Clarice Assad:  Alas

Clarice Assad: Alas

Clarice Assad constantly surprises and delights me with her inventive audio-visual offerings. I discovered this music video and I absolutely love it! Check out her crazy vocal effects around 1:28 and appreciate all the vocal colors that feel like instruments layered...
Roberto Sierra:  Décimas

Roberto Sierra: Décimas

Tonight’s American premiere of Roberto Sierra’s composition 33 Sueños will be quite an epic musical journey. I have also really enjoyed listening to some of his vocal music for soprano, so here is the cycle Décimas. It is lyrical and beautiful, playful and stylistic....

Hyphenated-Americans

In late 2017, Michael and I were busy trying to finalize the 2018–2019 NYFOS season. We had settled on the W. C. Handy project, and we were thinking about celebrating a famous poet on a later evening. (That poet turned out to be García Lorca, featured in our April 24...
Parisa & Dastan Ensemble:  Shoorideh

Parisa & Dastan Ensemble: Shoorideh

Today, take a listen to some Persian music from Parisa and the Dastan Ensemble. Parisa is a Persian classical singer introduced to me by Daniel Sabzghabaei, whose piece we will hear in tomorrow’s concert. I am intrigued by the vocal style, especially “tahrir,” or what...
Bright Sheng:  Three Chinese Love Songs

Bright Sheng: Three Chinese Love Songs

I’m honored to be sharing songs with you this week, the week of the “Hyphenated Americans” concert at Merkin Hall! I have loved exploring the music of two of the composers featured on Wednesday’s program: Bright Sheng and Daniel Sabzghabaei. This is a chance to hear...