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Lauren Flanigan, soprano
Last season soprano Lauren Flanigan sung in the new New York City Opera’s production of Robert Devereaux, followed by her English National Opera debut as Abigaille in Nabucco. She returned to New York City Opera for the first portrayals of Marietta in Korngold’s Die Tote Staat. She has also appeared with Orpheus Ensemble and Opera Orchestra of New York.
A champion of contemporary works with a schedule still plenty full of Verdi and Mozart, San Francisco native Flanigan dominates the stage in any role she tackles: Christine in Marvin David Levy’s Mourning Becomes Electra with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Governess in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw for Seattle and Glimmerglass Operas, The Bride in Judith Wier’s The Vanishing Bridegroom at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, the title role of the City Opera world premiere of Hugo Weisgall’s Esther. Recently, Ms. Flanigan won wide acclaim for her roles in New York City Opera’s Central Park trilogy featuring music by Deborah Drattell and Robert Beaser.
Making her debut at the San Francisco Opera, Flanigan began her relationship with City Opera in 1991, following in the next year with a Metropolitan Opera debut in the world premiere of John Corigliano’s Ghosts of Versailles. In 1996, she debuted at Milan’s La Scala as Abigaille in Verdi’s Nabucco.Lauren Flanigan is the recipient of numerous awards including the Emanuel Ungaro Diva Award from the New York City Opera, grants from Olga Forrai Foundation, William Matheus Sullivan Soundation, the Helena Rubinstein Scholarship Foundation and the New York Oratorio Society, and the ASCAP Bravissimo Award for her artistry, versatility, musicianship and inspired interpretations of contemporary music. Flanigan last appeared with American Composers Orchestra two seasons ago, in Robert Beaser’s The Heavenly Feast.
Since its inception in 1969, the Raschèr Saxophone Quartet has appeared at the major concert halls in Europe and North America. The ensemble carries a tradition established in the 1930’s by the pioneer of classical saxophone and founding member of the quartet Sigurd Raschèr, The quartet has inspired over 200 composers to write music for them, including Berio, Bergman, Bialas, Denhoff, Glass, Gubadulina, Kaipainen, de Leuw, Norgard, Raskatov, Stucky, Terzakis, Wuorinen, Xenakis and Zechlin.
The Quartet’s repertoire includes over 20 new works commissioned for saxophone quartet and orchestra. The ensemble has performed with World’s leading orchestras such as the Gewandhaus Leipzig, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Berlin Snfonie Orchestra, Vienna, Symphony and Orchestra Cologne. The ensemble has recorded for Cala, Nonesuch and Philips labels. The Raschèr Saxophone Quartet last performed with American Composers Orchestra in Philip Glass’s Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra.