Home Blythe Gaissert

• David T. Little (b. 1978), Royce Vavrek:
• 1 Archaeology 04:55
• Rene Orth , Li Qing Zhao: Songs from Exile:
• 2 Songs from Exile: I. Dian Di 04:25
• 3 Songs from Exile: II. Distant Dreams 02:52
• Martin Hennessy, Paul Eluard (1895 - 1952):
• 4 Nous Deux 06:54
• Laura Kaminsky (b. 1956), Kimberly Reed:
• 5 Carne Barata 07:17
• John Glover (1815 - 1899), Kelley Rourke:
• 6 Home Is Where I Take My Shoes Off 04:58
• Kamala Sankaram (b. 1978):
• 7 ramonanewyorkamsterdam 05:02
• Ricky Ian Gordon (b. 1956):
• 8 Jerry Hammer 06:23
• Mikael Karlsson (b. 1975), Rob Stephenson:
• 9 Bungalow, Pt. 1 08:43
• 10 Bungalow, Pt. 2 05:18
• Total Runtime 56:47

Info for Home

HOME by acclaimed mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert is a collection of new works written for the artist from eight composers and librettists representing diverse backgrounds and musical styles.

The album consists of eight world premiere recordings which reflect on the broader social implications of “home,” including dislocation, immigration, love and mourning, all written expressly written for Ms. Gaissert by Ricky Ian Gordon, John Glover, Martin Hennessy, David T. Little, Laura Kaminsky, Mikael Karlsson, Rene Orth, and Kamala Sankaram. The opening track features lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winning librettist Royce Vavrek. The collaborative musicians on the album include Grammy®-winning & Grammy®-nominated musicians from the Attacca Quartet, Aizuri Quartet, Sybarite5, & Imani winds. At the helm is 11 time Grammy award winning producer of the year, Judith Sherman.

"In the past year, as I was deciding about what sort of artistic statement I wanted to make with my debut album, the idea of how important having a safe, warm and loving place to live played a prominent place in my life. When we were getting ready to move, I found myself having long conversations with my 7 year old about what “home” is. I told him that it isn’t just the place, but the love of the people inside the home, as well as the feeling of the community outside the home. At the same time, we started having all of these horrific stories from the border about people trying to find a safe place to live being separated from their families, children isolated from parents. All this after so many thousands of years of people being exiled from their homes and creating new ones......it started with me and rippled outwards and became obvious this is what I wanted to use as a theme. When I approached the composers, this resonated with them as well, both personally and in a larger social sense." (Blythe Gaissert)

Blythe Gaissert, mezzo-soprano

Blythe Gaissert
has established herself as one of the preeminent interpreters of some of the brightest stars of new classical music. A true singing actress, she has received critical acclaim for her interpretations of both new and traditional repertoire in opera, concert, and chamber repertoire. “Gaissert gave a dramatically powerful, vocally stunning portrait of a woman growing increasingly desperate and delusional from lack of contact with the outer world. Gaissert’s development of Loats’s personality was utterly believable, and she gave a virtuoso performance of this very challenging music’ (Arlo McKinnon, Opera News for The Echo Drift). Known for her warm tone, powerful stage presence, and impeccable musicianship and technical prowess…."Mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert was impossible to ignore as the headstrong Mother Marie. She has a pure, powerful and appealing voice and a forceful stage presence to match." (Denver Post)

In the 19-20 season, Ms. Gaissert created the role of Dorothy in the world premiere of Kamala Sankaram and Rob Handel's LOOKING AT YOU with Here Arts Center NYC, sang Gertrude Stein in Ricky Ian Gordon and Royce Vavrek’s 27 with Intermountain Opera Bozeman, Hannah After in AS ONE with Opera Columbus and Opera Memphis, covered Margret in WOZZECK at the Metropolitan Opera, sangs Hansel in HANSEL AND GRETEL at San Diego Opera, sangs the world premiere of a chamber piece by John Glover and Kelly Rourke with Echappe Ensemble, sangs BEETHOVEN 9 with the Fort Worth Symphony, the world premiere of songs by Kamala Sankaram, David T. Little and Martin Hennessy with Sybarite5, the world premiere of Robert Patersons AUTUMN SONGS with American Modern Ensemble at Carnegie Hall and finished out with a recital of Brahms and Schubert with the Brooklyn Art Song Society.

In the 2018-19 season, Ms. Gaissert created the role of Georgia O’Keefe TODAY IT RAINS with San Francisco’s Opera Parallele, the world premiere of the third opera by the highly acclaimed and record setting team of AS ONE: Laura Kaminsky, Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed. She is also reprising her role as Hannah After in her 6th production of AS ONE with New York City Opera/American Opera Projects, performed Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with both the Buffalo Symphony and Sarasota Orchestra, and performed in a workshop performance of Laura Kaminsky’s fourth opera, also with librettist Kimberly Reed, POSTVILLE: HOMETOWN TO THE WORLD with Opera Fusion: New Works in conjunction with Cincinnati Opera and her alma mater Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. Recent engagements include Berio Folk Songs and Siegrunue DIE WALKUERE with the Dallas Symphony, and Berlioz L’Enfance du Christ with the Orquesta Sinfónica y Coro RTVE conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya.

Previous engagements include CARMEN, Orlovsky DIE FLEDERMAUS, Hansel HANSEL UND GRETEL, Siegrune DIE WALKURE, Lucretia RAPE OF LUCRETIA, Maddalena RIGOLETTO, Suzuki MADAMA BUTTERFLY, soloist in the Verdi Requiem, Berio Folk Songs, Mozart Requiem, world premieres by John Adams, Laura Kaminsky, Mikael Karlsson, Robert Paterson, Martin Hennessy, Mohammed Fairouz, Richard Pearson Thomas, Glen Roven, Yotam Haber, Jorge Martin, Tom Cipullo, Renee Favand-See, Gilda Lyons, Jessica Meyer, Gabriel Kahane and more. companies with whom Ms. Gaissert has performed include the Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Opera, Dallas Symphony, San Diego Opera, Prototype Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, Lyrique en Mer, Tulsa Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Sarasota Opera, and Opera Saratoga.

This album contains no booklet.