Wang Jie At the forefront of the younger generation American composers,
Wang Jie has emerged as one of the most distinctive musical voices. Born in Shanghai shortly after the Culture Revolution, Wang was raised during an era of economic expansion. A scholarship from Manhattan School of Music brought her to the U.S., where she began her composition studies under the tutelage of Nils Vigeland and Richard Danielpour. While a student at Manhattan School and later the Curtis Institute of Music, her tragic opera
Nannan was showcased in New York City Opera's annual VOX festival. This led to the production of her chamber opera
Flown by Music-Theatre Group. The Emily Dickenson inspired song cycle
I Died for Beauty was featured at the opening ceremony of Beijing Modern Music Festival. Her piano trio
Shadow was featured by the New Juilliard Ensemble at the Museum of Modern Art and was subsequently presented by Continuum at Merkin Hall’s “China in America.” Her concert opera
From the Other Sky was the centerpiece of the American Composers Orchestra's season opening concert at Carnegie Hall. The Minnesota Orchestra, led by Osmo Vanska, performed her
Symphony No.1 as part of the "Future Classics" series. Her multi-language song cycle,
A Longing for Spring, was later premiered at Merkin Hall for the 45
th anniversary celebration of Continuum.
Paul Simms Paul Simms has written for
Flight of the Conchords,
SPY magazine,
Late Night with David Letterman,
The Larry Sanders Show and the NBC series
NewsRadio, which he created. He’s been a contributor to
The New Yorker since 2003.
Laura Flanigan Lauren Flanigan, named by
TIME as "the thinking man's diva" and awarded by ACSAP and the Center for Contemporary Opera for her commitment to performing the works of living composers, has established herself as a unique musical presence in the world today. She has been featured on "Live from Lincoln Center" in performances of
I Lombardi, The Richard Tucker Gala,
Lizzie Borden and
Central Park. Flanigan has performed at many of the world’s leading opera houses, including La Scala, Teatro San Carlo, Bayerische Staatsoper, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. Vocal recordings include the
Symphony No. 6 Plutonian Ode, written for her by Philip Glass; and
The Cabildo,
Merrymount,
Die Liebe der Danae,
Sun Cantata and
Frau Margot,
written for her by Thomas Pasatieri. DVDs include
Nabucco from Teatro San Carlo and the motion picture
Death to Smoochy, in which she appears as the Ice Skating Opera Diva. Flanigan recently premiered the role of Myra in
Séance on a Wet Afternoon, a role written for her by celebrated composer/lyricist Stephen Schwarz.
Christopher Cooley
As a collaborative pianist, Christopher Cooley has played with various instrumental and vocal soloists at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall and numerous venues throughout five continents. Since 2006, he has collaborated regularly with Lauren Flanigan on music written for her by composers from Stephen Schwartz to Thomas Pasatieri. They have performed together at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Morgan Library and Café Sabarsky’s Cabaret series at the Neue Gallerie. http://www.chriscooleypiano.com