One of the great joys of my professional life is performing the music of contemporary composers. I’ve had the distinct honor to sing and commission works, presenting modern repertoire on recitals, concerts, and at conferences across the globe. It is a thrill to experience the collaborative creative process with a composer and then bring their works to appreciative audiences. Whether singing premieres and second performances, or presenting a work that is becoming well-known, being able to confer with a composer about their hopes, intentions, and goals for a composition, and helping to share their vision with others, is a gift that I treasure. And I am truly humbled when composers ask to write for me. It is therefore my great pleasure to present a series of interview articles that will introduce you to some of my composer friends and their music, a series that I hope will inspire you to explore the magnificent repertoire that is being written today.
There is no denying the power and beauty of the music by those composers who make up the canon of classical music; Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann, Schubert, Bizet, Debussy, and others have cemented their place in history and in our concert halls. However, I and many teachers and performers, have been striving to expand that canon, promoting the music by under-performed musicians including women composers, composers of the Holocaust, and composers of color. There are also many who champion the performance and study of music by contemporary composers. They tell the stories of our times that must be told, and are, in their own ways, creating the newest masterpieces to be added to the canon.
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Deciding to embark on an exploration of modern vocal music can begin with a simple discussion with your voice teachers and coaches. Share with them your interest in singing contemporary music, and work with them to choose repertoire that fits your voice and will introduce you to the vocal and analytical skills necessary to successfully perform this repertoire. Perhaps you’re already studying and performing the music of twentieth century composers such as Samuel Barber, Amy Beach, Aaron Copland, Charles Ives, Undine Smith Moore, William Grant Still, and other seminal creators. Their music will be a powerful addition to your repertoire, and will assist in training your eye and ear to identify and analyze contemporary music, building on the skills you are honing in your theory and history classes.
Beginning your exploration with well-known repertoire will offer many benefits; you will likely find articles, interviews, and analyses of the music, and your teachers may have personal experiences with the composers that they can share. Equally important, you may find recordings that feature the composer, allowing you to hear precisely what they envisioned. For example, Copland Conducts Copland – Expanded Edition (Sony Music Entertainment, Inc. CD published in 2003), includes the complete orchestrated Old American Songs recorded in 1963 by William Warfield and the London Symphony Orchestra. And you can hear Samuel Barber at the piano as he accompanied Leontyne Price singing Hermit Songs, originally recorded in 1954, and released on CD by Sony Masterworks in 1992. Your research skills will allow you to discover even more recordings and a wealth of information that may include personal letters and annotated scores.
An exciting aspect of studying modern music is that you have the opportunity to communicate with the composers, or seek out members of their family and former students after they have passed, allowing you to gain insight into their creative processes. For example, while we can longer talk with William Grant Still, we can correspond with his daughter, Judith. Reach out to the composers whose music you are studying, ask questions about their pieces and share your joy in performing their music. Most composers can be reached by email or phone and over the years, I’ve found that composers are thrilled to learn that their music is being studied and performed. You never know; that first exchange may lead to a life-long friendship.
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When you are ready, share this music with others. Perform these selections on your juries, for competitions, and on departmental recitals. Consider presenting workshops and lecture-recitals on campus and at local, regional, and national conferences sponsored by music organizations. Your passion for new music will certainly inspire others.
At the same time that you are learning well-known repertoire, offer to read and perform the music composed by your classmates, and inquire about performing music written by your faculty members. You can organize informal reading sessions during which performers and composers can try out new ideas, or hear sections of a piece they are creating, without the pressure of an audience. Propose a new music concert series to your administration, engaging students, faculty and community members. You can become a leader in championing new music on your campus and in your community.
I look forward to sharing with you the upcoming series of interviews, the first of which will feature Texas composer Jeremiah Evans, whose music can be heard on Lawrence Brownlee’s 2024 Grammy-nominated album, Rising, as well as on Kenneth Overton’s new album, What Dreams We Have, The Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Until then, I wish you great success as you pursue this exciting journey.
