What Is Art Song?

A lot of people say, “It’s a lot like opera but…” My ninth-grade English teacher would kill me if I used that phrase to define something. So instead, we at Art Song Colorado came up with a fun mathematical formula to show you what it IS rather than what it isn’t:

Words + Music
Friends

Words — Singers are the only musical instrument that can produce words.  The words could be a poem, a letter or even just an “aah” sound.  It is that flexibility that brings uniqueness to art song.

Add Music — Many new fans might think that Mozart or Beethoven or Schubert were the only people to set poems to music as art songs. What may surprise you is that, even today, new composers like Julianna Hall, Andre Myers and more continue to compose songs in this classic genre. For our curated performances we sometimes add spirituals, novelty songs, pop and, yes, even opera.

Divide it by Friends — Art Songs spring from the time when people would meet together in a drawing room and perform for one another.  It was a chance for people and artists to interact. Art Song Colorado incorporates storytelling and visual art to make a cohesive experience for new and long-time “Art Song Friends.” We look forward to meeting you!

Watch!

Our favorite types of projects are collaborations between many talented people coming together to mix genres and create new, interesting artistic experiences. In this unique rendition of Lee Hoiby’s “The Jabberwocky,” a modern musical setting of Lewis Carroll’s famous text, director Aaron Vega joined Art Song Colorado founder and tenor Eapen Leubner and pianist Mallory Bernstein in designing this video storytelling performance, featuring custom puppetry and artwork.

Listen!