Lyric Fest Presents A SINGER'S SINGER: A Biography In Music Of Winnaretta Singer - An American Patroness In Paris

Lyric Fest continues its 20th anniversary season with two performances of A Singer's Singer: A Biography In Music of Winnaretta Singer - An American Patroness In Paris, to be held on Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 3:00pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia - the place where Lyric Fest began - and Sunday, November 13, 2022 at 3:00pm at The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill.

Winnaretta Singer, the American-born heiress to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune, became Princess de Polignac after marrying a penniless aristocratic composer, Prince Edmond de Polignac. Combining their mutual passion for music, in a "mariage blanc" the couple hosted the most famous salon in Paris in the early 20th century. Trail-blazer and philanthropist, Singer lived life on her own terms and ahead of her time. This far-reaching but little known story takes a look at 50 years of Singer's influence on music and on Paris. With the use of letters and biographical narration, A Singer's Singer explores how she was a patroness of Fauré, Hahn, and Falla, and commissioned works from Satie, Weill, Stravinsky, Poulenc, and Milhaud, among many others.

Founder and Artistic Director Suzanne DuPlantis says, "Winnaretta Singer is one of the most fascinating people you've never heard of. Her legacy as a patroness, and even as a mover and shaker for new trends in music is undeniable. This, coupled with the fact that she was a gay woman living a rather free, albeit discreet, life from the late 1800s through the roaring 20's and beyond has made her a bit of a folk hero in the LGBTQIA+ community."

Featured artists include soprano Danielle Talamantes, mezzo-soprano Marjorie Maltais, and baritone Jorell Williams, who will perform this biography in music, with Laura Ward joining on piano, and Suzanne DuPlantis providing script and narration. The evening features works by Debussy, Satie, Stravinsky, Fauré, Ravel, Grainger, Quilter, De Falla, and others. The concert also includes supertitles and video animation.

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