The Voices of Ascension and the Young People’s Chorus of NYC performed composer Paola Prestini’s ‘The Glass Box’ in a highly anticipated program at the Church of the Ascension on November 9th. Prestini composed ‘The Glass Box’ in 2018, with text written by Royce Vavrek as an oratorio about young refugees in Sweden. This new work challenges perspectives and promotes {…}
The Young People’s Chorus of New York City and Grammy-nominated Voices of Ascension will present Paola Prestini’s “The Glass Box” on Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Premiered in 2018, “The Glass Box” is a multimedia piece centered around the phenomenon known as “uppgivenhetssyndrom,” a coma-like condition found in young refugees in Sweden whose families are slated for deportation. Playwright Royce {…}
Paola Prestini’s first grand opera, “Edward Tulane,” makes its world premiere on October 8th as the first work by a woman to be commissioned by Minnesota Opera as part of the company’s New Works Initiative. Based on the novel, “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane,” by Minnesota author and two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo, Paola Prestini collaborates with librettist Mark Campbell to honor {…}
(Credit: Caroline Tompkins) ALL ARTS’ original series “The First Twenty” is set to present a unique documentary film that explores the making of composer Paola Prestini’s “Sensorium.” The film, which premieres on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, will be available via ALL ARTS’ official websites. The showcase features Prestini’s collaboration with poet Brenda Shaughnessy and choreographer Jerron Herman to create a {…}
The Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC) has announced the lineup for a new music series that explores the pandemic’s impact on children and young adults. The series, entitled “AloneTogether,” will take place in an immersive, mixed-media art exhibition at New York’s High Line Nine Gallery through Dec. 19, 2021. The events will feature world premieres of works {…}
The National Sawdust and Beth Morrison Projects are set to team up to present “21c Liederabend, op. Worldwide” which will start streaming on June 27, 2021. The showcase will feature a wealth of renowned international artists including Holland Andrews, Amyra León, Lido Pimienta, David Frazier, Darian Thomas, Paris Marcel, Paola Prestini, Royce Vavrek, Eve Gigliotti, Natalie Frank, Erin Pollock, Theodosia {…}
(Photo credit: Final Note Magazine) For the first time in the history of the New York Festival of Song’s NYFOS Next series, the program will focus entirely on the work of one lyricist/librettist, Pulitzer Prize, and Grammy® Award-winner Mark Campbell. The 40-minute virtual concert will take place on April 14, at 7:00 P.M. ET. The program will preview Campbell’s recent {…}
On Feb. 24, 2021, HERE Arts Center will present “No One Is Forgotten,” a new, immersive radio opera that adapts the play of the same name by Winter Miller. Co-directed by Peabody Award winner Elliott Forrest and Grammy winner Kevin Newbury, the work features music by Paola Prestini and audio effects by Sxip Shirey. The performance includes Kathleen Chalfant, with {…}
Off the Beaten Track is an album review series that takes readers on a cross-disciplinary journey through recently released recordings, spotlighting the cool, the unusual, and the beautiful work created by artists who push boundaries and take the road less traveled. What was Zachary James thinking? Amid a raging pandemic, the star of stage and screen embarked on a wild, {…}
On Dec. 4, Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera released “Con Alma,” an album recorded remotely between March and October 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new release features classic songs from the Mexican and Jazz songbook and over 30 musicians across three continents including the all-women German-based Ensemble Sjaella, Constellation Chor, the Young People’s Chorus of NYC, Mexico’s Orquesta Sinfónica {…}
This week audiences can discover new works, archival recordings, and rarely performed operas. Here is a look at this week’s streaming recommendations. Con Alma Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera will team up for “Con Alma,” a new operatic album and live event both launching this December. The album, which will be released on Dec. 4, was recorded remotely between March {…}