News
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In Sleep The World Is Yours and Vedem Songs – new versions available!
I have created new versions of two of my Holocaust-themed song cycles: In Sleep The World Is Yours and Vedem Songs. In Sleep The World Is Yours was originally scored for soprano, oboe and piano — the new version is for soprano, violin and piano. There are several vocal choices for Vedem Songs but now I have
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New versions In Sleep The World Is Yours and Vedem Songs
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Upcoming performance of “The Earth and I”
I am delighted that The Washington Master Chorale, with artistic director Thomas Colohan, will be performing my Dickinson choral cycle “The Earth And I” again on October 28th, 2018. The works was commissioned for the Chorale by Dr. Adelaide Whitaker. Tickets and information are available here.
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Upcoming performance of “The Earth and I” with The Washington Master Chorale
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AlpenKammerMusik 2018
I had a great time at the 2018 AlpenKammerMusik Festival, held in the tiny town of Liesing, Austria in the beautiful Lesachtal Valley. Co-directors Randall Scarlata and Tanya Bannister have put together a unique festival devoted to instrumental and vocal chamber music. Superb faculty, talented amateurs and accomplished students from across the world came together…
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RECORDING PROJECTS
Between June 2017 and August 2018, I scheduled four recording sessions with the goal of recording almost all of my unrecorded songs. Edward J. Kelly was the recording engineer for the first three of these. We’ve worked together since 1999. I am in the process of editing the recordings and hope to release the first…
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NEW CDs being recorded
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Yale School of Music presents the Ian Mininberg Distinguished Service Award to Lori Laitman
I am honored to receive Yale School of Music’s Ian Mininberg Distinguished Service Award. The award was presented to me at commencement on May 21, 2018. Thank you, Yale and Dean Robert Blocker for this great honor.
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The Journal of Singing (May/June 2018) reviews THE SCARLET LETTER CD
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TOM WILLIAMS INTERVIEWS LORI LAITMAN FOR UPR’s ACCESS UTAH:
Tom Williams, of Utah Public Radio, interviewed me during my recent residency at Utah State University in Logan, UT. His wide-ranging interview touches on The Scarlet Letter, Vedem, Are Women People? and The Three Feathers. You can listen by clicking here.
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Keynote Speech and Residency at Utah State University/Master Class at BYU
I will be in residence at Utah State University in Logan, UT, from March 20-21, 2018. The evening of March 20th I will give the Keynote Address for The Center for Women & Gender. I will also coach students and faculty on my songs, culminating in a concert of my music the evening of March…
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Words & Music to present “Are Women People?”
On March 11, 2018 at 4 pm, the outstanding vocal quartet Words & Music will present a unique concert featuring Lori’s Are Women People?, a cycle for SATB vocal quartet and Piano four hands. The structure of this concert is quite unique: Guests are given a program with the texts and extra space to write…
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Natalie Mann and Jeff Panko perform songs of Lori Laitman and Richard Pearson Thomas on Hawaii Public Radio
Natalie Mann and Jeffrey Panko were winners of the recent Art Song Competition for Hawaii Public Radio. As a result, their performances of songs by Lori Laitman and Richard Pearson Thomas, were broadcast on HPR. Click here, then click on Art Song Contest Winners (Feb. 3, 2018), to stream or download.
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The Scarlet Letter featured on WWFM’s Sunday Opera Broadcast with Michael Kownacky
The Scarlet Letter will be the featured opera to be broadcast on WWFM.org on January 28, 2018 at 3 pm EST. To listen live, click here.
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David Osenberg interviews Lori Laitman for his award-winning Cadenza show
In October 2017, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by David Osenberg, host of the award-winning show Cadenza. The interview will air on January 25, 2018 at 10 pm EST. You can listen live by clicking here, or listen at your convenience, starting on January 26, 2018, by clicking here.
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The University of Alabama at Birmingham to present The Secret Exit premiere
The University of Alabama at Birmingham will present the world premiere of Lori’s song cycle The Secret Exit on January 26, 2018 at 5:40 pm at Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham, AL. Admission is free. The work was commissioned by the University for soprano Kristine Hurst-Wajszczuk and clarinetist Denise Gainey, and features the poetry of Nobel Laureate Nelly…
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Opera News Magazine names The Scarlet Letter CD a “Critic’s Choice”
Below is the Opera News Magazine review of The Scarlet Letter from January 2018.
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Fanfare Magazine reviews The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter is of course Hester Prynne’s A. In one way, the opera is a bit late; adultery is old hat in the 21st century. On a broader scale, hypocrisy in society is ever present. Lori Laitman writes brilliantly scored music; it’s been a while since I’ve heard such a colorful new American opera. It…
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John Campbell of Artsong Update reviews The Scarlet Letter CD
I am thrilled by John Campbell’s Artsong Update review of The Scarlet Letter CD, from November 2017. The review is copied below. The subject of this opera is an essential part of American history. Based on Nathaniel Hawthorn’s (1804-1864) novel, David Mason’s beautiful verse adaptation portrays a love triangle set in the Puritan society of 17th…
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The Three Feathers – new version commissioned by Seattle Opera
I am happy to announce that Seattle Opera commissioned a new version of The Three Feathers, my children’s opera with Dana Gioia. This new touring version, for five singers and piano, will premiere in January 2018 and performances will continue through June 2018. The new production will be directed by Kelly Kitchens. For more information or…
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Gramophone Review of The Scarlet Letter
In October 2017, Donald Rosenberg reviewed The Scarlet Letter for Gramophone Magazine. The review is printed below. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter has inspired several operas, including rarely performed versions with music by Walter Damrosch, Fredric Kroll and Margaret Garwood. The most recent, Lori Laitman’s rapturous adaptation set to elegant verses by David Mason,…
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Selections from Vedem to be performed by Opera Orlando, November 5, 2017
Opera Orlando, in partnership with Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida, will present selections from Vedem, my Holocaust-themed oratorio with librettist David Mason. I will be in residence to present lectures around this performance and David Mason will also attend the performance. For details, please click here.
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THE SCARLET LETTER CD – Naxos release is Aug. 11, 2017
Under Greg Carpenter’s leadership, Opera Colorado brilliantly brought The Scarlet Letter to life in May 2016. A generous grant from The Sorel Organization enabled us to capture the live performance for this CD, which Naxos is releasing on August 11, 2017. Librettist David Mason and I are so grateful to conductor Ari Pelto, chorus master John Baril,…
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New Recording Sessions
Over the course of the next year, I will be recording material for a series of new solo CDs, to be released on the Albany label. Ed Kelly, with whom I have worked for the past 20 years, will be my recording engineer and Beth Greenberg will be my producer. This summer I’ll be working…
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The Three Feathers, Abridged — presented by Sounds of South Dakota
On June 29 and 30th, 2017, Sounds of South Dakota will present The Three Feathers, Abridged at the McKennan Park Bandshell in Sioux Falls, SD. This opera, with a libretto by Dana Gioia, is adapted from a Grimm’s fairy tale. A magic feather leads shy Princess Dora to the Underworld ruled by the mysterious Frog King. Here…