Liz Pearse

Singing while accompanying oneself at the piano is not a “new” endeavor — but in the realm of art song, it is certainly unusual. Performer Liz Pearse’s self-accompanied recitals hearken back to the era of the salon: an informal, intimate, and fresh atmosphere in which to absorb songs both old and new. This particular evening presents some gems of 20th and 21st century song, including a centennial celebration of Francis Poulenc’s La bestiaire, alongside newly-commissioned works inspired by members of the animal kingdom.
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Finding joy in variety, Liz Pearse is a musician of many pursuits. Liz began her exploration of the endless possibilities of the voice after a childhood spent playing any instrument she could lay hands upon. As a performer, her uniquely colorful and versatile voice has led to performances of wide-ranging works from medieval to modern, and though she is known as a specialist in contemporary vocal repertoire, she also deeply enjoys a well-aged song. Liz has recently begun a long-term project commissioning and performing works for singer at the piano (though she still enjoys the collaborative process!), and presents her second full-length program of such pieces, a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Poulenc’s La bestiaire featuring newly-commissioned animal portraits, on tour in 2019.

Liz is one-fourth of Quince Ensemble, a treble-voice quartet dedicated to “charting bold new directions in vocal chamber music” (John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune). Their third album, Motherland, was released to critical acclaim by New Focus Recordings in spring 2018, and they head back to the studio to record love fail summer 2019.