Longing and Listening: Concert with Lisa Weiss and Molly Conole
On Saturday, November 15, at 3:30pm, at the West Tisbury Library, join soprano Molly Conole and pianist Lisa Weiss for a recital featuring a James Joyce song cycle, Bloomsday Songs, by islander Phil Dietterich, Samuel Barber’s iconic setting of James Agee’s Knoxville – Summer of 1915, Andre Previn’s lushly scored I Want Magic from Tennessee Williams’ Streetcar Named Desire and John Kandor’s haunting Letter from Sullivan Ballou. This event is free and open to the public.
About the musicians:
Lisa Weiss – A versatile soloist, chamber music and vocal accompanist, Lisa, a native of Quincy, MA, began playing at age three, making her debut at seven with Haydn’s concerto in D as soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of Arthur Fiedler. Years later, New York Times music critic Wil Crutchfield attended her New York recital debut at Merkin Hall and pronounced her “a musician worthy of attention and able to hold it.” Lisa received her B.A. from Harvard University, M.M.A. from The Yale School of Music and D.M.A. from The Peabody Conservatory, where she studied with Leon Fleisher. Other principal teachers have been Leon Kirchner, Claude Frank and Richard Goode. Lisa has performed on the world stage, including Weill Hall in NYC, two Italy tours, several recitals in France, and as a participant in the Israeli Women Composers Forum in Tel Aviv. Lisa has been regular guest performer on the island since the 1990’s, both as a soloist and in collaboration with singers, dancers and instrumentalists. She also holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from Lesley University and retreats to the Vineyard each May to work on her writing. Lisa is a Professor of Music Emerita at Goucher College and lives in Baltimore, MD with her husband, artist Howie Lee Weiss.
Molly Conole – Variety is the spice and joy of Molly’s lifelong musical education and career. From singing on-pitch at 13 months old, through violin, flute and French horn lessons, to Minnesingers and Saturday lessons at New England Conservatory Prep School during high school, Molly finished her formal musical training with a BA with Highest Honors in Vocal Music at Marlboro College in VT. Molly found a love for musical theater, performing on-island with Lee Fierro’s ITW productions and a stint with the Light Opera of Manhattan. She spent 23 years in Orlando FL as a voiceover recording artist, conductor, composer and professional improv actor and singer, including with the acclaimed Voices of Liberty and many leading theatrical roles. Her original compositions and recordings have earned her national awards, and her shows I U We and her one-woman Seaglass, Quilts & Song: Life in Pieces were featured at the Orlando International Fringe Festival and the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse. Molly also loves singing classical music, and singing and writing maritime songs and poetry with her husband, Mark Alan Lovewell. Their weekly Facebook Live show Sunday at Sea is a joy, also found on YouTube and MVTV. Please visit mollyconole.com and mollyandmark.com for more info.