ART SONG CHICAGO

SEPTEMBER 26

2026 COLLABORATIVE WORKS FESTIVAL: Songs of the Earth

CONCERT II – Gods of the Earth

Gods of the Earth explores nature not as backdrop but as divine force — elemental, mysterious, and alive with spiritual presence. Featuring songs from Mahler to Monteverdi, this program reveals what happens when humankind confronts a natural world that is sacred, untamed, and ultimately beyond our control.

A highlight of this program is the Midwestern premiere of Vivian Fung's Lamenting Earth, which was premiered in 2023 at New York’s Kaufman Music Center. The cycle is scored for tenor, string quartet, and piano. Anchored by a poem by climate activist-poet Claire Wahmanholm's "O", it’s expanded through high-school students' voices on climate change with poetry that was commissioned from the extraordinary students of the Kaufman school. It foregrounds youth perspectives often left unheard, transforming lament into testimony. 

Raquel González, soprano
Zoie Reams, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Phan, tenor & artistic director
Eric Ferring, tenor
Leroy Davis, baritone
Brent Funderburk, piano
Jasper String Quartet