Composer Mohammed Fairouz was recently a guest on The Green Room with Lara Downes, where he talked about inspiration, the life of a composer, and how his album, Follow, Poet, came about.
Follow, Poet is his latest album, released just a couple weeks ago by Deutsche Grammophon and features his works performed by Ensemble LPR. We will be celebrating the album with a performance by Ensemble LPR at (Le) Poisson Rouge on February 23. The program will feature Fairouz’s Audenesque from the album.
The interview highlights Fairouz’s connection to poetry and the written word. Audenesque uses the words of the late Irish poet and translator Seamus Heaney. Fairouz’s tie to this artform feels natural, even though some may say, for modern composers, poetry and composition seem disconnected. It feels genuine when Fairouz talks about connected to the world around you and the importance of meeting people, talking to people, and existing in the world instead of insulating yourself. It’s an interesting interview and it’s worth a listen.
The February 23 performance will also feature mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey, who appears on the album as well.
Not all of the music on the program that night will be taken from Follow, Poet however. The evening will also feature the world premiere of David Handler’s Celtic Verses, rounding out a night the ensemble is calling “An Evening of Irish Song.”
Take a listen to Fairouz on The Green Room below, then join us for the performance on February 23.
photo by Samantha West
posted by Dustin Nelson