ASL 2015: Pianist, Corey Hamm

Returning for a fourth year, we're thrilled to welcome back pianist Corey Hamm for Art Song Lab 2015.

A champion of new music, Corey is considered to be one of the leading interpreter's of Rzewski's The People United Will Never Be Defeated! and has even edited a publication of Rzewski's piano music.

It is an understatement to say that he is an avid commissioner; having commissioned, premiered, and recorded over 200 works from composers around the world. In a recent project, he and Erhu virtuoso, Nicole Li have endeavored to premiere and record a collection of newly composed pieces for piano and erhu, including pieces by 7 composers who have participated in Art Song Lab.

A fuller bio can be found on the UBC website, where he is an Associate Professor of Piano and Chamber Music.

Here is a recording of Corey performing at ASL2014.

ASL 2015: Guest Poet, Fred Wah

Fred Wah has been active in the international poetry scene since the 1960's, with a collection of publications and honours that is second to none.

He has won awards for his poetry, essays, short fiction, and literary criticism; notably the Dorothy Livesay Prize, and the Governor General's award. He served as Canada's fifth Parliamentary Poet Laureate and has been named an Officer of the Order of Canada.

While these credentials might make him seem untouchable, Fred is kind and approachable, with a passion for Canada's thriving literary culture, collaboration and cross-disciplinary work.

We're honoured that Fred is on board with Art Song Lab, and are thrilled to be presenting a participant workshop with Fred Wah as part of ASL 2015.

Apply today at www.artsonglab.com!

ASL 2015: Guest Composer, Neil Weisensel

photo credit: Aaron Kostuik

Neil Weisensel is a composer, conductor, and sound designer whose career is the essence of collaboration. He has written for opera, theater, film and television, and of course art song!

Most recently, Neil was commissioned by Vancouver Opera to compose Stickboy, in collaboration with spoken-word artist Shayne Koyczan. Weisensel's score incorporated spoken-word recordings of Shane, with live sung text, while the production blended traditional staging with stunning animation and video design.

It's clear that Neil is working at the cutting edge of where words meet music - exactly what we want to explore at ASL 2015!

Apply today at www.artsonglab.com. 

ASL 2015: Pianist, Rachel Iwaasa

After taking a year off from ASL to direct Vancouver's Queer Arts Festival, we're excited to have pianist Rachel Iwaasa back for her third year at ASL 2015. Check out her website for more info, but this quote speaks for itself.

"Pianist Iwaasa quite simply pulls no punches, attacking each composer's work with passion, intensity and the nuanced playing she's acclaimed for. . . she manages to instill a sense of dynamic tension and pull to every note."
-Stuart Derdeyn, The Province

 Here is a recording from Rachel's performances at ASL 2013.

ASL 2015: Pianist, Alison d'Amato

One of the driving forces behind Art Song Lab, Co-Director Alison d'Amato is excited to be one of our three pianists for ASL 2015.

Pianist Dr. Alison d’Amato is a dynamic and versatile musician, committed to performing and teaching in the full spectrum of collaborative musical genres. A valued member of several pioneering organizations, she is Artistic Co-Director of Florestan Recital Project (www.florestanproject.org) and co-founder of the Vancouver International Song Institute (VISI, www.songinstitute.ca). Among her current initiatives is the Academy for Collaborative Performance, a new summer program with Florestan Recital Project that explores interdisciplinary collaborations and new approaches to the performer-audience relationship. In all these activities, Alison is dedicated to energizing the relationships and communication inherent in music.

Here is Alison d'Amato performing with contralto Lynne McMurtry at the ASL 2014 final concert.


Apply today for the chance to work with a pianist who works tirelessly for the advancement of words and music!

ASL 2015: Tenor, Will George

We are thrilled to announce that tenor, Will George will be returning for a third year with Art Song Lab in 2015!

Tenor William George has performed with many international musical organizations, including Los Angeles Opera, San Francisco Opera, New York City Opera, Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Savonlinna (Finland) Festival, the Aldeburgh (England) Festival, the Stockholm Tonsattarfestival, Philippines Symphony, Elysium Festival and at Carnegie Hall.
A specialist in contemporary music, Mr. George has sung several prestigious North American premieres, including the role of Hermes in Sir Michael Tippett's King Priam, the world premiere of Enigma by electronic composer Barry Truax (a work that was composed for him) with Vancouver New Music, Edgar Allen Poe in Augusta Read Thomas’ Ligeia, and Kenneth Leighton’s Symphony #3. He also received acclaim for his performances of Tippett’s song cycles at Tippett festivals in Stockholm and Sacramento, and Benjamin Lees’ Echoes of Normandy.

As artistic director of Vancouver's Erato Ensemble, Will shows his excitement about the music coming out of Art Song Lab by programming several pieces that have been written by ASL Participants over the past few years.

Here is Will George performing a rollicking tale or toe-woe from ASL 2014.

ASL 2015: Soprano, Heather Pawsey

We are excited to announce that soprano, Heather Pawsey will be joining us for art Song Lab 2015. While this will be her first year involved with Art Song Lab, she is no stranger to either art song or new music.

A passionate and fearless champion of contemporary music in general, and Canadian music in particular, Heather has world premiered works by Vancouver composer Leslie Uyeda, Taiwanese composer Gordon Shi-Wen Chin, Vancouver composer Kathryn Cernauskas, Toronto composer Omar Daniel, Edmonton composer Allan Gilliland, Austrian composer Martin Ritter, American composer Patricia Alessandrini.

Heather is particularly known for her all-Canadian, all-contemporary, site-specific, inter-active chamber music concerts. Audience members and musicians alike travel from site to site within an unusual venue for a kaleidoscope of auditory and sensory impressions.

Apply today for the opportunity to work with a major force in the premiering and interpretation of Canadian new music.

Here is Heather singing in Leslie Uyeda's (ASL 2012 Guest Composer) setting of Lorna Crozier's "Sex Lives of Vegetables".

ASL 2015: Contralto, Lynne McMurtry

With us since the beginning, we're thrilled to welcome Lynne McMurtry back for the fifth year of Art Song Lab.

Described as “a force of nature” (Toronto Star) and “an actress of immense talent” (Opera Canada), contralto Lynne McMurtry is happiest when rehearsing powerful words set to evocative music, which is why she loves Art Song Lab.  Recent opera performances include Mistress Quickly in Verdi’s Falstaff with Calgary Opera and Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera Lyra.  In the concert realm she dreams of singing more of Das Lied von der Erde (Mahler) and the Alto Rhapsody by Brahms, both of which she performed with orchestra recently.  She teaches at the State University of New York College at Fredonia and is a Founding Faculty Artist of the Vancouver International Song Institute.

Apply Today for the opportunity to work with a phenomenal artist whose dedication to art song is matched only by the warmth and richness of her voice!
But don't take my word... listen for yourself:

ASL 2014: Guest Composer, Edward Top

Acknowledged by a Dutch newspaper as The Horror Composer, Edward Top’s music grapples with existential questions such as man against nature or reference and association.  Recurring motifs include the grotesque, paranoia, and nostalgia.  Top’s music is inspired by paintings of Hyronymus Bosch, James Ensor and Francisco Goya.  His work expresses both the balance and struggle between different musical traditions and styles, using historical references and rich harmonic texture in detailed orchestrations.

Born in The Netherlands in 1972 Edward Top has lived and worked in London, Bangkok, and Rotterdam.  With his wife and baby boy he now lives in Vancouver where he is Composer-in-Residence with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. He studied composition with Peter-Jan Wagemans at the Rotterdam Conservatoire in Holland where he also majored in violin.  He later studied musicology at King’s College London.  He also worked with composers Pierre Boulez, Luciano Berio, Peter Eötvös and George Benjamin.

Besides his responsibilities as the Composer-in-Residence with the Vancouver Symphony, he will assume the position of Head of Composition at the Vancouver Academy of Music in 2014. Edward has received commissions of the Schoenberg Ensemble, Holland Symfonia, Calefax, Vocaal LAB, Doelen Ensemble, Raschèr Saxophone Quartet, The Tempest Flute Ensemble and Standing Wave and his works are performed by the Dutch Radio Philharmonic, Netherlands Ballet Orchestra andPeter Rundel, Tokyo Sinfonietta, Ensemble NOISE at San Diego New Music and the Formalist String Quartet in Los Angeles. TheDoelen String Quartet has recorded his two quartets on CD.

ASL 2014: Mezzo, Lynne McMurtry and pianist, Alison d'Amato

As founding faculty of the Vancouver International Song Institute, this couple is the embodiment of dedication to art song. Alison d'Amato is a phenomenal pianist and one of the program's three co-directors, and this will be her fourth year making music as part of Art Song Lab. Joining for her third year, Lynne McMurtry is a mezzo to be reckoned with!

Here they are performing together, three songs from ASL 2012:

ASL 2014: Tenor, Will George and pianist, Corey Hamm

Avid commissioners of new music, Corey Hamm and Will George were a natural fit for ASL 2013.

Listen below to the three songs they worked together on last summer.

ASL 2014: Soprano, Phoebe MacRae and pianist, Marguerite Witvoet

ASL veteran, Phoebe MacRae is joining for her fourth year with the program. Joining for her first year, Marguerite Witvoet is no stranger to the kind of collaboration that makes Art Song Lab what it is!

After reading more about each of them on their websites, listen to some audio samples.
Here are two songs Phoebe performed at previous Art Song Labs:
And here is a video of Marguerite: