Yellow Lounge marks International Women’s Day
with online edition streamed from Berlin
Deutsche Grammophon artists Nadine Sierra, Magdalena Hoffmann, Bomsori and
Hera Hyesang Park perform works by, among others, Grażyna Bacewicz, Amy Beach [pictured], Joowon Kim and Clara Schumann
Premiered on DG Stage on Sunday 7 March at 12 noon (CET)
and on YouTube on Monday 8 March at 10pm (CET)
Deutsche Grammophon is ready to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021 with a special edition of its Yellow Lounge. The event will be premiered on DG Stage in collaboration with the platform’s partner Siemens and its renowned Arts Program, and also shown on the label’s YouTube channel. The concert features four outstanding young stars from DG’s family of artists. Their collective programme mines a rich seam of works by women composers, embracing everything from songs and salon pieces by Clara Schumann and Amy Beach to Grażyna Bacewicz’s Oberek No.1. The performances will be enhanced by visuals provided by Trial and Theresa, a feminist VJ collective with a focus on the presence of women in the electronic arts scene. The Deutsche Grammophon team that conceived and produced this edition of Yellow Lounge was also female. Nanja Oedi, Head of Marketing New Repertoire Deutsche Grammophon, will host the event.
Yellow Lounge on International Women’s Day opens with a performance by soprano Nadine Sierra in which Broadway and opera share equal billing. She begins with “Take care of this house”, a gem from Leonard Bernstein’s little-known musical 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, then turns to the irresistible “I could have danced all night” from Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady. Two other evergreens conclude her set: “O mio babbino caro” from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and “Je veux vivre” from Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.
Deutsche Grammophon’s latest signing, the charismatic harpist Magdalena Hoffmann, launches her solo set by introducing Yellow Lounge viewers to Danse des lutins by Henriette Renié (1875-1956), a towering figure of the harp world as performer, composer and teacher. Clara Schumann’s Notturno and “La danse du Moujik” by French harpist Marcel Tournier follow.
Violinist Bomsori, another recent DG signing, performs the famous “Méditation” from Massenet’s opera Thaïs – accompanied by Hoffmann – before paying tribute to one of Poland’s finest composers. Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-69) graduated from the Warsaw Conservatory in composition and violin and continued her studies in interwar Paris with Nadia Boulanger. She drew inspiration for Oberek No.1 from the heritage of Polish folk music. Bomsori also plays Romance, Op.23 by Amy Beach (1867-1944), recognised during her lifetime as the foremost woman composer in the United States.
Soprano Hera Hyesang Park performs “Like the Wind that Met with Lotus” by Joowon Kim (b.1984), with Sophia Munoz at the piano. The song was a hit track on the singer’s recent DG debut album, I am Hera. Another piece from the album follows: “Una voce poco fa” from Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia. Hera concludes her set with the last of Clara Schumann’s Six Lieder, Op.13, “Die stille Lotosblume”.
In anticipation of the special edition, Kleopatra Sofroniou, General Manager Classics Deutsche Grammophon,observes: “International Women’s Day is an important moment to reflect on the challenges and achievements of great female artists throughout history. At Deutsche Grammophon, we are proud to support Nadine, Magdalena, Bomsori, Hera and Sophia as they forge their own remarkable careers, representing the next generation of female talent on the label. It is a great pleasure to celebrate International Women’s Day with their Yellow Lounge performances.”
Anke Bobel, Project Manager at Siemens Arts Program, adds: “Female artists have published their works under their husbands’ names. Or like the pianist and composer Clara Schumann, they remained in the shadow of their husbands, even though their artistic talents stand on their own. Even today, women often need to be better than their male colleagues to get the same recognition. On a day like this, we should be mindful of that and aware of the long road that lies ahead of us.”
Yellow Lounge on International Women’s Day is one of a series of events intended to connect communities around the world and help forge positive change for women. The evening’s combination of fabulous performers and great music promises to raise awareness of the vast repertoire of works by women composers and the determination of today’s classical performers to dismantle gender stereotypes and challenge inequality.
About Yellow Lounge
Deutsche Grammophon’s Yellow Lounge concept – classical music presented by leading artists in an urban club context – was launched in 2001 in Berlin’s trendiest techno clubs with the aim of taking classical music to new audiences. Yellow Lounge nights have been attracting an ever-growing following of younger music-lovers – not just in Berlin, but all over the world. Staged by cutting-edge visual artists, wherever the events take place they feature guest DJs playing classical tracks alongside live performances by stars of the classical world, appearing in exclusive new formations. And we’re finding ways to keep Yellow Lounge going, even during lockdown.
DG Stage concert on 7 March 2021 at 12 noon (CET)
Visit here
YouTube broadcast on 8 March 2021 at 10pm (CET)
Deutsche Grammophon auf YouTube