Part A - Friday, June 15, 8 pm; Saturday, June 16, 8 pm

* Updike's Science - Words by John Updike, Music by Brian Holmes - musical settings of six poems by John Updike. The songs offer profound insights into different branches of science: thermodynamics, particle physics, chemistry, hydrodynamics, cloud physics, and biology. The songs are dedicated to various scientists, some of whom remain friendly with the composer despite being honored in this fashion. Frank Johnson, pianist; Lara Bruckmann, soprano.

* Cross-Roads - Words from the Bible and Don Marquis (Archie and Mehitabel), music by John Partridge - depicts various human characters and a cat wrestling with issues of salvation, healing and the struggle between life and death in a Salvation Army Mission. John Partridge, pianist; Erin Cornelius, Lea Grant, Bianca Showalter, Lara Bruckmann, and Harriet March Page, singing characters (human and feline).

* From Spinstersongs, The Unwilling Spinster's Guide to Sleeping Alone - Words and Music by Dawn Chambers. A special dispensation is made for Dawn, who is in Boston but used to live in Palo Alto. A vocal and dramatic tour de force, featuring Keisuke Nakagoshi, piano; Meghan Dibble, mezzo-soprano.

* Songs from Garcia Lorca - Words by Federico Garcia Lorca, Music by Allan Crossman. Keisuke Nakagoshi, piano; Eileen Meredith, soprano. (June 16 only)

* Act 1 of Waiting for Godot - Words by Samuel Beckett, Music by Mark Alburger - an operatic parody of Beckett's post-apocalyptic masterpiece is performed by an all-woman cast, with electronic accompaniment, augmented by Keisuke Nakagoshi, pianist. Singer/actors Meghan Dibble, Eliza O'Malley, Erin Cornelius, Janet Lohr, Lea Grant.

Part B - Friday, June 22, 8 pm; Sunday, June 24, 7 pm

* The Albion Deity Songbook - Words by Heinrich Heine/R. Schumann via Computer. Music by D.C. Meckler, who explains: "I created a pool of potential song texts by reading German poetry into an English-language speech dictation program. The results have only the vaguest sense of sense, but much of the rhythm, assonance and alliteration of the original is preserved. For example, the computer program transcribed the spoken word input of 'Dichterliebe' as 'an actor leaves.' Even with this computer-generated text, I became charmed by the near-sense it makes. Often unexpected meanings emerge." Electronic recorded accompaniment; Meghan Dibble, Harriet March Page, mezzo-sopranos.

* Comatose Acquaintance - Words and Music by Cynthia Weyuker - explores what can happen when a musical saw and a voice converge. Performed by Cynthia Weyuker.

* The Death of the Hired Man - Words by Robert Frost; Music by Ray Christensen - an evocation of the well-known poem by Robert Frost. A lovely and lyrical opera for three voices: Jacqueline Andersen, soprano, James McGoff, baritone, Jeffrey Wang, tenor. John Partridge, pianist.

* Songs from Garcia Lorca - Words by Federico Garcia Lorca, Music by Allan Crossman. Keisuke Nakagoshi, piano; Eileen Meredith, soprano. (June 24 only) Act 2 of Waiting for Godot - Words by Samuel Beckett, Music by Mark Alburger - an operatic parody of Beckett's post-apocalyptic masterpiece is performed by an all-woman cast, with electronic accompaniment, augmented by Keisuke Nakagoshi, pianist. Singer/actors Meghan Dibble, Eliza O'Malley, Erin Cornelius, Janet Lohr, Lea Grant.

This program is made possible in part by a grant from the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation and individual donors.

This year, Fresh Voices features two different programs, June 15/16th and June 22/24. I will be singing two pieces the first weekend only.

Part A - Friday, June 15, 8 pm; Saturday, June 16, 8 pm

Part B - Friday, June 22, 8 pm; Sunday, June 24, 7 pm

GOAT HALL
400 Missouri Street @ 19th St.,
Potrero Hill, San Francisco 94107

Partners in Diva-dom Anja Strauss, Darla Wigginton, and Lara Bruckmann return to the cabaret stage with a celebration of Girlgroups through the 20th Century, from the in-your-face playfulness of the showgirls of Weimar-era Berlin to the Andrews Sisters to 1960s doo-wap pop, all delivered in a smart, sassy theatrical package. With pianist Cesar Cancino.

Concieved and written by Girlkulture, with music by Spoliannsky, Hollaender, Sondheim, Karnder/Ebb, Bolcom, local composed Don Seaver, and many others.

Old First Concerts
1751 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA 94109

Program:

Elliott Carter Tempo e Tempi
Steve Reich Reed Phase
Jacob Druckmann Animus 1
Matt Ingalls New Work
sfSoundGroup New Work

I will be performing Elliott Carter's 1999 eight song cycle Tempo e Tempi for soprano, oboe/English Horn, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, cello.

This will be a production of Oakland Lyric Opera, date TBA

Lara Bruckmann will be in the role of Lucy.

Cosi fan Tutte

This will be a production of Cinnabar Opera, date TBA spring 2008

Lara Bruckmann will be in the role of Fiordiligi.

In 2001, First Congregational Church of Oakland began to work with many arts organizations and individual artists in our community - representing every age group from kids to seniors, and involved in dance, theatre, music, visual art, and the spoken word. This coming together of artists and arts organizers has given birth to the collaborative, non-denominational organization called Arts First Oakland.

MISSION: Arts First Oakland fosters and exhibits the creativity and beauty of Oakland’s diverse cultural heritage, promoting spiritual growth and community transformation through artistic empowerment.

VISION: Arts First Oakland unites local performing artists and organizations, arts teachers, youth artists, and the families and community members who support the arts to form a nexus of arts activity. Arts First Oakland envisions itself as a community center where:

* Artists and arts teachers collaborate to mutually enrich their work and their lives and those of their students.