 Soprano Tony Arnold, left, and Jacob Greenberg, pianist. |
Arnold will be performing a collection of settings of Walt Whitman poetry; the first being Oliver Knussen’s "Whitman Settings," a cycle of four poems, followed by "Apparition," a set of elegiac songs and vocals for soprano and amplified piano by George Crumb. The second half of Friday’s concert will feature several world premieres of art songs written by SUNY Fredonia composers and poets.
Pianist Jacob Greenberg, a long time member of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) and a collaborator with Arnold, will accompany her in the concert. This concert, the second of the NewSound series throughout the month of February, is free and open to the public.
Arnold, who is internationally recognized for her interpretation of the contemporary repertoire, became the first vocalist ever to win the prestigious Gaudeamus International Interpreters Competition in 2001, and later that year took top honors at the McMahon International Music Competition. Since those triumphs she has been widely sought as both a concert and recording artist.
According to the Buffalo News, Arnold is "Blessed with an impressive range and a voice as smooth as cognac, Arnold can handle leaps and challenging harmonic progressions with ease... Arnold seems to embrace whatever she sings – she can make a listener love a work, just because she does."
Arnold is also deeply committed to the creation of new vocal music, working closely with both established and emerging composers, including those at SUNY Fredonia.
