Premieres and Commissioned Works

College Music Society Southeastern Conference	Composers Concert with pianist Dr. Jason Lovelace	February 2011
Memphis, Tennessee	Dr. Jason Lovelace    A Tale of Three Cyclones
Tuesday Music Club of Lakeland	Annual Memebers Showcase with pianist Dr. Rose Grace	January 2011
Lakeland, Florida	William Vollinger    I'm So Sorry I'm Late
Tuesday Music Club of Lakeland	Parade of American Music: Celebrating the Women in Our Lives with pianist Christine Arens	November 2009
Lakeland, Florida	Sponsored by the National Federation of Music Clubs Christine Arens    Collage of Clicking Clichés
Texas A&M University	Faculty Composer's Concert	March 2009
College Station, Texas	Marty Ragan    A Long Gay Book with pianist Andrea Imhoff and clarinetist Anna Carney    Three Poems by Tanikawa Shuntarô with pianist Andrea Imhoff
University of South Florida Resident Artist Series	An Evening of Contemporary Song with pianist Christine Arens	January 2009
Tampa, Florida	Derek Healey    Five Edward Thomas Songs (High Key premiere) Kirk O'Riordan    Bergstresser Songs (Second performance)
College Music Society Super Regional Southeastern Conference	Composers Concert I with pianist Dr. Chan Kiat Lim	February 2008
Baton Rouge, Louisiana	Dr. Timothy Brown    Dreams Deferred, Dreams Kept
Wesleyan College	Three Generations of North American Women Composers with pianist Dr. Richard Mercier	March 2005
Macon, Gerogia	Judy Ross    My Soul Cries Out (A Cycle of Reflective Songs)
Farragut Presbyterian Church	An Evening of Song with pianist Dr. Christy Lee Walters	May 2001
Farragut, Tennessee	John Valerio    The Bells

 

Notes from Composers

John B. Valerio, following the premiere of his song cycle, The Bells:

Dear Liana, Thank you for your help with The Bells. The Bells is my first vocal solo piece and your suggestions helped me enormously in finalizing the composition. It was great to write the piece specifically for you and be able to take advantage of your wide range. Also, it was great to work with a singer who is not only knowledgeable of contemporary music but also adept at performing it. You sailed through the rather perilous third song with ease. I appreciate the time and effort you extended in this project. I learned much from our collaboration and I hope that I can write more songs for you in the near future.

 

Derek Healey, following the High Voice Premiere of his cycle, Five Edward Thomas Songs:

I really enjoyed listening to the performance of the 'Five Edward Thomas Songs', as you know, yours was the first performance of the set in the High Voice version, and I was pleased with the result.  Olive told me that you likened your voice to that of Victoria de los Angeles, a statement with which I heartily concur particularly in regard to the brightness of the sound.  I was also impressed by the precision, accuracy and diction -- very important with such a beautiful text.  Thank you for your performance.

 

Dr. Jason Lovelace, following performances of his song cycle, A Tale of Three Cyclones

Collaborating with Dr. Liana Valente was a delightful experience from start to finish. As an emerging composer, I particularly appreciated Dr. Valente's expertise as a seasoned performer; her insightful commentary and feedback was invaluable during the development of the song cycle. Throughout the process of writing, rehearsing, and performing the commission, Dr. Valente struck the perfect balance between tactful advice and encouraging me to express my compositional voice. Accompanying the premiere and two subsequent performances was equally enjoyable. Desptite limited rehearsal time, Dr. Valente brought fresh energy, remarkable precision, and extraordinary musicianship to each venue, rendering an exquisite performance each time.

William Vollinger, following a performance of his song cycle, Acts of Kindness:

Thank you for the CD you sent me of 'Acts of Kindness.' Some things I really appreciated about the recording: 1. The accuracy of your performance. You obviously studied the score carefully and rehearsed it carefully. Thank you. 2. Your lovely phrasing of each line. 3. Your high notes. Wow! 4. Your interpretation of the music and words, which brought these seven stories across which I was privileged to write the music for. To me that's that most important reason that they were written. 5. The controlled energy in your performances of each song.

 

Christine Arens, following the premiere of her song cycle, Collage of Clicking Clichés:

Thank you so much for commissioning me to write the song cycle "Collage of Clicking Clichés." I definitely count it as one of the "shining stars" of my creative output, as well as a valuable artistic experience. In our collaboration, I greatly appreciate your insight and wide range of musical expertise. It pleases me to have you bring to life the intention of the cycle's music and text. You work with me exhibiting great humor (the main intention!), patience, and deep understanding of the underlying complexities of the work. I do hope you will commission me again, and that you have enjoyed the process to this point as much as I have.

 

Kirk O'Riordan, following the Florida premiere of his song cycle, Bergstresser Songs:

I did receive the recording and program - thank you! I have had a chance to listen to the recording a few times now, and I enjoyed your performance very much. I especially liked the clarity of your diction, and that the color and weight of your voice is very well-suited to the work. Of all the recordings I have, this one is the clearest with regard to hearing the vocal part, which from a composer point of view, was very informative.