On Sunday, January 30, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke will perform the world premiere of her new album, how do I find you (Pentatone), in recital with pianist Kirill Kuzmin at the San Francisco Symphony. The album, available Friday, January 28, features seventeen original songs written in 2020 which collectively, in Sasha’s words, “[portray] the range of human experiences during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.” The composers who contributed to this incredibly unique project include Caroline Shaw – from whose song the name of the album is derived – as well as Nico Muhly, Missy Mazzoli, and Jimmy Lopez.
Sasha explains: “Some of the songs are heartfelt, wrestling with societal challenges from racial injustice and school shootings to the California wildfires. Others are abstract or wryly humorous, seen through the lens of harried parents working from home, or mulling that most urgent quarantine quandary: whether to order a Peloton bike.
“The only common thread is that these gifted creators were given carte blanche to create what spoke most to them during this time. The freedom afforded by this unique common thread lends each piece a sense of immediacy and authenticity, offering listeners a chance to find songs that resonate with their own recent lives.”
This coming March, Sasha and Kirill will give the East Coast premiere of the recital at the Shriver Hall Concert Series in Baltimore, MD.
For tickets and more information on the recital Sunday, January 30, please visit: www.sfsymphony.org
For an inside look at the making of the CD album, please check out this video:
Photo: Lynn Lane
