In its third concert of the 2014-15 season, Southern Exposure welcomes the extraordinary Philadelphia-based sextet Dolce Suono Ensemble, called “stunning” by the Philadelphia Inquirer and “an ensemble that eloquently advocates for new music” by The New York Times. The free concert takes place on Wednesday, February 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the USC School of Music Recital Hall.
Joining Dolce Suono is legendary soprano Lucy Shelton, a trailblazer in the contemporary music field for five decades, and rising-star baritone Jamez McCorkle.
Founded by flutist Mimi Stillman in 2005, Dolce Suono Ensemble includes flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion. The New York Times said about Stillman, she is “not only a consummate and charismatic performer, but also a scholar. Her programs tend to activate ears, heart and brain.”
This concert will be no exception, featuring two major works written for Dolce Suono and Shelton. “Earth” by USC’s Guggenheim Award-winning composition professor Fang Man, sets poetry by eighth-century Chinese poet Li Bai – the same poems used by Mahler in “Das Lied von der Erde.” Pulitzer-winner Shulamit Ran’s evocative “Moon Songs,” draws on Li Bai’s poetry and includes text about the moon in biblical and modern Hebrew.
The concert will be preceded by a 6:15 p.m. lecture by noted music historian and Chinese music scholar Joseph Lam of the University of Michigan. A display of Chinese-themed works by local visual artist Yisha Wang, MFA graduate of USC, will be featured.
The concert is made possible, in part, through the generosity of the USC Confucius Institute.
The recipient of the 2007 Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, the Southern Exposure New Music series features a diverse mix of guest artists from around the globe, as well as the talents of students and faculty at the university. Concerts are free in the USC School of Music Recital Hall, and most are standing room only so early arrival is suggested.