Neue Lieder

In September 2013, LIEDER ALIVE! announced the appointment of Bay Area composer Kurt Erickson as our Composer-in-Residence, effective immediately. The organization also announced the launch of our Neue Lieder Commissioning Program with the commission of a five-song cycle of songs by Mr. Erickson. The first two songs in the cycle—contemporary settings of Mondnacht (Joseph von Eichendorff) and Ich und Du (Friedrich Hebbel)—were premiered by soprano Heidi Moss Erickson on our 2013 Liederabend Series in San Francisco. The complete cycle had its World Premiere in April 2014 as part of the 2013/14 series, again featuring Ms. Moss, to whom the set is dedicated.

In addition to composing songs for other LIEDER ALIVE! artists, Mr. Erickson has also identified and worked with guest composers to be commissioned through the Neue Lieder Commissioning Program: in September 2015, mezzo-soprano Kindra Scharich premiered new works written by several very talented guest composers especially for this performance. Under Mr. Erickson’s direction, the “Neue Lieder Songbook” now includes numerous original works for soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and bass, fully reflecting the extraordinary diversity of musical expression that characterizes the San Francisco Bay Area.