“...brought a flexible voice, crystalline diction, and warm presence..."
The New York Times
"...deeply expressive, secure voice. Her exposed highs are managed wonderfully, with notable beauty."
San Francisco Classical Voice
"Soprano Laura Strickling's lovely diction and warm, clear sound bring attractive immediacy to this cycle."
Opera News
“Strickling impressed with her powerful and expressive voice across a large range, her variety of timbre and character...”
"Strickling unearthed emotional core in the words...(her) plush, powerful voice resonated..."
A V A I L A B L E N O W
NewMusicShelf Anthology for Soprano,
Vol. 1
Curated by Laura Strickling
Twenty songs for soprano and piano
Including works by: John Arrigo-Nelson, Paul Ayres, Clint Borzoni, Mark Buller, Martin Bussey, Emerson Eads, Evan Fein, Daniel Felsenfeld, Jodi Goble, Juliana Hall, Gordon Kerry, Joshua Lindsay, Cecilia Livingston, Ray Lustig, Carrie Magin, James Matheson, James Primosch, Behzad Ranjbaran, William Toutant, and Theodore Wiprud.
F E A T U R E D V I D E O
L'Antouèno (from Chants D'Auvergne)
by Joseph Canteloube
Brent Funderburk, piano
Descubrasé (from Canciones Amatorias)
by Enrique Granados
Sam Martin, piano
The Giraffes Go To Hamburg
by André Previn
Liza Stepanova, piano
Martha Cargo, alto flute
A R T I S T S - I N - R E S I D E N C E:
Music-Making at Home in the Midst of Global Quarantine
The Covid-19 Pandemic
has forced the cancellation of
live musical performances
all over the world.
From time to time,
I will be working with other artists
on distanced collaborations.
I will share those projects in this space.
A Note from Bob Attiyeh at Yarlung Artists:
Music encompasses everything from tragedy to transcendence, sometimes within the same body of work - as we find in Gilda Lyons’s song cycle Songs of Lament and Praise. One might ask why so many of the narratives in classic operas are sad (ie. most of the people we love in the story are dead at the end, like we find in Shakespeare's tragedies). The answer may be that catharsis and transcendence and zest for life can come from grappling with enormous loss. Only after allowing ourselves to take that journey of sorrow can we emerge into light.
Laura Strickling's offering for our The Absolute Sound/Yarlung Records music videos made at home series responds to this dichotomy. Laura and family live on the island of St. Thomas, in the Virgin Islands. You may remember from prior Yarlung posts that Laura and family made it out of St. Thomas after hurricane Irma - safely to Puerto Rico, from which they barely escaped before hurricane Maria several days later. Paradise is experienced differently amidst storms. And during this current pandemic crisis, the entire world is together in the tempest. Laura and family are back in residence at home in St. Thomas, this time with her parents as well, in their small apartment. The weather is beautiful, as you can see in this video, and much comfort can be gleaned from nature.
Laura texted me these thoughts: "I was in New York as the veil of Corona virus descended upon the city, rehearsing for an opera production that was canceled just as all live musical performances were canceled for the foreseeable future. I fled homeward twelve hours later and began to wait and to mourn with the rest of the world. Walks on the beach have been a great solace. When everything seems uncertain, I’ve always turned to art song - words of importance, illuminated when paired with music. Pianist Joy Schreier and I have been friends and musical collaborators for 11 years. Even though she’s in the Washington, DC area and I’m on a Caribbean island, simple modern technology allows us to continue to dream, scheme, and make music together at a distance. Gilda Lyons’ Songs of Lament and Praise, particularly Deirdre’s Lament, seems a fitting partner in my grief at this time. We don’t yet know the end to this story - but, an eternal optimist, I hold hope that eventually I’ll be able to dwell on Lyons’ songs of Praise as well. There is great comfort to be found in the text, melody, and stillness of An Even-Song."
”An Even-Song” is the fifth and last song in Lyons’ cycle. The text is attributed to St. Patrick, 12th century (in translation from the Irish by Kuno Meyer, adapted by the composer)
May Thy holy angels,
O great King of mysteries,
Guard our sleep, our rest, our shining bed.
Let them reveal true visions to us.
May no demons, no ill, no terrifying dreams disturb us.
May our watch be holy, our work, our task,
Our sleep, our rest without let, without break.
"Dierdre's Lament" is the second of five songs in Gilda's cycle set to Irish texts from the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries. This text is translated by Kuno Meyer from an anonymous 12th century source, adapted by the composer.
O man that diggest the tomb,
And that puttest my darling from me,
Make not the grave too narrow -
I shall be soon beside my noble one.
My time should not be long.
Songs of Lament and Praise:
Songs from St. Thomas
In collaboration with Yarlung Records and The Absolute Sound Magazine
Sentiment:
An Unaccompanied Monodrama
by Juliana Hall & Caitlin Vincent
Premiered by Laura Strickling with Calliope's Call in April 2019
Staged for Zoom by Caitlin Vincent
Recorded for a special online presentation
by Cincinnati Song Initiative
with special guests Kristina Bachrach, Shareese Johnson, and Elspeth Davis
N E W S
JULY 2020
Confessions, Laura's first solo CD project, featuring songs by Clarice Assad, Libby Larsen, Michael Djupstrom, Tom Cipullo, Amy Beth Kirsten, and Gilda Lyons will be released on the Andelain label, a Yarlung Records subsidiary, in December 2020.
APRIL 2020
Naxos Records releases The Parting by Tom Cipullo with Laura Strickling, Michael Mayes (baritone), and Catherine Cook (Mezzo-soprano), under the direction of Alastair Willis.
DECEMBER 2019
Laura Strickling is the soprano winner of the 2019 American Prize Chicago Oratorio Award.
MARCH 2019
Laura and Daniel Schlosberg will perform a recital for WFMT Chicago on May 6, 2019. Repertoire to include James Matheson's Times Alone, André Previn's Three Dickinson Songs, and Benjamin Britten's On This Island.
FEBRUARY 2019
Laura will be recording her first solo CD of American Art Song with pianist Joy Schreier at Sono Luminous Studios. Works to include Clarice Assad's cycle Confessions, Gilda Lyons' Songs of Lament and Praise, Tom Cipullo's How to Get Heat Without Fire, Michael Djupstrom's Three Teasdale Songs, Amy Beth Kirsten's To See What I See, and Libby Larsen's Righty.
DECEMBER 2018
Laura will premiere composer Juliana Hall and librettist Caitlin Vincent's monodrama Sentiment with Calliope's Call in Boston.
MAY 2018
Laura will create the role of Fanni in Tom Cipullo's new opera The Parting with Music of Remembrance in Seattle and San Francisco in May 2019. For more information, visit:
OCTOBER 2017
On September 6th, Hurricane Irma devastated the islands of St. Thomas and St. John in the US Virgin Islands. Two weeks later, Hurricane Maria arrived to deliver a second blow to the USVI and ravaged the US territory of Puerto Rico. Soprano Laura Strickling, a resident of St. Thomas, evacuated by boat to Puerto Rico five days after Hurricane Irma and escaped to the US mainland ahead of Hurricane Maria. She brings her friends together to present a song recital at the Opera America Center on October 18th at 7:30 PM in New York City to benefit the recovery efforts, and to help the citizens of America's paradise. Limited tickets are available. This concert also will be broadcast live via Facebook.
JULY 2017
Laura has joined the artist roster of Schwalbe & Partners. For further information, visit:
http://schwalbeandpartners.com/project/laura-strickling-soprano/
June 2017
Laura will be recording her first solo CD of American Art Song with pianist Joy Schrier at Sono Luminous Studios. Works to include Clarice Assad's cycle Confessions, Gilda Lyons' cycle Songs of Lament and Praise, Tom Cipullo's How to Get Heat Without Fire, and Michael Djupstrom's Three Teasdale Songs, Libby Larsen's Righty, and Amy Beth Kirsten's To See What I See.
DECEMBER 2016
Laura Strickling and Liza Stepanova (piano) are Artists in Residence at the Yellow Barn Music Festival, performing a recital program of traditional and modern Spanish song, from Granados to a world-premiere by McKnight Fellowship Award-winning composer Reinaldo Moya.
SEPTEMBER 2016
Laura and pianist Tom Sauer perform James Matheson's landmark song cycle Times Alone on a recording from Yarlung Records that also features the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Esa-Pekka Salonen, and the Color Field Quartet. Available on CD and 45 rpm vinyl. Order now: http://www.yarlungrecords.com/
APRIL 2016
Laura Strickling and Liza Stepanova (piano) have completed recording for a CD project of songs and vocal chamber works by Guggenheim Fellowship Award-winning composer Tom Cipullo.
SEPTEMBER 2015
Laura Strickling's recording of Glen Roven's The Vineyard Songs on the Naxos CD New Voices has reached No. 9 on the Billboard Top Classical Recordings sales charts.
MAY 2015
Laura Strickling received both First Prize and Audience Favorite awards at the 2015 Classical Idol Competition presented by the Rochester Oratorio Society.
FEBRUARY 2015
Laura Strickling recorded the world premiere of Momigny's realization of Mozart's String Quartet in D minor, K. 421 for soprano and string trio, to be released with violist/theorist Edward Klorman's book, Mozart’s Music of Friends: Social Interplay in the Chamber Works (Cambridge University Press, 2016).
JANUARY 2015
Laura Strickling and pianist Dimitri Dover recorded Jake Heggie's song Edna St. Vincent Millay for a CD of Songfest premieres, to be released in 2016.
