Joan La Barbara
Joan La Barbara (born June 8, 1947 in Philadelphia ) is a singer and composer of contemporary music.
Life
La Barbara studied with Helen Boatwright at Syracuse University before taking her bachelor's degree from New York University . From 1971 she first worked in Steve Reich's ensemble and from 1974 was a member of the Philip Glass ensemble and sang at the world premiere of the opera Einstein On the Beach . Since 1979 she has also worked with her husband, composer Morton Subotnick . Other composers such as John Cage , David Tudor , Robert Ashley , Morton Feldman , Larry Austin , Phill Niblock and Peter Laurence Gordon composed vocal pieces for her, which she successfully performed. She also worked with jazz musicians such as Jim Hall and Don Sebesky .
La Barbara is best known for her vocal skills and advanced vocal techniques , which she also teaches in master classes. She has also written numerous compositions, such as the spoken opera “An American Rendition”, which premiered in New York in 2008, and 73 poems based on texts by Kenneth Goldsmith . She also set the cartoon Signing Alphabet (1977) to music for Sesame Street .
Discography (selection)
- Voice Is the Original Instrument: Early Works (1976/2003, Wizard Records / Lovely Music)
- The Reluctant Gypsy (1980, Wizard Records)
- Sound Paintings (1990, Lovely Music)
- Singing Through John Cage (1990, New Albion Records)
- Shamansong (1998, New World Music)
Web links
- Web presence
- Short biography at AllMusic
- La Barbara on John Cage (1992)
- Hannah Bosma: Female Authorial Voices In Electrovocal Music (1996) (English)
- Kenneth Goldsmith Joan La Barbara: Composer as Performer (2000)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | La Barbara, Joan |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American singer and composer of contemporary music |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 8, 1947 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Philadelphia |