Alannah Spender to Headline ‘Waiting and Weaving: Penelope in Song’ at Art Song Chicago
By David SalazarArt Song Chicago (ASC) will feature a recital by soprano Alannah Spencer and pianist Jeremy Vigil on Nov. 6, 2025.
The recital, titled “Waiting and Weaving: Penelope in Song,” explores the character of Penelope from Homer’s “Odyssey” and features repertoire spanning Claudio Monteverdi to Cecilia Livingston, including world premieres by Chicago composers Robbie Ellis and Meg Huskin.
There will also be poetry and prose readings as well as projected images of Penelope’s visual representations accompany the music.
“Penelope is a character that fascinates me,” said Spencer, a Chicago-based singer who was a former Studio Artist at Madison Opera and has performed with such companies as Ouroboros Opera, BrewStreet Opera, among others, per an official press release. “Not because of her characterization in the original Homeric texts, but because of the way she continues to pop up in various works of art across the centuries. Despite, or perhaps because of, her veiled decisions and muted actions in The Odyssey, creatives working in so many different genres have imbued their retellings of her story with incredibly diverse points of view while staying true to the original myth.’ Waiting and Weaving’ presents a small, curated collection of some of these retellings from different eras and different media.”
“Waiting and Weaving: Penelope in Song” kicks off at 7:00 PM in Roosevelt University’s Ganz Hall and is produced through ASC’s Vocal Chamber Music Fellowship. A light reception follows the performance.
Next up for ASC is its annual Fall Lieder Lounge featuring countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen and pianist John Churchwell.
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