Lisa Bielawa facts for kids
Lisa Carol Bielawa (born September 30, 1968) is a talented American composer and singer. She won the Rome Prize in 2009 for music and spent a year creating new pieces at the American Academy in Rome.
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Early Life and Education
Lisa Bielawa was born in San Francisco. Her father, Herbert Bielawa, was also a composer and a music professor. Growing up, Lisa was always surrounded by music. She started playing piano, singing, and playing violin from a young age. She also began writing her own music.
Even though she loved music, she first studied English at Yale University. After finishing her degree, she went back to focusing on her music career.
Music Career
In 1990, Lisa moved to New York City and quickly became a big part of the city's music scene. She started touring with the famous Philip Glass Ensemble in 1992. In 1997, she helped start the MATA Festival, which is a special event that showcases music by young composers. For five years, she was also the artistic director for the San Francisco Girls Chorus.
Lisa has received many important awards for her music. She won the Music Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2017. She also received a grant from OPERA America in 2020 to help female composers create new operas.
Lisa Bielawa's Compositions
Lisa Bielawa's music has been performed in many famous places, like Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York, and The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Her music has also been played by orchestras such as The Knights and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project.
Vireo: A Witch's Story
Lisa Bielawa created an opera called Vireo: The Spiritual Biography of a Witch's Accuser. An opera is a play where most of the words are sung. This opera was made for TV and online viewing. In 2018, it was nominated for an Emmy Award in Los Angeles. It also won an award for multimedia in 2015.
Broadcasts: Music for Public Spaces
For nearly ten years, Lisa Bielawa has been creating a series of special musical works called "Broadcasts." These pieces are meant to be performed in public places. They are designed for many people to join in, using different voices and instruments.
Airfield Broadcasts
Airfield Broadcasts is a huge, hour-long musical piece for hundreds of musicians. It was first performed on the runways of the old Tempelhof Airport in Berlin in 2013. It was also performed at Crissy Field in San Francisco later that year.
Mauer Broadcast
Mauer Broadcast is a 16-minute piece where people can come together and sing about their memories of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was first performed in November 2019, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Wall coming down.
Broadcast from Home
During the coronavirus lockdown, Lisa created Broadcast from Home. People from all over the world, from six different continents, sent in their voices and stories. More than 500 people participated online.
Voters' Broadcast
Lisa finished Voters' Broadcast in October 2020. This project aimed to encourage people to vote and think about important issues. It allowed citizens to share their concerns during the 2020 Presidential election, even during lockdown.
Brickyard Broadcast
Brickyard Broadcast is a special piece for hundreds of musicians. It was first performed in a Virtual Reality (VR) environment. This means people could experience the music in a digital, 3D world.
Chance Encounter
Chance Encounter is a 35-minute musical piece that is performed in public spaces. It uses words that Lisa overheard in busy public places. This piece has been recorded and performed in Venice, Italy.
Hypermelodia
Lisa Bielawa's piece Hypermelodia is very unique. It's structured like a "choose-your-own-adventure" book. During the performance, two musicians get to choose which part of the music to play next. This makes each performance a little different! It was first performed in 2015.
Discography
Lisa Bielawa has released many recordings of her music. Some of her albums include "Hildegurls: Electric Ordo Virtutum" (2009), "Chance Encounter" (2010), and "Vireo: The Spiritual Biography Of A Witch's Accuser" (2019).
