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'For the Love of Art Songs' brings interactive concerts to Santa Fe and Albuquerque
Oliver Prezant will be joined in concert by soprano Amy Owens and pianist Natasha Stojanovska on Tuesday, Feb. 11, and Thursday, Feb. 13.
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In time for Valentine’s Day, conductor and educator Oliver Prezant is bringing his passion for art songs to two New Mexico stages.
His upcoming program, “For the Love of Art Songs,” promises to explore the works of Richard Strauss, Antonín Dvorák, Franz Liszt and Umberto Giordano in a format that invites both musical appreciation and audience participation.
“People have asked me occasionally what’s so special about art songs,” said Prezant, “I think in reality they are beautiful little miniatures that go by really fast when you hear them in concert. And so this program is an opportunity to spend time with just a few songs by wonderful composers and to really explore the relationships between the text and the music, between the singer and the pianist, and between the performers and the audience.”
With two events — one at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, at the Muñoz Waxman Gallery at the Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, and another at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Robertson & Sons Violin Shop in Albuquerque – “For the Love of Art Songs” is designed to immerse listeners in the world of classical song. The evening will feature soprano Amy Owens and pianist Natasha Stojanovska, alongside Prezant, whose role extends far beyond that of a traditional concert conductor.
“During the program, the audience has a chance to listen to a little bit of music and then talk to fellow audience members about what’s going on: how they feel, what they noticed, and how the music was shaped,” Prezant said. “There are all kinds of things that people in the audience notice when you give them a chance to stop and listen.”
Such opportunities for collective reflection, he said, transform a standard recital into an interactive experience. Audience members will be invited to enjoy not only the melodies but also the dynamic between voice and piano.
Prezant, who has conducted and presented educational music programs for the Santa Fe Opera, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and Opera Southwest, among others, has long been committed to bridging the gap between stage and seats. As the founding teaching artist in Partners in Education’s ArtWorks Program, a wide-ranging arts education initiative for Santa Fe Public Schools, he has consistently sought to create participatory experiences that draw listeners into classical music’s inner workings.
This latest program, he stressed, builds on that mission. He invited Owens, an award-winning soprano known for her “scene-stealing” performances and appearances with the National Symphony, Santa Fe Opera and Houston Grand Opera; and Stojanovska, a Macedonian pianist and composer celebrated for her understanding of Eastern European musical traditions.
“I invited Amy Owens because she is a popular favorite in Santa Fe and Albuquerque,” Prezant said. “She lights up the stage, she’s a great actress, a great singer, and she relates to the audience in the most beautiful way.”
Prezant added that Stojanovska is an accomplished soloist with a “wonderful background.”
