Join Grammy-nominated composer Missy Mazzoli and Pulitzer Prize-winning librettist Royce Vavrek for a one-day masterclass exploring theatrical writing for the voice.
Participants will share musical and text excerpts with the group and have the chance to receive feedback from two of New York City’s most celebrated opera and musical theater creators. All artists working in contemporary opera, musical theater, art song, and performance art are welcome to apply.
- Composers should submit a score (if applicable) and/or documentation of one or two works that include voice. Audio files, video, youtube and Soundcloud links accepted.
- Lyricists and Librettisits should submit up to 10 pages of a libretto, or a collection of up to five stand-alone lyrics.
Requirements:
- Open to all ages and experience levels
- Class will be conducted in English
Advance application is required. Please submit an application by filling out the form at the bottom of this page. The deadline for applications is 15 March 2024.
About the artists:
Grammy-nominated composer Missy Mazzoli was deemed “one of the more consistently intentive, surprising composers now working in New York” (The New York Times) and “Brooklyn’s post-millennial Mozart” (Time Out New York). Mazzoli was the Mead Composer-in-Residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 2018-2021, and from 2015-2018 she was the Composer-in-Residence with Opera Philadelphia. Mazzoli’s music has been performed internationally by Kronos Quartet, Norwegian National Opera, eighth blackbird, pianist Emanual Ax, Opera Philadelphia, LA Opera, New York City Opera, the Detroit Symphony, the LA Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra, the Boston Symphony, JACK Quartet, cellist Maya Beiser, violinist Jennifer Koh, Dublin’s Crash Ensemble, the Sydney Symphony, and many others. In 2018 she made history as one of the first two women to be commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera.
Royce Vavrek is an Alberta-born librettist and lyricist who has been called “the indie Hofmannsthal” (The New Yorker) and “one of the most celebrated and sought after librettists in the world” (CBC Radio). His opera “Angel’s Bone” with composer Du Yun was awarded the 2017 Pulitzer Prize. Upcoming commissions include “Agnes” for Icelandic Opera (with Daníel Bjarnason),“Lincoln in the Bardo” for The Metropolitan Opera (with Missy Mazzoli), “Fanny andAlexander” for La Monnaie (with Mikael Karlsson), “Indians on Vacation” for EdmontonOpera/Against the Grain (with Ian Cusson) and “My Family // Cambodia, 1975” (with Vivian Fung) supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Reverberations:
In March, the Library is delighted to be hosting Reverberations: Literature Out Loud, a festival spotlighting innovations in the arts. In a series of concerts, conversations, and workshops, artists and authors are coming together to celebrate the history of storytelling and sound. Learn more about the festival and discover other events.
Reverberations is organized in partnership with the Opéra Comique and with the generous support of Festival Napa Valley, the American Center for Arts and Culture, and the Florence Gould Foundation.
Important information:
Advance application is required. Please submit your applications by 9 March 2024.
