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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!

Featured in National Geographic’s “The Brain” Special Issue, Published on June 10th 2022

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Mary is honored to be featured in National Geographic‘s “The Brain”, a new special edition of the magazine by science journalist Julia Sklar published on June 10th, 2022. In the article entitled “The Language of Synesthesia”, you can find information on Mary and her synesthetic composing style, including details on her two-year composer residency at Mount Auburn Cemetery of Cambridge, MA.

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The article also contains several photos, including a gorgeous still by photographer Jonathan Beckley of Mary performing during 2019’s “Synesthesia Suite: Live” concert (in partnership with the Museum of Science Boston, Neoperceptions, and SciHub), featuring Neoperception’s breathtaking fiber-optic garments and dome visuals for the song “Lyra“; as well of some photos Mary took of her synesthetic composing tools (including her colored-in sheet music and favorite collection of synesthesia-hued pencils!).

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Although not currently available to read online, you can obtain a print edition of the magazine via your local newsstand, or online retailers such as Amazon.

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Thank you so much to Ms. Sklar and National Geographic for including Mary in this wonderful article and issue!

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(Update 09/17/22: now that this Special Issue is no longer available on newsstands, you can read the passage from the article that discusses Mary’s synesthesia right here.)

Two New Works Available for Booking: Mini Ballet “Oh, the OF It All!” and Mini Opera “Fair Isle”

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Greetings all! Two of Mary’s recent works are at last complete and now available for booking: the 10-12-minute mini ballet “Oh, the OF It All!”; and the 15-minute mini opera “Fair Isle”. Both works feature stunning libretti by the wonderful playwright John J King, who originally conceived of the pieces for his evening-length theatre work, “The Mementi Mori of Edward Gorey”.


Here is more information on both pieces!


“Oh, the OF It All!” is a new, as-yet-unpremiered “mini” orchestral ballet work by composer Mary Bichner and librettist John J King, celebrating American illustrator Edward Gorey’s fondness for the New York City Ballet and its legendary choreographer, George Balanchine. The work is arranged for a traditional mid-sized ballet orchestra consisting of: 2 flutes (flute + flute/piccolo), 2 oboes (oboe + oboe/English horn), 2 clarinets (clarinet + bass clarinet), 2 bassoons (bassoon + bassoon/contrabassoon), 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones (2 tenor + 1 bass), tuba, timpani, percussion (snare drum, triangle, gong), piano, celesta, harp, and string orchestra. You can watch a libretto text video of the piece, as well as take a look at its score and libretto, by visiting the “Oh, the OF It All!” page right here.


“Fair Isle” is a new, as-yet-unpremiered “mini” orchestral opera work by composer Mary Bichner and librettist John J King. Inspired by an episode in the life of American illustrator/author Edward Gorey, “Fair Isle” tells the tale of Ted (Edward Gorey) and Tom, two friends in the midst of a month-long trip through the Scottish Isles. With Tom, Ted’s heart swells like a storming sea, but – as Ted searches for the right words – Tom’s feelings remain firmly planted on earthy matters.This operatic work is approximately 15 minutes in length, and is orchestrated for: “Ted” (tenor vocalist, OR any singer with a range of D#3-A4), “Tom” (bass-baritone vocalist, OR any singer with range of either E2–E4 or A2–E4 [with five optional F#2+E2 notes]), “The Porter” (mezzo-soprano vocalist, OR any singer with a range of E#4-D#5), 1 flute, 1 oboe, 1 clarinet, 1 bassoon, 2 horns, timpani, harpsichord, and string orchestra. You can watch a libretto text video of the piece, as well as take a look at its score and libretto, by visiting the “Fair Isle” page right here.


For booking inquiries regarding these pieces, please contact either composer Mary Bichner ( info [at] marybichner [dot] com ) or librettist John J King ( johnjking80 [at] gmail [dot] com ).


Thank you one and all!

All Past Music Releases Added to Streaming Services

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Hooray! All ten of Mary’s past recording releases — including albums, EPs, and singles from Mary as a solo artist as well as in collaboration with Box Five (her old rock band), Planetary Quartet (her current double-viola string quartet ensemble), and Mount Auburn Cemetery (where she served as composer-in-residence from 2016-2017) — are now on streaming services! Simply search “Mary Bichner” on your favorite streaming app such as Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, Instagram, YouTubeMusic, Pandora, Snapchat, Tidal, TikTok, and more.


THANK YOU to all of the wonderful musicians, engineers, visual artists, and more that made all of these recordings possible, and brought them to life!


Wishing everyone a lovely week, and talk to you soon!

“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

Interviewed for the November 2021 Issue of BBC Music Magazine

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( Photo credit: page previews from the BBC Music website )



Mary is honored to have been interviewed for the November 2021 issue of BBC Music Magazine, as part of journalist Brian Wise’s new article about classical music in cemeteries. Entitled “A grave concern”, the article includes a passage detailing Mary’s two-year composer residency at the historic Mount Auburn Cemetery of Cambridge, MA, USA; as well as a photo of her performing with the wonderful Planetary Quartet during a Mount Auburn pop-up concert in the summer of 2016.



“A grave concern” features interviews with several other musical artists as well as cemetery specialists, including Mount Auburn Cemetery’s Director of Education and Visitor Services, Jessica Bussmann.



BBC Music Magazine can be found in-store at retailers such as Barnes and Noble, as well as via digital magazine subscription services such as Readly and Kindle Unlimited.



Thank you so much to Mr. Wise and BBC Music for including Mary in this fantastic article and issue!



(Update 01/01/21: now that the November 2021 issue is no longer in print, you can read the passage from the article that features Mary’s Mount Auburn Cemetery Residency right here.)

Guest Singer on Christina Goh’s “Double Trinome”, Released Today

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( Photo by: Christina Goh )



“Double Trinome”, the new EP by French composer, singer, and poet Christina Goh, is released today! The EP features special trio versions of two of Christina’s compositions, “C’est un jeu” (with musical guests G.K. Noland and Catherine Capozzi) and “Ut Fortis” (with musical guests Mary Bichner & David Perraudin). The EP is free and can be downloaded via the Christina Goh website right here:



https://utfortis.christinagoh.com/deux-trios-pour-lespoir-et-un-opus



And here is the press release, translated from French to English:


“Vocalists Christina Goh, Mary Bichner, GK Noland and guitarists David Perraudin and Catherine Capozzi cover two tracks from the Ut Fortis show. Double trinomial because in this opus, guitars and vocals express their emotions in the same way.

“To say thank you to all those who have followed over two years the realization of the international and solidarity show bringing together artists from totally different universes.

“Your choice: High resolution download directly and exclusively via the Ut Fortis site but also future listening on your favorite platforms.”



Mary recorded her vocals while visiting Tours, France in June 2021 for the “Ut Fortis” live concert.



THANK YOU so much to the wonderful Christina Goh for inviting Mary to collaborate on this beautiful EP, and we hope you all enjoy “Double Trinome”!