Infernal Angel
Large Ensemble
Amy Beth Kirsten
About
Infernal Angel for baritone voice, flute, bass clarinet, trumpet, cello, trombone, percussion, and vocal sextet examines the fateful relationship between Joan of Arc and Gilles de Rais (the historical figure who inspired the gruesome Bluebeard tale). Commissioned and produced by The Curtis Institute of Music, this 60-minute, music-driven theatrical work will premiere on May 10, 2025.
Infernal Angel, part two of a diptych, probes the multidimensional alliance between music, performance, and the body of the performer. Players are asked to become ‘the other.’ The baritone becomes instrument, actor, and dancer, the composer becomes performer, and the vocal sextet is pre-recorded, existing only as part of the sound design. Part one of the diptych, Savior, was commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for MusicNOW (World Premiere Apr 2, 2018) and will have its Philadelphia premiere the same evening!
Performance
| Amy Beth Kirsten |
Infernal Angel |
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Commissioning Year
2024 |
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Premiere
May 10, 2025 Gould Rehearsal Hall, Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, PA |
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Recording
May 10, 2025 Gould Rehearsal Hall, Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, PA |
Artists
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Amy Beth Kirsten Composition
Amy Beth Kirsten, “…one of America’s most innovative and visionary composers” (BBC Music Magazine), is known primarily for her multi-year multimedia theatrical collaborations. She has cast herself in roles as varied as composer, poet, filmmaker, vocalist, and director. Her body of theatrical work spans the last eighteen years and often considers musicians’ instruments, bodies, and voices as equal vehicles of expression. A composer of non-theatrical concert works, she has also been recognized with awards and fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (2020), John S. Guggenheim Foundation (2010), and the Rockefeller Foundation (2009). Ms. Kirsten has created collaborative works for her ensemble HOWL, musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New World Symphony, Peak Performances, the multi-Grammy-winning eighth blackbird, and American Composers Orchestra, among many others. An original story written by Ms. Kirsten and Timothy Leopold (trumpet) is the catalyst for her current project, Jacob in Chains, an evening-length work for Alarm Will Sound. Jacob is a present-day Christmas ghost story inspired by ancient myth, spiritual texts, and the character Jacob Marley from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In addition to her faculty appointment at Curtis Institute of Music, she is director of the Artist Residency at Longy School of Music of Bard College. She is composer mentor for the Blueprint Fellowship at the Juilliard School and has held previous teaching posts at Oberlin College and Conservatory and the Peabody Institute in Baltimore. The Toulmin Foundation, Chamber Music America, the MAP Fund, and many other generous patrons, foundations, and institutions support her work.
Dr. Kirsten joined the faculty in 2022.
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Curtis New Music Ensemble
Curtis New Music Ensemble (formerly Ensemble 20/21) features compelling repertoire from the 20th and 21st centuries. With bold collaborations and striking productions, Curtis New Music Ensemble embraces the cutting edge of contemporary classical music through the highest level of artistry.
100 for 100
100 for 100 celebrates contemporary music with a showcase of bold, original compositions and fresh perspectives.
