Role

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Composer

Birth

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November 22, 1981 in Alfred, NY

 

Hannah Lash is a contemporary classical music composer who was born on August 6, 1981, in Alfred, New York. She grew up in a musical family, with her mother being a pianist and her father a composer. Lash began playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the harp, which would become her primary instrument. Lash attended the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in harp performance. She then went on to earn a Master of Music degree in composition from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition from Harvard University. Lash's compositions are known for their intricate textures and use of extended techniques. She often incorporates elements of nature and the environment into her works, such as in her piece "Fronds," which was inspired by the patterns of ferns. Lash has also been influenced by literature and poetry, and has set texts by writers such as Emily Dickinson and James Joyce to music. One of Lash's early works, "C," was written for solo harp and premiered in 2007. The piece features a complex web of arpeggios and harmonics, showcasing Lash's virtuosic harp playing. Another notable work from this period is "Music for Loss," a string quartet that explores themes of grief and mourning. In 2010, Lash was awarded the Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, which provided her with financial support to continue her work as a composer. That same year, she was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic to write a piece for their CONTACT! new music series. The resulting work, "Hush," premiered in 2011 and features a haunting, otherworldly sound world created by the use of extended techniques on the strings and percussion. Lash's music has been performed by numerous ensembles and orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the JACK Quartet. In 2016, she was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Music for her chamber opera "Beowulf," which sets the Old English epic poem to music. In addition to her work as a composer, Lash is also an accomplished harpist and has performed with ensembles such as the Cleveland Orchestra and the International Contemporary Ensemble. She is currently a professor of composition at the Yale School of Music. Lash's most recent works include "Filigree in Textile," a concerto for harp and orchestra that premiered in 2019, and "Desire," a song cycle for soprano and chamber ensemble that sets poems by Emily Dickinson to music. Her music continues to be celebrated for its innovative use of texture and harmony, as well as its ability to evoke a sense of wonder and awe in listeners.

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