The Artist at Fifty
Melissa Givens, soprano with Genevieve Feiwen Lee, piano
8 p.m. Friday, February 15, 2019 | Mabel Shaw Bridges Hall fo Music
THE PROGRAM
Anacrusis (2011) by Daron Aric Hagen b. 1961
On Youth
Das Mädchen, Op. 95, No. 1 (1883) by Johannes Brahms 1833 – 1897
Ne donne pas ton coeur (1892) by Jules Massenet 1842 – 1912
Just-Spring (1949) by John Duke 1899 – 1984
On Dreams
Ständchen (1841) by Giacomo Meyerbeer 1791 – 1864
The Rose in the Wind, from The Rivals (1971) by Seymour Barab 1921 – 2014
La statue de bronze, from Trois Mélodies (1916) by Erik Satie 1866 – 1925
On Love
Donne-moi cette fleur (1868) by Charles Gounod 1818 – 1893
Dream, from Spanish Songs, Op. 100 (1956) by Dmitri Shostakovich 1906 – 1975
Arab Love Song, Op. 25, No. 4 (1927) by Roger Quilter 1877 – 1953
~ INTERMISSION ~
On Loss
Auf dem Meer, Op. 11, No. 5 (1865) by Robert Franz 1815 – 1892
Chanson naïve (1907) by Cécile Chaminade 1857 – 1944
Heart, we will forget him, from Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (1950) by Aaron Copland 1900 – 1990
On Perseverance
Im Wasser wogt die Lilie, Op. 40, No. 3 (1865) by Josephine Lang 1815 – 1880
Mit vierzig Jahren, Op. 94, No. 1 (1883) by Brahms
My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord (1937) Florence B. Price 1887 – 1953
On Time
Let the Rain Kiss You (1998) by Ann Rivers Witherspoon b. 1948
In Blossom Time, Op. 78, No. 3 (1917) by Amy Cheney Beach 1867 – 1944
Chanson à boire de vieux temps (1885) by Camille Saint-Saëns 1835 – 1921
On War and Peace
There came a wind like a bugle, from Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (1950) by Copland
So Pretty (1968) by Leonard Bernstein 1918 – 1990
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands (1963) by Margaret Bonds 1913 – 1972
This concert is generously supported by the Robert C. Mitchell ’26 Memorial Fund.
Pomona College is grateful to its alumni and friends whose continuing generosity makes this and other programs presented by the Department of Music possible.
THE PERFORMERS
American soprano Melissa Givens moves and excites audiences and critics alike with a rich, powerful tone, crystalline clarity, and intelligent musical interpretations. Especially noted for her expressiveness and elegance on the stage, she’s been hailed as a singer whose music making is “consistently rewarding” and “a pleasure to hear.” Givens is also an extremely versatile artist, regularly performing repertoire from the Baroque era through music of the 21st century.
Recent performances include the premiere of Daniel Gawthrop’s Advent cantata, Hope of Israel, the national tour of Craig Hella Johnson’s groundbreaking oratorio Considering Matthew Shepard, chamber music performances of Handel’s Deutsche Arien with the Cornucopia Baroque Ensemble, and art songs of Leonard Bernstein with Genevieve Feiwen Lee. Upcoming engagements include faculty recitals at Pomona and Scripps Colleges, and the release of her second solo recording, The Artist at Fifty, a recital of art songs from the composers’ fiftieth years.
A champion of collaborative musical endeavors, Givens performs with various chamber music groups, including Grammy®-nominated Ars Lyrica Houston and Conspirare, the 2015 Grammy® winner for Best Choral Performance. Her solo appearances on their major label releases have received enthusiastic reviews. She can also be heard on her debut solo CD, let the rain kiss you.
Givens is an Assistant Professor of Voice at Pomona College. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston, a Master of Music from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Davidson College. She is a native of Buffalo, New York.
A versatile performer of music spanning five centuries, Grammy®-nominated Genevieve Feiwen Lee has thrilled audiences on the piano, harpsichord, toy piano, keyboard, and electronics. She enjoys finding music that challenges her to go outside of her comfort zone to sing, speak, act, and play new instruments. She has given solo recitals at Merkin Concert Hall, NY, and the Salle Gaveau in Paris. Since her first concerto engagement at age twelve, she has appeared with the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra, Brazil; the Vratza State Philharmonic, Bulgaria, and The Orchestra of Northern New York. Her concerts in China appeared on Hunan State Television, and her performance from the Spiegelzaal at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam was broadcast on live radio.
Ms. Lee has premiered and commissioned numerous works, and she can be heard on the Innova, Albany and Reference labels. She was nominated in the Best Chamber Music Performance category at the 58th Grammy® Awards for the recording of Tom Flaherty’s Airdancing. In the Los Angeles area, Ms. Lee has been a guest performer with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Chamber Music series at Disney Hall, Southwest Chamber Music, Jacaranda, Piano Spheres and the Hear Now New Music Festival. She is a founding member of the Mojave Trio and was a member of the Garth Newel Piano Quartet when they performed in Carnegie Hall. Ms. Lee received her degrees from the Peabody Institute, École Normale de Musique de Paris, and the Yale School of Music. Having joined the Pomona College faculty in 1994, she is the first recipient of the Everett S. Olive Professorship, endowed by Yuk Mei Shim ’50.