The Stonewall Chorale to Present NY Premiere Of Gender Identity-Themed Work

The Stonewall Chorale, the nation's first LGBTQ choir, will present the New York premiere of the cantata "Here I Am: I Am Here" by award-winning American composer An- drea Clearfield, on Saturday, March 23, 7:30pm, at Church of the Holy Apostles in Chelsea. The compos- er will attend and speak at the performance, which is conducted by Stonewall Artistic Director Cynthia Powell and features full choir, piano, string quartet, soloists, and narrators.

"Here I Am: I Am Here" is based on actual letters: a loving letter from a mother, Mimi, to her transgender son Jacob; and a letter of validation from the non-binary adult, Sam, to their younger self. The narratives explore the misconceptions and fears of parents who are initially unable to accept their children, as well as the pain of the children dealing with gender identity, conversion therapy, and suicidal ideation.

Clearfield's exploration of the texts formed the basis for building the musical architecture of the piece. The meticulously crafted, concise libretto cuts to the essence of each narrative, continually circling back to every person's origin story. Clearfield's musical language-comprising biting atonal motifs, painfully

beautiful melodies, light-hearted up-tempo pieces, and agitated rhythmic patterns-captures the libretto's full range of emotion.

"As states continue to introduce harmful, anti-trans legislation, the themes of 'Here I Am' will resonate with our audience," reflected Artistic Director Cynthia Powell. "Andrea Clearfield's work is a beautiful exploration and an urgent call to allyship, and we are particularly thrilled that she will attend and give remarks at the concert."

In addition to Clearfield, other guests at the performance include Mimi Lemay and Sam Brinton, who wrote the letters; and David Hodgkins, Artistic Director of Coro Allegro, the choir that commissioned Clearfield's work. The Stonewall Chorale was awarded a Creative Engagement Grant by the Lower Man- hattan Cultural Council, which provides funding to nonprofit organizations for projects and activities that offer Manhattan communities diverse artistic experiences, for its presentation of "Here I Am" as well as additional projects.

Tickets for the performance on March 23 at the Church of the Holy Apostles, 296 9th Avenue, are avail- able online at www.stonewallchorale.org/tickets. General Admission: $35 in advance, $40 at the door (subject to availability) Student/Senior: $25 in advance only.

ABOUT ANDREA CLEARFIELD

Andrea Clearfield has written 170+ works for opera, chorus, orchestra, chamber ensemble, dance and multimedia collaborations, exploring subjects ranging from freedom and oppression to ancient cultures, environmental sustainability, health and healing, gender and technology. Among her works are seventeen cantatas including one for The Philadelphia Orchestra with librettist Charlotte Blake Alston. Dr. Clearfield has served on the Board of the Recording Academy/Grammy's Philadelphia Chapter and cur- rently serves on the executive board of Wildflower Composers, supporting young female, transgender, non-binary, and genderqueer composers. She is founder and host of the Philadelphia SALON featuring contemporary, classical, jazz, electronic, dance, multimedia and world music since 1986. She is repre- sented by Black Tea Music. More at www.andreaclearfield.com.

ABOUT STONEWALL DIRECTOR CYNTHIA POWELL

Cynthia Powell, Artistic Director of the Stonewall Chorale since 2002, has conducted choirs throughout the NY metropolitan area including Stonewall's collaborations with Meredith Monk at Merkin Hall and at the BAM Next Wave Festival. Powell guest conducted the choir at Sarah Lawrence College, the St. George's Choral Society in NYC, and the International Choral Festival in Havana, Cuba. As a pianist and organist, she toured the U.S. and Europe with Meredith Monk's opera ATLAS, Monk's Celebration Ser- vice and Quarry at the Spoleto, USA Festival, and the Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis and Lincoln Center.

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