SCHEDULE
Panel Discussion "Art & Motherhood"
Wednesday, May 29
7:30 PM | Arts + Lit Lab
Join us for a captivating panel discussion featuring distinguished artists Melinda Wagner (composer, a Pulitzer-prize winner in 1999), Emily Birsan (soprano), Issis Macias (visual artist), R.B. Simon (poet), and moderator Marie Pauls (musician) as they delve into the intersection of art and motherhood. From composing symphonies to hitting high notes, and painting vibrant canvases, these talented individuals have mastered the delicate balance between nurturing their craft and nurturing their families.
Chamber Music with
Emily Birsan, soprano
Friday, May 31
7:30 PM | Hamel Music Center
Join LunART’s annual celebration of diverse musical works featuring famous lieder to laments! A night to never forget with the performances of both masterworks and illuminating, contemporary pieces.
Rejoice in the magical atmosphere that string quartets, Greek mythology, operatic voices, Scottish folklore, and skin drums will bring to light!
Listen to the classic 6 Lieder, Op. 13 by Clara Schumann and ancient Greece’s most heartbreaking stories in operatic song– Purcell’s Dido’s Lament, and rediscover the story alongside us with Wagner’s Dido Reimagined. Our journey back in time continues with a new work from our Call for Scores winner, Lisa Neher. This piece will take us to 17th century Scotland to examine the thrilling fates of revenge and redemption.
Gala Chamber Music Concert
Saturday, June 1
7:30 PM | Hamel Music Center
Witness a chamber music extravaganza full of sonorous trios, contemporary jazz quartets, string ensembles, ravenous percussion, vibraphone solo features, and a full women’s choir to celebrate the great finale of the LunART 2024 Festival!
Revel in the masterful works by 2024 Composer-In-Residence Melinda Wagner's Wick for sextet, Paola Prestini’s G Force for vibraphone and string quartet, and honoring the late Rachel Laurin’s Trio for flute, viola, and piano Op. 17. Specially featuring our 2024 Call For Scores winners and their intensely captivating works Trapped and Phantasmagoria: Claire Cope (United Kingdom) and Meg Okura (Japan), in addition to the fabulous ARTemis Choir!
Composers Hub Spotlight Concert
Sunday, June 2
2:30 PM | Arts + Lit Lab
Seven composers from far and wide come together for a performance of fresh, new chamber works at the 2024 LunART Festival. Presenting different facets of "REBIRTH," grounded in nature and the human experience, this performance will feature works by our Composer-in-Residence Melinda Wagner and our 2024 Composers Hub fellows: Addison Struckman, Alexa Canales, Campbell Helton, Joanne Na, Justine Stern Leichtling, and Yunfei Li. Reception to follow!
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“Rebirth” is a deeply personal piece that revisits my journey into motherhood and my artistic evolution during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. This painting reflects the profound and life-altering experience I felt with the birth of my daughter, as well as my own creative rebirth as an artist. The stress and difficulties from being isolated and caring for a newborn without any family support greatly influenced the emotional depth and complexity of my art during this time.
To me, "Rebirth" represents resilience, growth, and the transformative essence of both motherhood and artistic expression, serving as a vivid testament to this pivotal chapter in my life. In a broader sense, “Rebirth” the theme of the 2024 LunART Festival encapsulates the transformative power of challenging life experiences and the capacity of individuals to find beauty, meaning, and joy even in the midst of uncertainty and hardship.
~ Issis Macias, visual artist
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
This project is supported by Dane County Arts with additional funds from the Endres Mfg. Company Foundation; The Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times; the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation; and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation.