Neue Lieder Songbook

  • San Francisco presenting organization Lieder Alive! is pleased to announce a collaboration with online music distributor Swirly Music to commission new works from eight leading vocal composers across the United States, including:

    • Daron Hagen
    • Henry Mollicone
    • Erling Wold
    • Kurt Erickson
    • Omari Tau
    • Liam Wade
    • Michael Kaulkin
    • David Conte

    Each featured Guest Composer will contribute a 3-7 minute soprano/piano art song (Lied) set in German. The new works will constitute the Lieder Alive Neue Lieder Songbook, and receive their World Premiere at two separate Lieder Alive! concerts.

    Completed compositions will be published in the Neue Lieder Songbook, Volume I and sold via online retailer Swirly Music. This is a unique partnership with Lieder Alive! and the resulting songbook will be a Featured Item on this retail site, especially targeting college music departments and assorted vocal training programs. This is a unique and unprecedented template that will likely influence the way New Music in America is commissioned, premiered and distributed.

    This initiative of commissioning Neue Lieder (new art-song) is an important step in revitalizing and securing a place of prominence for lieder and vocal chamber music in American culture, bridging the gap between the wonderfully rich tradition of German Lieder and New Music in America. Building on the success of our ongoing composer residency with Kurt Erickson, we are excited to create a new hub for composers of New Music where one previously did not exist (i.e. in the tradition of German Lieder) that will contribute new and innovative works to the repertoire of this wonderfully rich music tradition.

    We are also pleased to announce a collaboration with the Napa Music Festival, where festival participants perform the Neue Lieder Songbook in public performances.