BMOP is proud to announce that New York-based composer Lisa Bielawa will be in residence for three yeas beginning in October 2006. BMOP was one of six orchestras nation-wide selected for an extended Music Alive residency, a program of Meet the Composer and the American Symphony Orchestra League.
Composer-Vocalist Lisa Bielawa often takes inspiration for her work from literary sources and from close artistic collaborations. A 1990 graduate of Yale University with a B.A. summa cum laude in Literature, her music explores the ritual and phenomenological nature of music-making and listening, employing instrumental forces in ways that are both dramatic and intimate in their use of time and space. She is currently at work on a piece for migrating ensembles and soprano Susan Narucki for performance in public spaces, a multi-year project of Creative Capital.
A enthusiastic advocate for the field through her talks and writings, Bielawa serves on the Board of the American Music Center. She also teaches composition through the New York Youth Symphony Making Score program, and she is one of the Founders and Co-Artistic Directors of the MATA Festival, which was New York Times reviewer Allan Kozinn's #1 Classical Pick of the Year.
Lisa's The Lay of the Love and Death written for violinist Colin Jacobsen and baritone Jesse Blumberg and based on an epic poem by Rilke, premiered at Alice Tully Hall in March 2006. Hurry, for soprano and chamber ensemble, was commissioned by Carnegie Hall and premiered in October 2004 as part of Dawn Upshaw's Perspectives series. This spring Lisa appeared as vocalist in this work on the Seattle Symphony "Made in America" series. The inaugural season of Zankel Hall included the premiere of her The Right Weather by American Composers Orchestra. Her symphonic work Roam, written at the Copland House, has been played by the Minnesota Orchestra (2002), ACO (2002) and the New England Conservatory Philharmonia (2003).
Roam will be one of two works by Lisa on BMOP's 10th season opening event in November 2006, the other being unfinish'd, sent with Lisa as a soprano soloist. Also during her residency Lisa will write two new works for BMOP, including a double violin concerto for Colin Jacobsen and Carla Kihlsteadt. All of BMOP's performances will be recorded for a commercial CD to be released in 2009.
As Composer in Residence, Lisa will host BMOP's pre-concert talks, curate the Club Concert series in the Moonshine Room at Club Café, and mentor young composers in local high schools and colleges. Drawing from her role with the MATA festival, Lisa will organize a young composers contest and concert for BMOP's 2007-'08 season.