Infrastructure / Mélodies

Description

In June 2026, Métier Records is proud to present "Infrastructure: The Songs of David Sisco" by the award-winning American composer, showcasing over 25 years of his art song production, performed by pianist David Fung, singers Laura Strickling, Elizabeth Mondragon, Michael Kelly, and David Sisco himself. The album blends beautiful and thought-provoking decorations of contemporary and historical poetry with entertaining and often touching song cycles, based on online publications and reviews, unusual inspirations for art song. David Sisco believes that one way for the genre to continue to thrive and reach today's audience is through the use of contemporary texts, whether from living poets like the three he collaborated with here, or from the multitude of virtual meetings encountered daily. The song cycle Italianate captures the spirit and tenderness of the poetry of his friend Linda Dini Jenkins about her travels in Italy, and is performed by the "hypnotizing" baritone Michael Kelly, who premiered the cycle in 2014 at Carnegie Hall. Infrastructure by Barbara Worton is performed by the composer himself and was gifted for a birthday celebration, perfectly summarizing the typical skepticism of a New Yorker and even a hint of neurosis. Also performed by David Sisco, Where Memories Go to Die, the final piece of Sisco's song cycle "Six Dennis Rhodes Poems," is, like the poet himself, a delightful, vulnerable, and joyful piece. Turning to writings from centuries past, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Mondragon delivers a powerful performance of the striking decor of the epic poem Patterns by Amy Lowell, about the loss of a woman during World War I. Michael Kelly returns in My Best Beloved. Sisco was struck by the raw passion of the metaphysical poet Francis Quarles and highlighted it in this beautiful and sensual art song. Missed Connections was written for Sisco's long-time muse, Elizabeth Mondragon, and won the NATS Composition Award in 2010. Accompanied by anonymous postings from a craigslist.com classifieds site, these musical vignettes reflect the human desire to find (or avoid) one another and are surprisingly touching. The Wrong Kind of Fountain Enthusiast is a song cycle accompanied by colorful online reviews from across the United States, often wild and hilarious, and, like Missed Connections, employs a variety of musical expressions. Dear God, a cycle of prayers for children, tenderly captures the delightful mix of simplicity and complexity in these miniature compositions. Both feature the "powerful and expressive voice" (Classical Scene) of soprano Laura Strickling. Throughout the album, the superb voices are supported by the "poetic" (Washington Post) performances of pianist David Fung. David Sisco is an award-winning composer whose vocal and theatrical works have been performed in major venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. He has received commissions from choirs and ensembles across the United States. A former student of the prestigious BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and the New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio, he is currently part of the adjunct voice faculty at NYU Steinhardt and maintains an international presence as a voice teacher and pedagogue. Pianist David Fung has performed as a soloist and with leading orchestras across Europe and Asia, collaborating with artists such as Gustavo Dudamel, Marin Alsop, and Yuja Wang. Soprano Laura Strickling has been nominated twice for the GRAMMY® Awards for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album and is celebrated for her work in opera, oratorio, concert, and chamber music. Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Mondragon's performances range from opera and art song to musical theater and oratorio, often in contemporary music. Baritone, librettist, and American poet Michael Kelly is a passionate performer of contemporary music, with much of his focus on queer experience and LGBTQ+ advocacy.