Joan La Barbara

Since the 1970s Joan La Barbara has investigated the outer limits of vocal expression through extended techniques that include multiphonics and glottal clicks. Her engagements have taken her to major ensembles across the globe, among them the New York Philharmonic and the Orchestra of the Hague, where she has introduced new operas such as Robert Ashley’s Now Eleanor's Idea and Morton Subotnick’s Jacob's Room. With Subotnick and Mark Coniglio she co-authored The Misfortune of the Immortals, a work that fuses electronics and live performance. American composers Morton Feldman, Philip Glass, and James Tenney have each created pieces expressly for her voice. As a creator she has produced chamber music, scores for radio and television, and several film soundtracks, notably the 1991 feature Anima. Choreographers and visual artists with whom she has collaborated encompass Merce Cunningham, Kenneth Goldsmith, and Lita Albuquerque. Her own catalog appears on the Lovely Music, Music & Arts, and New World labels, and she has also overseen numerous modern classical releases. Fellowship support and commissions have come from the NEA, Meet the Composer, the Akustische International Competition Award, and the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, among other sources. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s she devoted considerable energy to teaching emerging vocalists.