performances

Tickets Now Available for Mount Auburn Cemetery Composers-in-Residence Showcase Concerts September 23rd and 24th, 2023

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Great news! Tickets are now available for the Mount Auburn Cemetery Composers-in-Residence Showcase, which will highlight the musical division of the cemetery’s celebrated artist-in-residence program. The event, which will consist of two identical concerts during the cemetery’s anniversary weekend September 23rd-24th, will feature three twenty-minute sets by composers-in-residence both past and present; including 2016-2017 composer Mary Bichner, 2022-2023 composer Ira Klein, and current composer Eden Rayz.

The September 23rd show will take place starting a 5:30pm, and the September 24th show starting at 1:00pm. Both concerts will be held outdoors, weather permitting, in the beautiful Hazel Dell at Mount Auburn Cemetery (580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge MA 02138). Best of all, the shows are FREE and all ages (though advanced reservation is required). You can reserve your tickets in advance right here for either concert at the following links:

September 23rd @ 5:30pm tickets HERE:

https://29461.blackbaudhosting.com/29461/AiR-Music-Showcase

September 24th @ 1:00pm concert tickets HERE:

https://29461.blackbaudhosting.com/29461/AiR-Music-Showcase-24Sep2023

During her set, Mary is honored to be joined once again by the wonderful Planetary Quartet for both concerts, featuring Bennett Astrove (Violin), Carrol Lee (Viola I), Sofia Nikas (Viola II), and Alan Toda-Ambaras (Cello).

As always, complete info on both performances can be found on the “Concerts” page.

Thank you so much to one and all, and we hope to see you there! <3

Video + Blog Interview With Mount Auburn Cemetery For New “Meet the Artists” Series

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(Video by Corinne Elicone for Mount Auburn Cemetery)

Thank you so much to the historic Mount Auburn Cemetery for interviewing Mary as part of their new “Meet the Artists” video and blog series!

In the video above, created by Corinne Elicone, Mary discusses some of her favorite moments from her 2016-2017 composer residency at Mount Auburn Cemetery, as well as the profound impact that the Mount Auburn Cemetery artist-in-residency program has had on her career.

There is also a bonus blog post created by Jennifer Johnston that features some additional interview Q&A’s not included in the video, which you can view right here:

https://www.mountauburn.org/artist-update-mary-bichner/

Mary looks forward to returning to Mount Auburn on September 23rd and 24th, 2023 for a concert series featuring current composer-in-residence Eden Rayz and 2022-2023 composer-in-residence Ira Klein — ticket information will be announced soon! Until then, you can read a bit more about this concert HERE.

Thank you so much to Mount Auburn Cemetery for inviting Mary to take part in this wonderful interview and residency, and wishing everyone a beautiful end to your summer!

New Concerts: Performing as Part of the Mount Auburn Cemetery Composer-in-Residence Showcase September 23 & 24, 2023

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(Photo by: Mount Auburn Cemetery)

Mary is honored to have been invited to perform during Mount Auburn Cemetery‘s Composer-in-Residence Showcase, which will highlight the musical division of the cemetery’s celebrated artist-in-residence program. The event, which will take place over two concerts during the cemetery’s anniversary weekend September 23-24, will feature both past and present composers-in-residence including current composer Eden Rayz, and 2022-2023 composer Ira Klein.

Mary served as Mount Auburn’s composer-in-residence from 2016-2017, and during her tenure created two suites of synesthesia-infused chamber works inspired by the cemetery’s colorful landscape and landmarks during the spring and autumn seasons. You can listens to the compositions right here, as well as read some articles which feature her residency in both BBC Classical Music Magazine (from the November 2021 issue) and National Georgraphic (from the Summer 2022 Special Edition, “The Brain”).

More info on the showcase concerts, including ticket info, will be coming shortly. Thank you so much to Mount Auburn for inviting Mary to perform, and looking forward to this wonderful concert series in September!

Live Videos from the Tours, France Edition of “Rencontres Poétiques” Now on YouTube

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Greetings all! Just a heads up that some live videos from the French edition of Christina Goh and Mary Bichner’s Rencontres Poétiques collaborative poetry concert series are now on YouTube!

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This second concert in the series took place at La Salle Jean de Ockeghem in Tours, France on October 22nd, 2022; and featured guest performances by medieval troupe Les Passeurs de Légendes, actress Justine Calais-Gillot, and baroque lyric soprano Betsabée Haas (who very beautifully performed the European premiere of Mary’s aria, “If I Could Live My Life Again”, from the opera “The Memoirs of Antonina“). The set also includes a video for the unreleased “À la seine”, a new musical setting of the Marceline Desbordes-Valmore poem of the same name that Mary composed especially for Rencontres Poétiques, performed as a duet by Mary and Christina:

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For more information on Rencontres Poétiques, you can check out the official info page right here:

 

 

https://www.marybichner.com/rencontrespoetiques/

 

 

Thank you so much for everyone who joined us for this concert, and we look forward to more editions of Rencontres Poétiques in the future! Lots of love and wishing everyone a very happy new year!

Travelogue Part I: “Rencontres Poétiques” Concert October 20th and “Un Autre Angle” Lecture October 22nd in Tours, France

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From October 16th-23rd 2022, Mary was honored to return to the city of Tours, France to perform in the second edition of her international poetry-inspired collaborative concert series with French composer Christina Goh, “Rencontres Poétiques”, at the Salle Jean de Ockeghem; as well as to speak during the “Un Autre Angle” lecture at the Biblioteque de Tours. Both events were presented by the City of Tours as part of France’s annual “Semaines d’information sur la santé mentale“.

Here are some photos from the week!:

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A panorama of Tours from the top of the Biblioteque de Tours – thank you to Madame Gitton and Madame Abdillah of the Biblioteque for sharing this beautiful view!
Inside La Salle Jean de Ockeghem, a former 12th-century abbey turned concert venue, as it is being prepared for “Rencontres Poétiques”.
Mary and Christina with Pascal Brun, Salle de Jean Ockeghem’s wonderful audio and stage lights expert.
Members of the medieval troupe Passeurs de Légendes portray the Goddesses of Art at the beginning of “Rencontres Poétiques”, welcoming audience members to the concert.
Christina and Mary perform Christina’s composition, “Le Prix”.
Lyric soprano Betsabée Haas gorgeously sings the European premiere of “If I Could Live My Life Again”, the final aria in Mary’s forthcoming opera, The Memoirs of Antonina.
LEFT: Passeurs de Légendes actress Bénédicte Gaudon portrays the Goddess Ceridwen / RIGHT: Actress Justine Calais-Gillot recites the Walt Whitman poem, “Tears”.
The artists of “Rencontres Poétiques”: Touraine Edition.
Madame Amirault-Deiss of La Ville de Tours very kindly presenting Mary with a tote bag filled with Tours-themed memorabilia — THANK YOU so much to Madame Amirault-Deiss and all of her colleagues at La Ville de Tours for this very thoughtful gesture and warm welcome!
Christina Goh speaks during the “Un Autre Angle” conference at the Biblioteque de Tours, alongside Mary and international photographer Yann Layma.
Thank you so much to the amazing Christina Goh for this wonderful week of collaboration in Tours!

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THANK YOU so very much to composer Christina Goh, La Ville de Tours, La Biblioteque de Tours, Les Semaines d’information sur la santé mentale, VIES 37, Nicole Lartigue, Betsabee Haas, Les Passeurs de Légendes, Justine Calais-Gillot, Yann Layma, Pascal Brun, and all of the wonderful people who made this incredible week of collaboration possible. And special thanks to everyone who joined us in the audience for “Rencontres Poétiques” and “Un Autre Angle”!

Merci beaucoup à tous, and hope to see you all again soon! <3

Tickets now available for “Rencontres Poétiques” Concert on October 20th; “Un Autre Angle” Lecture Announced for October 22nd [Tours, France]

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Tickets and complete details are now available for the Tours, France edition of “Rencontres poétiques“; the collaborative poetry-inspired concert series of Mary Bichner and Christina Goh!

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This second concert in the series will take place on Thursday, October 20th 2022 @ 19:15 CET (with a special pre-show multi-sensory experience beginning when doors open @ 18:30 CET) at Le Centre Musical Ockeghem (15 Pl. de Châteauneuf 37000 Tours, France), and will be hosted by the The City of Tours as part of “Semaines d’information sur la santé mentale“. Mary and Christina will perform their settings of famous poems in both French and English, including European premieres from both composers. The concert will also feature special guests baroque lyric soprano Betsabée Haas, medieval troupe Passeurs de Légendes, and poetic association Art et Poésie de Touraine.

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Tickets for the event are free with advance reservation, and can be obtained via the following link:

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https://my.weezevent.com/rencontres-poetiques

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And you can learn more about the concert from the official “Semaines d’information sur la santé mentale” right here:

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https://www.semaines-sante-mentale.fr/event/rencontres-poetiques/

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Additionally, on October 22nd 2022 at 16:30 CET, Mary and Christina will participate with photographer Yann Layma in “Un Autre Angle”, a lecture taking place at the Bibliothèque Centrale de Tours. More information can be found here, on the library’s website:

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http://www.bm-tours.fr/Default/doc/AGENDA/1863/un-autre-angle-avec-mary-bichner-christina-goh-yann-layma

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Wishing everyone a wonderful autumn season, and looking forward to seeing you this October for “Rencontres poétiques“!

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New Concert: “Rencontres Poétiques” with Christina Goh at Le Centre Musical Ockeghem in Tours, France on October 20th 2022

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Composers Christina Goh and Mary Bichner are excited to announce that Rencontres Poétiques, their collaborative poetry-inspired concert series, will be returning to the stage on October 20th, 2022! This second installment of the concert will take place at the historic Centre Musical Ockeghem located in Tours, France; and will be free to the public with advance reservation. The City of Tours will be the official host of the concert.

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Further details including start times, ticket reservations, and additional partnering organizations will be announced soon! 

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Thank you so much to Christina Goh and The City of Tours for this wonderful concert, and looking forward to October!

“Rencontres Poétiques” Concert — Thank You!

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THANK YOU so much to everyone who joined Mary and Christina Goh at the Museum of Science Boston for Wednesday April 13th’s “Rencontres poétiques” concert! It was a joy to perform for you inside the Museum’s beautiful Omni Theater! And huge thanks to the Museum’s incredible visuals and live production teams, all of our wonderful partnering organizations in France (Muse & Ruse Production, Sabine Soury Poussard, the City of Tours and the Bibliothèque centrale de Tours, The Saché Castle et le Département de Touraine, National Union for Suicide Prevention France, Le Centre des Monuments Nationaux, & l’Office National des Forêts de France), and our special guest singer Mali Sastri for bringing this concert to life on stage and on the screen.



More media from the concert will be made available in the coming weeks, but until then, here are a few photos!:















And here is a re-cap of the concert, complete with photos, from composer and performer Christina Goh via her official website [in French with an English translation option]:



https://conceptmusic.christinagoh.com/rencontres-poetiques



Thank you so much to one and all, and looking forward to the second performance of “Rencontres poétiques” in Tours, France in October 2022 (official date and info coming soon)!


April 13th “Rencontres Poétiques” Concert Write-Up on WGBH News Site

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Thank you so much to journalist James Bennett II of WGBH for including a write-up about April 13th’s “Rencontres Poétiques” concert in his article “The April Drop” on the GBH News site! You can check out the full article here:



https://www.wgbh.org/news/lifestyle/2022/04/01/the-april-drop-from-spinning-wax-to-waxing-poetic




Cheers to one and all, and looking forward to seeing you at the Mugar Omni Theater on April 13th for “Rencontres Poétiques”!


New Concert: “Rencontres Poétiques” with Composer Christina Goh at Boston’s Mugar Omni Theater April 13th

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Greetings everyone and hoping this message finds you safe and well! <3 Posting today with some exciting news: Mary will be teaming up with the incredible French composer Christina Goh and the fantastic Museum of Science, Boston for an evening of poetry, music, and larger-than-life visuals in the Mugar Omni Theatre on Wednesday, April 13th! Bringing their international collaboration to Boston for the first time (they performed in Tours, France last year as part of Christina’s beautiful “Ut Fortis” concert), Mary and Christina will perform musical settings they’ve composed for famous poems in both French and English, including a world premiere from each composer. Inspired by the works of Yves Bonnefoy, Honoré de Balzac, Emily Dickinson, Phillis Wheatley, Marceline Desbordes-Valmore, Edgar Allan Poe, and more; each song will be set to original, immersive visuals developed specifically by the Museum’s award-winning artistic team for the Omni screen.

(This may also be a good time to let everyone know that Mary’s been studying French since June, and will be singing [and speaking!] a bit of French during the concert – be sure to attend to see how she fares! ;))

Here is complete info on the show!:

04/13/22 “RENCONTRES POÉTIQUES” WITH CHRISTINA GOH AT THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, BOSTON
When: Wednesday, April 13th 2022 @ 7:00PM
Where: The Mugar Omni Theater @ The Museum of Science, Boston (1 Science Park, Boston MA 02144)
Tickets: $20 in advance / $25 day of show [General Admission]
Ticket Link: https://www.mos.org/subspace/rencontres-poetiques
Performers: Mary Bichner ( Composer / Vocals / Piano ), Christina Goh ( Composer / Vocals )

Tickets are limited due to COVID restrictions, so purchasing tickets in advance is highly encouraged — you can do so right here!:

https://www.mos.org/subspace/rencontres-poetiques

Cheers to one and all, and looking forward to seeing you there! <3