Project 12

Love is a complex experience. Sometimes you discover who you truly are. Sometimes you wonder who you have become. This recital project features two artists who explore the longing, spirituality, humor, joy, and pain of being in love and being out of love.

Mary Rose Go, soprano, and Haodong Wu, pianist, presents The Practice of Love:

Recitals are an opportunity for me to tell stories through works written by others while dramatizing them with my own flair. I was interested in a few themes: the rise, fall and intricacies of romantic love, mental health, and womanhood. [...] The final piece [in the Strauss set], "Lied der Frauen" will be an interesting song to interpret as it describes women sitting at home, worrying over the fates of their men. This is antithetical to my feminist beliefs yet it is a frequent occurrence in many relationships that even the most independent women find themselves preoccupied with the lives of their lovers. - Mary Rose Go

Rachel Selan, mezzo, and Jing Yang, pianist, presents Lost Love:

I chose these three sets because they are emotionally compelling, both musically and textually. All three convey such strong feelings that singing seems like the most natural outpouring of expression imaginable. These pieces make me feel something -- on their own, they are beautiful songs; as individual cycles they each tell a different story of love, a rollercoaster ride of emotions and feelings; and as a concert, I feel these three sets performed together will be powerful, significant... - Rachel Selan