Garrett Fisher

Magda Mockup Day 1 & 2

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:34:00 +0000

Day 1: Kathea Yarnell as Magda Goebbels. We got up to the point where Magda decides she can save her children. Well, we know what happens in the end, don't we?

Day 2: Shawna Avinger as Joseph Goebbels. I'm in the background, with my new computer set-up: two screens. Yay!

Kristen Ramer Liang morphs into 11 year old Helga, singing as if her life depended on it (Helga, that is).

Helga in a pouty moment (she is 11, after all):

Joseph Goebbels & Helga: BFF.

But if push came to shove...

Next up: David Stutz as Hitler-Her-Leader and John Coons as Hitler-Her-Lover. (Why are there 2 Hitlers? Stay tuned to find out.)

Garrett Fisher Bio

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Garrett Fisher studied at Oberlin College and Conservatory. During his childhood, his family lived in such locations as Istanbul, London, and Paris. His interest in music of other cultures led to his study of the tabla and classical Indian singing.

As part of the Fisher Ensemble in Seattle, he has created and performed his original operas at On the Boards, Consolidated Works, and the Nippon Kan Theater, as well as in New York at HERE Arts Center and Judson Memorial Church. His operas have received acclaim from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, TimeOut NY, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Gramophone, Fanfare Magazine, Classics Today, City Arts Magazine, The Seattle Times, NewMusicBox, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and Seattle Weekly. He has been interviewed by WNYC (David Garland), KUOW (David Beck, Marcie Sillman), NewMusicBox (Molly Sheridan), and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Richard Campbell). The Fisher Ensemble received a "Best of '08" award from the Seattle Magazine Psyche. His opera The Passion of Saint Thomas More, on the BIS label (Sweden), received a 10/10 from Classics Today and was re-released as part of a 30 year/30 recording commemorative set. He has received commissions from such organizations as CrossSound (Alaska), House of Dames, AC Petersen Dance, and the Esoterics (Seattle), and has received support from 4culture, the Allied Arts Foundation, ASCAP, Bossack Heilbron Foundation, Centrum Arts Colony, City of Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, the King County Arts Commission, the King County Performance Network, Meet The Composer, Puffin Foundation, the Seattle Arts Commission and the Wiggly World Foundation. He was awarded a Seattle Magazine 2011 Artist Spotlight Award. His opera Kocho was produced by Beth Morrison Projects in NYC in September, 2011.

"Mr. Fisher has combined elements of opera, dance, Indian raga, Japanese Noh theater and more into fusions that have both a ritualistic intensity and an improvisatory freedom…a strong, unified and strikingly individual utterance of unambiguous beauty." -The New York Times

Another Klavihorn recording

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:58:00 +0000

You can learn more about this project at the Project Room, which is providing space for us as we rebuild this historical instrument.

Here's another recording of the Klavihorn, unearthed by Ben Blankenship.

Klavihorn recording

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:45:00 +0000

As the Fisher Ensemble, Ben Blankenship, Ryan K Adams and I are restoring the Klavihorn at The Project Room, we've been unearthing bits and pieces. The latest: a recording.

Auditions for Magda G

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:37:00 +0000

The Fisher Ensemble is looking for trained singers (including a coloratura soprano and tenor) who will take part in the first stage of this exciting project: an opera that will eventually become a feature-length film based on the Nazi war criminal, Magda Goebbels. At this stage we are creating a mock-up recording of the full score written by acclaimed composer Garrett Fisher ("a strong, unified and strikingly individual utterance of unambiguous beauty." -The New York Times) and to be directed by Ryan K Adams (whose work was recently premiered at Sundance). A small honorarium provided. We will respond promptly to all inquiries.

About Magda G
The film Magda G centers on modern-day Johanna, the star of the new and highly controversial cabaret production of the opera Magda, which centers on story of Magda Goebbels, the wife of Nazi Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels.

Magda Goebbels bore six children, whose names all began with the letter "H," supposedly out of reverence for Hitler; she was also considered the 1st lady of Germany.

The opera follows Magda and her children's fate: in 1945, in the Führerbunker, Magda Goebbels murdered her children with cyanide before committing double suicide with her husband, Joseph, only minutes before the Russians invaded the bunkers. Magda wrote, "The world that comes after the Führer and national socialism is not any longer worth living in."

In the film Magda G, the highly publicized and controversial opera Magda promises Johanna an opportunity of a lifetime - the chance to be a world-renowned diva of the first order. But Johanna harbors a brutal secret from her past, one that could undo her fortune - as well as that of her husband, the arch-conservative and charismatic Senator Herman Halcón - if revealed.

Driven by a relentless production schedule, and suffering from a tempestuous marriage that is unraveling before her eyes - and everyone else's - Johanna turns to pills which initially promise relief but cause her to lose grip on reality. As Johanna descends into addiction, she ultimately finds herself in the bunkers at the close of the war, there she befriends the historic Magda Goebbels, and is convinced to do "the final, hardest thing." In other words, someone must die.

The Music & Production
Unlike most films in which the music comes last, Fisher's music is the inspiration for the film and serves as its backbone. Steeped in Garrett Fisher's lavish and moody score, Magda G immerses the audience in a world that is equally harsh and transcendent.

In the play by Euripides, Medea murders her children to seek revenge against her unfaithful husband. Magda Goebbels, on the other hand, performed the act as protest against a quickly changing political landscape. Fisher is intrigued by the similarities and differences, and sees Magda as a modern-day Medea, whose story resonates with our contemporary polarized ideological climate.

Fisher is working with longtime collaborator Ryan K Adams who will direct the feature-length film, intended to be shot in Fall, 2012. Central to the project is the exciting restoration of the Klavihorn, a rare instrument that plays an important visual and musical role in the film. The restoration of the instrument will be presented by the Fisher Ensemble in collaboration with The Project Room in Seattle. The Project Room will present Klavihorn artifacts and host the rebuilding of the Klavihorn which will culminate in the first Klavihorn performance in almost 75 years.

Publicist position

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:48:00 +0000

The Fisher Ensemble is seeking a Publicist to help run its affairs. Due to our recent successes in Seattle and in New York City, we are in the process of evolving our organization into an Internationally recognized ensemble that tours and performs regularly. In addition, with our new project Magda G, we are venturing into film. The Publicist will play a crucial and creative role and help us attain this new level.

The Publicist's primary responsibility is to ensure we receive positive coverage in the media. The job includes:

Writing press releases
Writing blog entries
Keeping social media sites current
Contacting and maintaining relationships with press (Seattle, New York, and abroad)
Helping create publicity campaigns for each project
Arranging interviews
Pitching stories to journalists

This position will offer many opportunities to be in contact with some of the top music critics and media in the field and a great way to gain experience. This position is currently volunteer but will grow into a paid staff position.

About Magda G

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:37:00 +0000

The film Magda G centers on modern-day Johanna, the star of the new and highly controversial cabaret production of the opera Magda, which centers on story of Magda Goebbels, the wife of Nazi Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels.

Magda Goebbels bore six children, whose names all began with the letter "H," supposedly out of reverence for Hitler; she was also considered the 1st lady of Germany.

The Klavihorn

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:13:00 +0000

Over the past year, collaborator Ryan K Adams and I have been tracking the discovery of the Klavihorn, an instrument that is being brought back to life by Ben Blankenship. The Project Room in Seattle has taken an interest in the restoration of this late 19th Century "solution" to the orchestra:

April 1, 5pm @ the Project Room: Don’t miss the unveiling of the late 19th Century Klavihorn, restored to its original glory by Garrett Fisher and the Fisher Ensemble, Ryan K Adams, and Ben Blankenship. This special event will include a demonstration of the instrument.

Stay tuned!

Kocho - the full video

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:19:00 +0000

Learn more about our production of Kocho...

It takes a metropolis

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:21:00 +0000

What a year it's been for the Fisher Ensemble! We have taken a huge step forward this year, and I feel very grateful for

The talents of Seattle's April KOCHO, especially Christy Fisher (choreographer & director), Jeremiah Cawley (music director), Shawna Avinger, Danya Clevenger, Daniel Brylow, Jeremiah Cawley, and Kathea Yarnell (vocalists), Esther Sugai (flute), Greg Bagley (bass), Dean Moore (gongs), Jennifer Hinkle (trombone), Ryan K Adams (video) and dramaturg Ken Cerniglia
Beth Morrison (Projects) who took on KOCHO and found a perfect home for it in NYC - the Galapagos Art Space, and folded into the dough Benjamin Mosse (director), Zane Philstrom (production design), along with flute guru Margaret Lancaster, vocalist Maria Mannisto as well as installation artist Louise McCagg

The participants of Psyche the web opera, including Ryan K Adams, Luke Sieczek, Jacob Snyder and Ian Lucero (filmmakers), Christy Fisher (choreographer), Archana Kumar, Mary Cutrera and Ines Andrade (dancers); Ben Black, Catherine Treadgold, Gary Zinter, Maria Mannisto, Shawna Avinger, Kristen Ramer Liang, Katherina Hanson, Sarah Marroquin (vocalists), Greg Bagley (bass), Dean Moore (gongs), Taina Karr (oboe), Stan Shikuma (Taiko)

The supporters of the FE - Carol Fisher, Rachel Howald, Scott Clyde, Tamara Philip, and Oscar Spidahl (board members), as well the donors Anonymous(!), Elizabeth Fisher, Sarah Barton, Roger & Judy Widman, Suzette Birell, Laurie Pike, the Garrett Family Foundation, Gregory Denton, Corinne Crabs, Rena Nofsinger, Brock Loen, Sarah Truitt, Samuel Smith, Kathryn Hinds, Anne Baldwin, Bill Ashman, Diane Whitfield, Joan Dennehy, and Kristie Ratzlaff, as well as all of you who generously supported us through our Kickstarter campaign; 4culture and City of Seattle Office of Cultural Affairs; to my informal board of Advisors including AC Petersen; as well as the volunteers including (but not limited to): Sarah Lewontin, Cassie Gill, Carie Crab Fagan
Christina Stauss (Stauss) who has joined our organization as its manager as well as Carie Fagan who is helping with grant-writing
Ryan K Adams (director), Amy Schrader (librettist), and Ken Cerniglia (dramaturg) with whom I am working on Magda G, the new feature length film, and who all have incredibly valuable feedback and input

My head is spinning, just in time for some egg nog.

Support the Fisher Ensemble!

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:42:00 +0000

If you couldn't make the caroling party (photos to come!) and would still like to express your support of the ensemble, you can do so here! Donations are tax deductible.

a feature-length film, MAGDA G
a music-theater piece KOCHO, which was recently premiered in New York City to critical acclaim and which we plan to remount in Seattle and on the West Coast

The Fisher Ensemble's mission is to make contemporary music and performance an important and vital part of our community and culture. Combining distinctive influences into a sound that is unabashedly beautiful and sincere, the Fisher Ensemble seeks to engage and immerse all kinds of audiences. The ensemble's music-theater pieces focus on myth and history, linking audiences to their past in ways that are entertaining and illuminating, shedding light on the contemporary world and times in ways that reveal the universal beauty that exists around and inside of us.

The Fisher Ensemble has premiered their work in Seattle and New York, and has earned accolades in the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, TimeOut NY, Gramophone, the Seattle Times, the Seattle P-I, the Seattle Magazine, and the Seattle Weekly.

Kocho Video Excerpt - Kocho Arrives; the Monk and Kocho Meet

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:50:00 +0000

Based on the Japanese Noh play of the same name, KOCHO (“butterfly”) tells the story of a wandering Priest who meets a butterfly and "liberates" it by letting it dance under the plum blossom.

As he does in many of his operas, Garrett Fisher explores themes of identity. In his Kocho, Fisher has created three “Kocho’s”: Kocho Flute, Kocho Dancer, and Kocho Vocalist, each representing an aspect of the character. In addition, he has separate the Monk into 5 vocalists and 1 trombone.

In this scene, the Monk meets Kocho, who appears in her various forms.

Credits: Kocho was presented at NYC's Galapagos Art Space on September 23, 2011.

Libretto
Kocho: Sate wa hajimetaru
On-koto nite mashimasu kaya
I see that you are new to this place.

Monk & Kocho: Tokoro karu na-ru kono nme o
here under this plum tree

Monk: Sate sate on-mi wa ikanaru hito zo.
But I wonder who you are.

Kocho: Sonata no na koso kikama-hoshikere
I ought to know your name first.

Composer: Garrett Fisher; Direction: Benjamin Mosse; Choreography: Christy Fisher; Production Design: Zane Philstrom; Video: Ryan Adams; Music Director: Jeremiah Cawley; Dramaturg: Ken Cerniglia. Producer: Beth Morrison Projects. Words by Kanje Nobumistu and Amy Schrader.

Vocalists: Shawna Avinger, Daniel Brylow, Jeremiah Cawley, Maria Mannisto, Kathea Yarnell; Flute: Margaret Lancaster; Trombone: Jennifer Hinkle; Gongs and Percussion: Dean Moore; 6 String Fretted Acoustic Bass: Greg Bagley; Indian harmonium: Garrett Fisher.

Christmas Ships and a Fisher Ensemble Performance!

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:40:00 +0000

Join the Fisher Ensemble for cocktails, heavy appetizers, an intimate performance and a chance to get to know the ensemble.

When: Saturday, December 17 at 4 PM
Where: Private residence in Madison Park (Seattle)
Who: You and your spouse/partner/friend/music lover

Ticket Options:

All proceeds benefit the Fisher Ensemble, a non-profit 501c3 organization, and will go toward:

a feature-length film, MAGDA G
a music-theater piece KOCHO, which was recently premiered in New York City to critical acclaim and which we plan to remount in Seattle and on the West Coast

We hope to see you at this special event!

Meet Stauss

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0000

The Fisher Ensemble is thrilled to have on board Christina Stauss ("Stauss") as our new manager. Here's a little info about her:

Originally from Silver Spring, MD, I have been involved in theatre since 3rd grade, when I debuted "Anansi the Spider," at Cresthaven Elementary. I went on to dinner theatre and ultimately decided to attend Syracuse University to pursue a BFA in Musical Theatre. After graduation, I tried to move back to London where I had studied for a semester in college, but the visa was not meant to be. Instead, in 1994, I moved to Seattle, fleeing an Historical Re-enactment gig with the National Park Service. Promptly upon arrival, I was in a car accident that put a severe damper on my dancing abilities (such as they were) and I misplaced "the bug." Found a new one in the beer industry where I have been active since 1996. For the past 10 years or so, I've worked for Whole Foods Market and my current position is Team Leader for in the Specialty Department (Beer, Wine, Cheese, Coffee, Tea & Housewares.)
I met Garrett a couple years ago at our mutual friends' "Hootenannies," which they put on for all of us ex-pat theatrical types to get together and sing. I am really looking forward to this opportunity to return to the business!

Managing Director Position

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:17:00 +0000

The Fisher Ensemble is seeking a Managing Director to help run its affairs. Due to our recent successes in Seattle and in New York City, we are in the process of evolving our organization into an Internationally recognized ensemble that tours and performs regularly. The Managing Director will play a crucial and creative role and help us attain this new level.

The primary responsibility of the Managing Director is to provide overall leadership and direction in building and evolving the organization. The Managing Director must be an effective communicator with excellent leadership and management skills.

The Managing Director will be a critical participant in determining the strategic objectives. In charge of the ensemble’s schedule (including those of specific projects), he/she fully owns collective goals and objectives and must be results-oriented with a strong business development sense.

The Managing Director will:

Delegate responsibilities and share information of the overall goals of the organization as well as specific tasks and projects, as necessary.
Ensure that the board-approved budget is followed.
Demonstrate a passion for the Fisher Ensemble’s mission and assure that the organization has a long-range strategy.
Responsibility for the management of all personnel, paid staff and volunteers.

This position is currently volunteer but will grow into a paid staff position.

Kocho the video

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 05:22:00 +0000

Learn more about KOCHO...

Read our recent press...

Why I Love 12 Tone Rows So Much

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:44:00 +0000

Magda in the sand

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:40:00 +0000

Now that Ryan and I are almost done with the initial draft of the screenplay for MAGDA G, I’m beginning to look ahead and chart out the best way to get from here (my desk) to there (a feature-length film which includes the opera as a play-within-a-play). It seems that with each successive opera I write that I’m getting further and further into protools files which serve as parts of the score. This is partially due to the fact that the music is based on my ragas and so big chunks of the opera can’t be notated. At the same time, I find protools to be a completely un-userfriendly program, and if I want to create separate versions of things, such as improvised performances, it’s close to impossible to create an easy library system to catalogue them. I usually end up with a ton of files that I have to sift through, looking for that one grain of sand.

Ryan has this idea that he wants the film to premiere at the same time as the live production, both in NYC. All I can say is that we better have a busload of producers to help with that. (This isn’t to say that I’m not also excited by the idea.)

I think the next step in the process is to create a recorded mock-up of the opera music, which will also serve as the score (in addition to a few notated sections)…then, in early spring, have a concert reading of the piece in Seattle followed by a live production of the opera either in Seattle or NYC (to be directed by a “theater” director). Ryan will then work with said director to pull apart the live production into filmable bits and will concurrently have begun to plan out the filming of the feature itself. Then, we film all sections, including the live production (would this happen again, or would it have been filmed previously?). At some point I will then write “film music” that will be added to the film version that’ll be woven into the opera score (which will have already been written and recorded).

Even though I’m a bit confused as to how this will all come together, I’m thrilled by the medium of film for my operas. While I love live production, I’m looking forward to seeing how film’s ability to enter different worlds will bring out the poetic resonances, both subtle and otherwise. Much the way ancient Greek tragedy or Noh drama manages to link metaphors and thoughts in rich, nonlinear ways, I think a filmic approach will bring out many layers that can sometimes get lost in live performance. My goal is for the audience to walk away, not knowing what just hit them.

S'more KOCHO photos

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:02:00 +0000

Photos of KOCHO courtesy of Jill Steinberg. Photos include: Christy Fisher (Kocho Dancer), Margaret Lancaster (Flute), Maria Mannisto (Kocho vocalist), Jeremiah Cawley, Shawna Avinger, Kathea Yarnell, Daniel Brylow, and Jennifer Hinkle (Monk), Dean Moore (gongs & percussion), Ryan K Adams (video), Benjamin Moss (director), Zane Pihlstrom (production design), Beth Morrison Projects (producer). Art Installation (headpieces on wall) by Louise McCagg.

MAGDA G - image

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:40:00 +0000

Here's a first go at some kind of image that represents the film Magda G (which I'm working on with filmmaker/director Ryan K Adams). As we're at the writing stage, we don't have any specific images.

KOCHO press

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:37:00 +0000

Here's some press that we received for our New York production of KOCHO. You can also see more photos and stuff on our flash website: http://www.fisherensemble.org/

"Hypnotic post-Minimalist music takes on a ritual air in the idiosyncratic music dramas of Garrett Fisher, a Seattle composer who weaves elements of ancient Greek, Japanese and Indian theatrical traditions into stage works that are exotic and enticing." -The New York Times

"Garrett Fisher, a young composer who blends medieval and post-minimalist styles with the influences of ancient Greek and Japanese theatre, has been working quietly with his colleagues in Seattle for well over a decade to produce distinctive works that combine music, drama, and dance." -The New Yorker

"A Modern Diaghilev," an article in the Wall Street Journal that talks about KOCHO.

The #1 Pick for TimeOut NY:

WQXR Review: 'Kocho': A 'Butterfly' by Any Other Name

Kocho Photos

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:12:00 +0000

Photos of KOCHO are courtesy of Gabriel Thompson.

In these photos: Christy Fisher (choreographer & Kocho-Dancer); Margaret Lancaster (flute); Maria Mannisto (Kocho-vocalist); Shawna Avinger, Daniel Brylow, Jeremiah Cawley, Jen Hinkle, Kathea Yarnell (the Monk). Benjamin Mosse (Director); Beth Morrison Projects (Creative Producer); Zane Pihlstrom (Production Design); Dean Moore (Percussion); Louise McCagg (art installation on wall).

Read our recent press...

Like us on Facebook...

Kocho Tech Run - photos

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 03:26:00 +0000

Photos by Gabriel Thompson.

Zane Pihlstrom

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:37:00 +0000

Zane Pihlstrom, who's designing costumes for Kocho, came to the Fisher Ensemble both through Benjamin Mosse (our director) and Beth Morrison (producer). To give you a sense of what we're in for, here's a sampling of some of his credits:

Production and costume design for Pinocchio:

Production design for Lover, Muse, Mockingbird, Whore:

Costume design for La Ronde, (directed by Benjamin Mosse):

Scenic and costume design for Nutcracker Rouge:

Kocho's Collaborative Team

noreply@blogger.com (The Fisher Ensemble) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:07:00 +0000

CHRISTY FISHER (choreographer, and core member of THE FISHER ENSEMBLE)
Christy has enjoyed collaborating with Garrett for the last 15 years, presenting work at the HERE Art Center's American Living Room Series (NYC), Judson Church (NYC), On the Boards Northwest New Works Festivals, On the Boards Artist Access Programs, and Centrum (Port Townsend). Christy has presented solo work at Movement Research (NYC), On the Boards, and the Seattle Art Museum. She has performed with Works/Laura Glenn Dance (Hartford/NYC) and with Haruko Nishimura/ Degenerate Art Ensemble (Seattle). Christy also produces !!Artslaunch!!, a bi-annual, interdisciplinary forum for Seattle's visual, literary and performing artists. In 2008 Christy choreographed and co-directed the Fisher Ensemble's productions of PSYCHE and MOON IN THE BUCKET. www.christyfisherdance.com

GARRETT FISHER (composer, and artistic director of THE FISHER ENSEMBLE) In the past 16 years, with the support of the Fisher Ensemble, Garrett Fisher has developed a genre that incorporates ritual and myth, and which is inspired by the formalism of Noh theater, Chinese opera, and Ancient Greek Tragedy. As with Noh theater and Chinese opera, which have categories of plays such as Warrior play or God play, Fisher has discovered his own categories and traditions. With THE PASSION OF SAINT THOMAS MORE and THE PASSION OF SAINT SEBASTIAN, he draws upon the medieval passion play form; MOON IN THE BUCKET and AT THE HAWK'S WELL are inspired by the Noh theater; DREAM OF ZEUS and PSYCHE draw upon ancient Greek tragedy; STARGAZER is a hybrid of the different forms. His operas have been presented at On the Boards, Consolidated Works, and the Nippon Kan Theater, as well as in New York at the HERE Arts Center and Judson Memorial Church. His operas have received acclaim from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, TimeOut NY, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Gramophone, Fanfare Magazine, Classics Today, City Arts Magazine, The Seattle Times, NewMusicBox, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and Seattle Weekly. He has been interviewed by WNYC (David Garland), KUOW (David Beck, Marcie Sillman), NewMusicBox (Molly Sheridan), and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Richard Campbell). The Fisher Ensemble received a "Best of '08" award from the Seattle Magazine for its production of PSYCHE. His opera THE PASSION OF SAINT THOMAS MORE, on the BIS label (Sweden) and available through Naxos, received a 10/10 from Classics Today and was re-released as part of a 30 year/30 recording commemorative set.

LOUISE MCCAGG lives and works in New York City and has shown her work throughout the U.S. and internationally. She has exhibited at A.I.R. Gallery for over twenty-five years. McCagg lived in Budapest, Hungary between 1966 and 1967 and has since been a frequent visitor. The political culture of Eastern Europe had a major impact on her, one that continues to inform both her solo and collaborative projects to this day. A recent example would be her collaboration with Peter Forgacs at the Hungarian Pavilion, Venice Biennale, 2009. Her sculptures are said to exist somewhere between life and death, where “the enigmatic and the macabre dwell in harmonious co-existence.” [Alan Jones, Catalog for The Annex Gallery, Barnard College/Columbia University] McCagg’s work has been collected by numerous museums and universities such as The City of East Lansing, MI; Dana Hall School, Wellesley, MA; Lyman Allyn Museum, New London, CT; University of California, San Diego, CA; Kresge Art Museum, East Lansing, MI; Yale University Library, New Haven, CT; New York Public Library, New York; Museum of Fine Art, Budapest; Saint Stefan Museum, Székesfehérvár, Hungary. www.louisemccagg.com

BETH MORRISON PROJECTS (BMP) Founded in 2006 to identify and support the work of emerging and established composers and their multi-media collaborators, Beth Morrison Projects encourages risk-taking, creating a structure for developing new work that is unique to the artist and where artists feel safe to experiment and push boundaries. The company has quickly developed a reputation for successfully "envisioning new possibilities and finding ways to facilitate their realization." (The New York Times). In five years time, through the commission, development, and production of contemporary music-theatre work, the company's critically acclaimed work has been seen throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia in some of the world's premier venues, including Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival, The Kitchen, Performance Space 122, the Estates National Theater of Prague, The Seoul Performing Arts Festival, New York Public Library Live!, Le Poisson Rouge, The Beijing Music Festival, and The Walker Art Center. BMP has garnered support from The Map Fund, Meet the Composer, the Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council for the Arts, the Puffin Foundation, the Mid-Atlantic Arts Fund, The New England Foundation for the Arts, and friends of Beth Morrison Projects. www.bethmorrisonprojects.org

BENJAMIN MOSSE (stage direction) has directed over 50 plays in the States and internationally, including the New York debut at La MaMa E.T.C. of Manjula Padmanabhan's HARVEST and of Saviana Stanescu's Innovative Theatre Award winning WAXING WEST, which subsequently performed at the Sibiu International Theater Festival, Teatrul ACT in Bucharest, and the Dramalabbet in Stockholm. He has served as artistic director of Yale Cabaret, and was founding artistic director of the noted Cincinnati ensemble troupe IF Theatre Collective. As artistic director of East Coast Artists he works with Richard Schechner developing international new work; their collaboration of HAMLET was seen at the Shanghai Experimental Theatre Festival, Grotowski Festival in Wroclaw, Poland, and the International Shakespeare Festival in Craiova, Romania. Their most recent work, IMAGINING O, was seen at the Jarman Center for the Performing Arts in Canterbury. He has assisted David Esbjornson, Mark Lamos, Doug Hughes, Michael Wilson, Richard Schechner and John Tillinger at such theatres as The Public Theatre/ Shakespeare in Central Park, New York Theatre Workshop, Yale Rep, Hartford Stage, the Guthrie and Williamstown Theatre Festival. He was a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, and has attended workshops by Tadashi Suzuki, Robert Lepage, Double Edge, Gardzienice, Elizabeth LeCompte, among others. He received his BS from Northwestern University, MA in Performance Studies from NYU and MFA in Directing from Yale School of Drama. www.benjaminmosse.net.

ZANE PIHLSTROM (costume & set design) Internationally, Zane has designed costumes and scenery for a new adaptation of MACBETH premiering at the Volksbühne Am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz (Berlin). As well as costumes for BAMBILAND (National Theater of Lithuania; Oskaras Korsunovas Theater) and costumes and scenery for SLEEPING BEAUTY (Seoul Performing Arts Festival, South Korea). Off-Broadway, Zane designed the costumes for THE BROTHERS SIZE (dir. Tea Alagic, The Public Theater/Foundry Theater), with tours to The Studio Theater (Washington, D.C.) and The Abbey (Dublin, Ireland) and scenery for OR (The Women's Project); BINIBON (The Kitchen). New York credits include: costumes and scenery for A KINGDOM, (Performance Space 122); costumes for OPEN THE DARK DOOR and GOING DOWN SWINGIN? (NYMTF); CHERUBINA (Fractured Atlas); costumes and scenery for IPHIGENIA AT TAULUS (Active Eye) and scenery for FOOD FOR FISH (The Krain); scenery for LE SERPENT ROUGE, SNOW WHITE and THE JUDGEMENT OF PARIS (Company XIV). http://www.wingspace.com/collaborator.php?memberId=15