Born just months apart in 1925, Luciano Berio and Cathy Berberian formed one of the most daring creative partnerships of the 20th century. Together, the Italian composer and American mezzo-soprano blurred the lines between composer and performer, intellect and emotion, experimentation and play. They expanded our understanding of what a voice could do and reinvented the relationship between music and theater itself.
The Seattle Chamber Orchestra opens its fourth season on Friday 24 October with a centenary tribute to these two kindred spirits. The program, designed by SCO Founder and Music Director Lorenzo Marasso, features Berio’s beloved Folk Songs, Sequenza for voice, and Sequenza for harp, alongside works by John Cage, Luigi Dallapiccola, and Claudio Monteverdi that were signatures of Berberian’s repertoire.
The concert takes place at 8pm at the Good Shepherd Center (4649 Sunnyside Ave N, Seattle). Tickets here.
The Seattle concert is part of a global series of events celebrating Berberian and Berio throughout 2025.
PROGRAM
Luciano BERIO O King
Claudio MONTEVERDI Lamento della Ninfa
Luciano BERIO Autrefois
Luciano BERIO Wasserklavier
Giorgio Federico GHEDINI Arbero pecerillo from Quattro canti antichi napoletani
Luigi DALLAPICCOLA Divertimento in Quattro Esercizi
Luciano BERIO Sequenza II – for solo harp
John CAGE The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs
Luciano BERIO Sequenza III – for solo voice
Luciano BERIO Folksongs
w members of the Seattle Chamber Orchestra
Lorenzo Marasso – conductor & piano
Stephanie Aston – solo voice
Wendy Wilhelmi – flute
Kevin Morton – clarinet
Shelly Myers – oboe
Jordan Voelker – violin & viola
Rose Bellini – cello
Alison Bjorkedal – harp
Arx Duo – percussions
Filed under: Lorenzo Marasso, music news, Seattle Chamber Orchestra
MEMETERIA by Thomas May 