On Saturday, April 1, the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance will present the latest entry in the Manley and Doriseve Thaler Vocal Concert Series. This year’s concert brings tenor Lawrence Brownlee to Ithaca to perform "Rising," his new recital program of songs set to poems of the Harlem Renaissance. The program starts at 8:15 p.m. in the Hockett Family Recital Hall in the James J. Whalen Center for Music and is free and open to the public.
One half of the concert consists entirely of new music by Black American composers commissioned specifically for the “Rising” project. The other half features art song cycles by composers Margaret Bonds, Jeremiah Evans, and Robert Owens. Brownlee will be accompanied by pianist Kevin Miller.
Brownlee is a leading figure in opera, both as a singer on the world's top stages, and as a voice for activism and diversity in the industry.
“These past years have been a trial, both for humanity as a whole, and the African American population here in the United States,” he said in a statement. “But through all these many challenges we have faced, I have also seen moments of strength, inspiration, hope, and great beauty. It is those themes of uplift, elevation, and rebirth that we have tried to focus on with this new project ‘Rising,’ taking poems from the giants of the Harlem Renaissance, and working with some of today’s most talented African American composers, to create something that speaks not just to our struggles but to our triumphs.”
The Manley and Doriseve Thaler Vocal Concert Series was established in 2019. Through the generosity of the Thaler family and Thaler/Howell Foundation, the series, along with the Rachel S. Thaler Concert Pianist Series and Louis K. Thaler Concert Violinist Series, brings world-class artists to campus for public performances as well as master classes.
The Thaler Vocal Series has previously presented performers such as Denyce Graves, Rhiannon Giddens, and Stephanie Blythe.