Biography
Declaring its twofold purpose in the quoted words "to advance and elevate women's voices, and to enrich the repertoire through forward-thinking and co-creative collaboration," Lorelei Ensemble concentrates on contemporary works that frequently receive their first performances under the group's auspices, while also presenting Renaissance and medieval pieces on a regular basis. An educational dimension forms part of its activities, with frequent residencies that involve younger female singers. Several recordings have appeared, among them the 2024 release Christopher Cerrone: Beaufort Scales.
Beth Willer established the Boston-based ensemble in 2007 after completing studies at Boston University and later joining the faculty of Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, where she continues to teach while traveling to Massachusetts for rehearsals. (The organization customarily omits any definite article before its name.) Willer's decision arose in part from her own history of participation in all-female choirs dating back to her school years, during which she perceived their secondary standing; this prompted her to assemble a nine-member virtuoso women's choir dedicated to exploring the full range of repertory written for female voices. More than sixty compositions have received world, United States, or regional premieres from Lorelei Ensemble through partnerships with composers that include Lisa Bielawa, Christopher Cerrone, and Julia Wolfe. Programs regularly juxtapose new music with early works in inventive sequences. Appearances have taken place at distinguished locations such as Carnegie Hall, Trinity Wall Street Church, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The ensemble's own label issued the album Live. Know. Love. in 2014.
Additional collaborations encompass the Boston Symphony Orchestra, A Far Cry, and Cantus. A substantial portion of the schedule is devoted to residencies at institutions including Harvard, Yale, and Duke, where members work directly with young singers. The 2018 album Impermanence appeared on the Sono Luminus label and reflected the breadth of the group's programming through the premiere recording of Peter Gilbert's Tsukimi together with "Vocalise I" from Wind Horse by Toru Takemitsu, motets of Guillaume Dufay, and selections drawn from the Turin Manuscript and the Codex Calixtinus. The subsequent release David Lang: Love Fail came out on Cantaloupe in 2020. Lorelei Ensemble next recorded James Kallembach: Antigone for New Focus Recordings in 2022 before moving to Cold Blue Music for the 2024 account of Christopher Cerrone's Beaufort Scales, a piece derived from measurements of nautical wind speed.
Beth Willer established the Boston-based ensemble in 2007 after completing studies at Boston University and later joining the faculty of Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, where she continues to teach while traveling to Massachusetts for rehearsals. (The organization customarily omits any definite article before its name.) Willer's decision arose in part from her own history of participation in all-female choirs dating back to her school years, during which she perceived their secondary standing; this prompted her to assemble a nine-member virtuoso women's choir dedicated to exploring the full range of repertory written for female voices. More than sixty compositions have received world, United States, or regional premieres from Lorelei Ensemble through partnerships with composers that include Lisa Bielawa, Christopher Cerrone, and Julia Wolfe. Programs regularly juxtapose new music with early works in inventive sequences. Appearances have taken place at distinguished locations such as Carnegie Hall, Trinity Wall Street Church, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The ensemble's own label issued the album Live. Know. Love. in 2014.
Additional collaborations encompass the Boston Symphony Orchestra, A Far Cry, and Cantus. A substantial portion of the schedule is devoted to residencies at institutions including Harvard, Yale, and Duke, where members work directly with young singers. The 2018 album Impermanence appeared on the Sono Luminus label and reflected the breadth of the group's programming through the premiere recording of Peter Gilbert's Tsukimi together with "Vocalise I" from Wind Horse by Toru Takemitsu, motets of Guillaume Dufay, and selections drawn from the Turin Manuscript and the Codex Calixtinus. The subsequent release David Lang: Love Fail came out on Cantaloupe in 2020. Lorelei Ensemble next recorded James Kallembach: Antigone for New Focus Recordings in 2022 before moving to Cold Blue Music for the 2024 account of Christopher Cerrone's Beaufort Scales, a piece derived from measurements of nautical wind speed.
Albums
