3 recents CDs featuring Lori's music

Soprano Laura Strickling's 40@40 CD was released on the Bright Shiny Things label on August 18, 2023. Accompanied by pianist Daniel Schlosberg, the CD features the first 20 of the 40 compositions Laura commissioned for her 40th birthday. Lori's song, Thanks a Latte, to a poem by Caitlin Vincent, is included.

Lori Laitman sets Caitlin Vincent’s “Thanks a Latte” in an arioso that adroitly moves through various sections and tempos that respond to the poem with skilful text-painting. Laitman gives Strickling ample opportunity to explore drama and humor. The soprano has fun with the song, providing a welcome diversion from the moodier pieces.— Sequenza 21

Mezzo-soprano Kathryn Leemhuis's debut CD Before She Became Fire, was released on September 14, 2023 on the BCM&D Records label. The recording features Lori's And Music Will Not End, a short cycle with poems by Anne Ranasinghe and John Wood — here recorded for the first time in the mezzo-soprano version. The CD also includes the premiere of Lori's Presence, to a poem by Marcia Menter. This haunting poem was written in memory of poet Susan de Sola.

The Decho Ensemble, comprised of soprano Katherine Petersen and saxophonist Jacob Swanson, released their debut CD (entitled Decho Ensemble) on September 14, 2023. This is the second recording of Living in the Body — to poems by Joyce Sutphen.

All recordings are available on all streaming platforms.

"The Imaginary Photo Album" premiere October 25, 2020 and BBC interview

The Imaginary Photo Album is a song cycle about childhood co-commissioned by the BBC and The Royal Philharmonic Society for BBC New Generation Artist soprano Katharina Konradi. There are four songs, setting the poetry of A.E. Stallings, Eugene Field and Joyce Sutphen.

The premiere will take place at Wigmore Hall in London on October 25, 2020 at 3:30 pm EST — with Konradi accompanied by pianist Joseph Middleton. The event will be livestreamed here — and can be accessed for a month after. 

On November 4, 2020 at 7:30 pm EST, BBC Radio will broadcast the concert, including Lori's interview with Ian Skelly. This too will be accessible for a month following.

Hope you can tune in!

BBC/Royal Philharmonic Society co-commission to premiere at Cheltenham Festival July 10th

The BBC and The Royal Philharmonic Society co-commissioned a song cycle for BBC New Generation artist, soprano Katharina Konradi. The cycle is about childhood, and I set 4 poems to music — 2 by MacArthur "Genius" A.E. Stallings, 1 by Eugene Field and 1 by Minnesota Poet Laureate Joyce Sutphen. The cycle's title is taken from Joyce's poem: The Imaginary Photo Album. The work was composed between October 2019 and February 2020.

The premiere is set for July 10, 2020 at the Cheltenham Music Festival in Cheltenham, England; with a repeat performance scheduled for October 25, 2020 at Wigmore Hall in London.