Sigma Alpha Iota

P A N P I P E S Winter 2021 9 SAIS IN THE NEWS S oprano Renée Fleming, an Honorary Member of Sigma Alpha Iota, is one of the most highly acclaimed singers of our time. Winner of four Grammy® awards, and recipient of the US National Medal of Arts, she has sung for momentous occasions from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to the Diamond Jubilee Concert for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. In 2014, Renée brought her voice to a vast new audience as the first classical artist ever to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Staying true to her prolific history of performance and advocacy, she has started 2021 with a full and engaging schedule. On January 13th, Fleming joined forces with Julia Bullock and Kelli O'Hara for a virtual setting of the song "Migratory V" from the song cycle Myths and Hymns by Adam Guettel. e work explores the qualities of faith through ancient hymnals and Greek mythology. Myths and Hymns will be presented as a film series by MasterVoices, conceived by artistic director Ted Sperling; it will be divided into four chapters, premiering January 13th, February 24th, April 14th, and May 26th. You may view the first installment on YouTube at: youtu.be/b-JR320vlIQ e week of January 11-17th was declared to be Renée Fleming Week by the Metropolitan Opera, and they offered free nightly Opera streams of her performances on their website. e week's offerings included: Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Massenet's aïs, Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, Rossini's Armida, Strauss's Capriccio, Handel's Rodelinda. and Dvořák's Rusalka. e MET continues to offer daily free streaming of their "Live in HD" performances for viewers at: www.metopera.org On January 19th, Renée Fleming joined an all-star cast of artists for the Washington National Opera's Concert in a virtual celebration of the 59th Inauguration Day. e line-up included Fleming, J'Nai Bridges, Lawrence Brownlee, Soloman Howard, Ryan McKinny, Eric Owens, and a number of the WNO's Cafritz Young Artists. Renee sang We Hold ese Truths, with music by J. Todd Frazier and text by omas Jefferson, and was accompanied on piano by Robert Ainsley. e full concert is available to view on e Kennedy Center's YouTube page at: youtu.be/ HSaFysn9TgQ One day later on January 20th, Fleming was honored to sing at the private Mass of anksgiving at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, DC. e event was held to commemorate the inauguration for the 46th President of the United States. en President-Elect Joseph R. Biden, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, their families, and congressional leaders from both parties were in attendance. Fleming sang both Schubert's Ave Maria and America the Beautiful. e National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) held its annual NAMM Show in virtual format this year. "Believe in Music" week (January 18-22, 2021) aimed to unify and support the people who bring music to the world. It featured artist performances, product demonstrations with top music brands, and over 150 education sessions including programming for music educators, college music students and faculty, and nonprofit music organizations. On January 22nd, the 2021 Grand Rally for Music Education featured international opera star Renée Fleming in conversation with music researcher Dr. Nina Kraus of Northwestern University and Gustavo Dudamel, artistic and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, with Liliana Morales, Microbiology and Sociology student at the University of California San Diego and alumna of YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles). ey shared their personal and professional journeys and their lifelong commitment to music. As Artistic Advisor to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Renée spearheads a collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) focused on music, health, and neuroscience. is year, on January 26th, she participated in the launch of Sound Health Network (SHN), a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts with the University of California, San Francisco in collaboration with the NIH. e SHN will promote research and public awareness about the impact of music on health and wellness. More information is available at: soundhealth.ucsf.edu/events/shn- launch Fleming also continues to promote her 19-part series, "Music and Mind LIVE with Renée Fleming." e live-streamed series features Renée in conversation with scientists and practitioners working at the intersection of music, neuroscience, and healthcare. Experts in fields such as childhood development, healthy aging, pain and anxiety management, and rehabilitation shared their findings, and episodes included live Q&A from viewers. Recordings of the episodes are available to view at: reneefleming.com/advocacy/music- and-mind-live Renée Fleming, Performer and Advocate You can learn more about her upcoming schedule and projects at: www.reneefleming.com SAI Honorary Member SAI Honorary Member Ren Renée e Fleming Fleming

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