Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Birth

:

1968

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Chamber

 

 

Film

 

 

Opera

 

Lisa Bielawa is a contemporary classical music composer, vocalist, and producer. She was born on June 30, 1968, in San Francisco, California, to a family of musicians. Her father, Herbert Bielawa, was a composer and conductor, and her mother, Rochelle Bielawa, was a pianist and music teacher. Bielawa grew up in a musical environment and started playing the piano at the age of four. Bielawa attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied composition with John Adams and vocal performance with Joan La Barbara. She later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in literature from Yale University and a Master of Music degree in composition from the Yale School of Music. Bielawa's music is known for its lyrical melodies, intricate harmonies, and innovative use of technology. She often incorporates elements of improvisation and collaboration into her compositions, working closely with musicians, dancers, and visual artists to create multimedia performances. One of Bielawa's most notable works is her opera Vireo, which was commissioned by the Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana, California, and premiered in 2017. The opera tells the story of a teenage girl who hears voices and is accused of witchcraft in the 16th century. The opera was filmed and broadcast on public television, making it the first opera to be created specifically for broadcast. Bielawa has also composed numerous chamber works, including The Lay of the Love and Death, a song cycle for soprano and string quartet, and Kafka Songs, a cycle of songs for soprano and chamber ensemble based on the writings of Franz Kafka. She has collaborated with a wide range of musicians and ensembles, including the American Composers Orchestra, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and the San Francisco Girls Chorus. In addition to her work as a composer, Bielawa is also an accomplished vocalist. She has performed with the Philip Glass Ensemble, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, and the San Francisco Symphony, among others. She has also released several albums of her own music, including The Lay of the Love and Death, which features her own performances as both composer and vocalist. Bielawa has received numerous awards and honors for her work, including a Rome Prize in Musical Composition, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a New Music USA grant. She has also been a resident artist at the MacDowell Colony, the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, and the Djerassi Resident Artists Program. Bielawa's music has been praised for its emotional depth, technical skill, and innovative approach to composition. She continues to be an active composer and performer, creating new works and collaborating with artists from a variety of disciplines. Her contributions to the world of contemporary classical music have made her a respected and influential figure in the field.

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