What was your project about?

My project focused on the Chilean composer Carmela Mackenna (1879–1962), whose art songs have remained largely unknown despite their musical and historical significance. I created the first-ever professional recordings of her songs, helping to make this repertoire more accessible to performers, scholars, and listeners. My project also explored Mackenna’s place within Chile’s musical history and highlighted the important contributions of women composers whose works have too often been overlooked. I also created a page about Mackenna—with biographical information, recordings, scores, and other resources—on Art Song Augmented.

Where are you now and how did your project shape the work you’re currently doing?

Thanks to the Cykler Song Scholar award I could develop my research on Chilean composer Carmela Mackenna. Before, I had always enjoyed playing art song as a collaborative pianist, but after exploring and recording four Mackenna’s songs for this project, I realized how deep, meaningful, and relevant art song is in the context of women composers, especially in the twentieth century.

I currently perform a lot of music by women composers; some of them passed away fifty years ago, while others are just starting their professional careers. It gives me so much joy to bring women composer’s voices alive through my concerts. I regularly perform in Arkansas, where I live, but I also travel to Chile and perform in public schools, attend in-person and online conferences, and give lectures about their work to college audiences. In 2024, along with a Chilean tenor based in France, Daniel Brant, I founded Crisol Duo and performed several recitals in Arkansas and Texas. I am very thankful to this award because it gave me new perspectives on my purpose as a performer and educator.