New Music And Multimedia Work HOPPER HAIKU To Premiere In New York City In November

The LAB, a new performance and production company, will present the New York City premiere of Hopper Haiku, an original music and multimedia experience inspired by the paintings of American realist Edward Hopper. The one-night-only event takes place Monday, November 10 at 7 p.m. at Opera America’s Scorca Hall (330 Seventh Avenue at 29th Street).

Created and performed by composer/pianist Ellen Mandel and lyricist/vocalist Daniel Neer, Hopper Haiku pairs Hopper’s iconic visual world with a series of 14 new songs—each inspired by a different painting, from Nighthawks and Chop Suey to Automat and House by the Railroad. The performance combines live music and voice with projected imagery of Hopper’s work, transforming his familiar scenes of solitude, longing, and quiet tension into a textured musical narrative.

“Hopper’s paintings seem to vibrate with myriad feelings, both of the people depicted and their environment,” said Mandel. “Daniel’s brilliant, evocative haiku joined with my textured melodies offer a creative narrative to the paintings. We hope the audience will share our enthusiasm for Hopper’s work and the emotions it evokes—from dark to sexy, humorous to introspective, and from loneliness to hope.”

Mandel’s score blends lyricism and jazz-inflected harmonies, while Neer’s haiku distill Hopper’s images into poetic snapshots of human connection and isolation. Together, they offer an imaginative re-interpretation of one of America’s most enduring artistic voices.

Tickets for Hopper Haiku are $25 and available at tinyurl.com/HOPPER-HAIKU-NYC. 

About the Artists:

Ellen Mandel is an award-winning composer and pianist whose works have been presented at venues including the Tribeca New Music Festival, St. Mark’s Church on the Bowery, and the Jean Cocteau Repertory.