lisel takeover

I worked very intimately with visual artist Devra Freelander on a series of videos for this “Angels on the Slope”. Primarily a sculptor, Devra worked with photographer Gregory Wikstrom to create video of her sculptures using changing light colors and sources...

I recently took part in the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s production of Meredith Monk’s opera “Atlas.” It’s an ensemble piece, kind of about the majesty of the earth and our connectedness as humans, with implications for climate change and the uncertain future...

I saw Alex Da Corte’s “Eastern Sports" at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) in 2016, it completely blew me open — the imagery, the message, the maximal-ness, meticulousness, imagination. Here are some stills from the piece. -- Lisel

Daniel is a composer and electronic artist and a close friend. He wrote a piece for me last year for voice, electronics, and string quartet, where the electronics and backing tracks for the piece are built almost entirely out of recordings of me improvising. Here are excerpts from demos we made of two of the movements while we were working on the piece -- Lisel

One of my favorite “Kyrie” movements in a Renaissance mass from the late 15th century. I love the open Renaissance harmonies in this piece, the feeling of blending your voice in tightly woven small choral pieces, feeling the way the lines move with or against each other...

I know it’s a classic, but have to include one of my favorites of all time - Lisel

“Courante” from Caroline Shaw’s “Partita” is one of my favorite things I get to perform all the time — Roomful of Teeth is an 8 person vocal ensemble I sing with a lot, and this piece by Caroline Shaw is really transcendent...

I’ve sung Philip Glass quite a few times, his music is a huge influence on me — especially the way he uses the voice as an instrument to blend with the sounds of other instruments. also the overlapping repeated rhythmic patterns, classic Philip Glass stuff...

Love the vibe of her and this live video, Lizzy Mercier Descloux performing “Fire.” -- Lisel

Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker choreographed Rosas Danst Rosas in 1983. I saw it live at the American Dance Festival when i was a student there during college. In the piece, four women repeat movements over and over again that are simple, contained, pedestrian, everyday, but expressive and evocative...