both as a duo and as solo performers. I'm excited to have this chance to workshop voice and percussion repertoire with one of my favorite musicians. This year brings many premieres and performances of music new to me - I'll be performing works by this year's Composer-in-Residence Dan Visconti, Chaya Czernowin, Milton Babbitt, Brian Heim, Sean Ellis Hussey, Laura Staffaroni. . .and we'll see if I can convince them to set up 4-channel surround sound for my favorite Nono - La fabbrica illuminata. My bags are (almost) packed - ciao for now! ![]() This weekend I'll be making my MOT Chorus debut as a handmaiden (and Amneris' hairdresser!) in Aida. This is a HUGE production, and the singers (including Latonia Moore as Aida and Anita Rachvelishvili as Amneris) are absolutely stunning. Come see the best show in Detroit, May 11, 15, 17, 18, or 19! Tickets can be purchased here. ![]() Looking back at the last month - with performances in Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York, I should be exhausted! Instead, looking forward to tackling so much new repertoire - after a few much needed days of rest. Here's a sample of what I've been up to - my first work with a looping pedal (composed by Columbia College Chicago composer Monte Weber): ![]() Sunday at 3 will be your last chance to see the sparkling BGSU production of Franz Lehar's The Merry Widow...Get your ticket here! I have posted some pictures from the production on the look page - if you're not convinced, read this lovely preview by David Dupont. I can't remember having so much fun onstage - please join us for our final performance on Sunday. I have finally received recordings of my performances at the Concerto Competition Winners' concert and John J. Pearse's conducting recitals - find a few of them over at my "listen" page or on my soundcloud!
I have posted the recording from last night's electroacoustic recital - you can find it here!
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Liz Pearse
Hi, I'm Liz (some folks call me Elizabeth) - soprano, multi-instrument experimenter, and member of Quince and Damselfly. Archives
January 2025
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