Familiar Portland Voices Launch First-of-Its-Kind Concert Series
Soprano Arwen Myers & mezzo-soprano Laura Beckel Thoreson are
both very well-known to Portland audiences. Between them, they have sung
with virtually every chamber group in town: Cappella Romana, In
Mulieribus, The Ensemble, Musica Maestrale, Bach Cantata Choir, and
Resonance Ensemble, to name a few. But now these musicians are launching
an ensemble of their own to address the surprising lack of an entire
repertoire of vocal chamber music in Portland and, indeed, the United
States—that is, the art song repertoire.
So
what is art song? Traditionally, art song is defined as vocal music
composed specifically to be sung in recital, and it often refers to
poetry set to music. Since this repertoire is often used as a tool by
voice teachers, it is most frequently heard in the collegiate degree
recital. “There’s this entire body of incredible music that is almost
never performed in a professional context,” explains Myers. “We wanted
to find a way to bring art song into the spotlight in a way that’s only
being done in a few cities in the country, so we decided to start our
own series to really get this music out there.”
Their
plans come to fruition this month with the inaugural concert of
Northwest Art Song, a new organization dedicated to promoting the art of
the song recital. Myers & Thoreson, along with pianist Susan
McDaniel, resident pianist for All Classical Portland’s live radio show
Thursdays @ Three, will present a “duet extravaganza” spanning the full
range of the recital repertoire. The performance will be followed by a
launch party with local beer, wine, and snacks, and admission to the
party is included in the concert ticket price.
“We
hope that people will help us celebrate the beginning of this exciting
new chapter in Portland vocal music,” says Thoreson. “We feel very
strongly about personally connecting with our audiences. Music has the
power to bring people together, and we can’t wait to begin to build a
community around this wonderful repertoire.”
Northwest Art Song: Bach to Bernstein
Sunday, November 22 at 5:00 p.m.
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Kempton Hall
147 NW 19th Ave. Portland, OR 97232
Tickets: $20 General / $10 Students / $5 Arts for All
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