News
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A Conversation on New Works in Opera
I am delighted to participate on a panel at the Opera America Conference on May 14, 2026 at 3:30 pm EDT. The conversation will take place at The Hotel Dupont in Wilmington, DE. I will be joining Michael Bobbitt, Lawrence Edelson, Frances Pollock, Stephen Schwartz, Jeanine Tesori, David Cote and Jasmine Barnes.
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Lyric Opera of Orange County to present Maya and the Magic Ring on May 9, 2026 at University High School Theatre in Irvine, CA
Lyric Opera of Orange County will be presenting 2 performances of Maya and the Magic Ring, my opera with Dana Gioia. The production will be on May 9, 2026 at The University High School Theatre in Irvine, CA — at 2 pm and 4:30 pm. For tickets, please click here. The work was commissioned by Lyric
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Justin Vickers’ After the Premiere: From Fairy Tale to Terezín — Lori Laitman, Children’s Operas, and the Work of Musical Memory
Justin Vickers’ insightful article ties together my musical philosophy — as he writes about my children’s operas and my works to honor those who perished in the Holocaust. After the Premiere: From Fairy Tale to Terezín — Lori Laitman, Children’s Operas, and the Work of Musical Memory
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Vedem to be featured on WETA’s Choral Showcase 4.12.26
In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah), WETA’s Choral Showcase, hosted by Bill Bukowski, will feature Vedem, my oratorio with David Mason, as well as Charles Davidson’s choral work I Never Saw Another Butterfly. The program will air at weta.org at 9 pm Eastern. The full interview with Bill is available here, on the
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The One with Lori Laitman & Caitlin Vincent
Cincinnati Song Initiative’s “Song Cycle” Podcast — The One with Lori Laitman & Caitlin Vincent — is live as of February 24, 2026. It was so much fun to speak with Sam Martin and Laura Strickling about working with Caitlin. Our one collaboration to date, Thanks a Latte, was thanks to Laura, who commissioned us for her
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Video excerpts from Vedem, performed by Music of Remembrance on 1.26.26
All videos are from Music of Remembrance’s Art From Ashes concert 1.26.26 at Benaroya Recital Hall in Seattle, WA. Featuring the Northwest Boychoir with Jacob Winkler, Music Director; soprano Vanessa Isiguen; tenor Martin Bakari; clarinetist Laura DeLuca; violinist Mikhail Shmidt; cellist Eric Han and pianist Christina Valdés. Thanks to videographer Andrew Mayatskiy for the beautiful
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The Three Feathers — my opera with Dana Gioia, to be presented in April by The School of Music at The University of Texas in San Antonio
The Three Feathers, my fairy-tale opera with librettist Dana Gioia, will be presented by the students at The School of Music at The University of Texas in San Antonio on April 11 at 7 pm and April 12th at 3 pm. Dr. Jordan D. Boyd will be the Music Director, and I have made a
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My two children’s operas with Dana Gioia — The Three Feathers and Maya and the Magic Ring — to have performances in Austin and San Antonio, TX in April 2026.
For the Austin Community College performances, the address is: 6101 Highland Campus Dr., Austin TX 78737 and parking instructions are here.
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Masterclass on March 30, 2026 for CUNY Queens College
I will be conducting a masterclass for the voice graduate students of Dr. Sherry Overholt at CUNY Queens College in NY on March 30, 2026. I’ll be selecting the songs for each student — and I look forward to working with them! Long before I wrote anything for voice, Sherry and I overlapped at Yale in
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I Never Saw Another Butterfly — new recording released with mezzo-soprano Janna Baty and bassoonist Frank Morelli
I Never Saw Another Butterfly was my first Holocaust-themed song cycle. The work sets six poems by children who were killed in the Holocaust and the cycle progresses from feelings of innocence and hope to those of despair and sorrow. Composed in 1996 and scored for solo voice with alto saxophone, I later created additional versions
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Music of Remembrance to reprise VEDEM
Vedem, my Holocaust-themed oratorio with librettist David Mason, tells the story of the boys of Terezin and their secret magazine, written between 1942-1944. The work was commissioned by Music of Remembrance and the group premiered it in May of 2010, with Naxos releasing the CD a year later. A repeat performance was held in November
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THE THREE FEATHERS — new cast possibilities
In January 2026, I created a new version of The Three Feathers — my fairy tale opera with Dana Gioia — to allow for more flexible casting. The new versions allow for “The King of the Upper World” (baritone) to be sung as “The Queen of the Upper World” (mezzo-soprano). Please see my opera catalog for
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We Go On, Oswego: A Theatrical Song Cycle in dedication to the women of the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter
Dr. Katie Hannigan, in collaboration with Finger Lakes Opera, is presenting a theatrical song cycle entitled “We Go On, Oswego”. Katie conceived of this project to tell the story of several Jewish refugee women housed at the Emergency Refugee Camp in Fort Ontario, NY during WWII. This camp was the only refugee camp in the
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Vanderbilt University Visit
I will be in residence at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN from November 10-12, 2025, coaching students and giving a master class and talk on my music.
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Jane Manning’s Vocal Repertoire for the Twenty-First Century, Volume 2
Jane Manning was described as the “life and soul of British contemporary music” — and her book about 21st century vocal repertoire examines a variety of songs. One chapter is devoted to my Men with Small Heads cycle, to Thomas Lux’s poetry. I am grateful for her insights into my music. “IT is an unalloyed pleasure
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Yale Alumni Magazine interview
brin solomon (Yale ’14) interviewed me for the September/October 2025 issue of The Yale Alumni Magazine — for the “Where Are They Now” column.
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Pomona College Residency
I will be in residence at Pomona College between October 21-25, 2025, and am so honored that the faculty and students will be presenting a concert of my music to celebrate my recent 70th birthday! https://www.pomona.edu/events?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D190702908
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Music of Remembrance to reprise Vedem on January 26, 2026
Music of Remembrance commissioned Vedem and premiered the work in May of 2010. I am delighted that The Northwest Boychoir will once again join forces with Mina Miller and Music of Remembrance to reprise Vedem. Click for information about the original production.
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The Making of Maya and the Magic Ring
Andrew Newbegin made a series of videos for Lyric Opera of Kansas City about the creation of Maya and the Magic Ring, my children’s opera with Dana Gioia that was commissioned by LOKC — links are below. Plot and Characters Guide The Compositional Process The Importance of New Operas Making Magic Together
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Mentor for Lyric Opera of Kansas City/No Divide KC’s Come as You Are Fellowship program
I am delighted to serve as a mentor for the composers for No Divide KC‘s Come as You Are (CAYA) Fellowship program, founded by Stacy Busch and Neal Long. Three composer/librettist pairs will write and workshop micro-operas created for children and their families. This year’s composers are Ian Y. Chung, Rodrigo Camargo and Ashi Day
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Manhattan School of Music Precollege Opera Workshop to present Scene 1 of The Three Feathers
The Manhattan School of Music Precollege Opera Workshop will be presenting Scene 1 of The Three Feathers in their 2025 Staged Scenes Program, under the direction of David Gordon. The concert will be in Ades Hall at the Manhattan School of Music on May 10, 2025 at 2:30 pm. Admission is free of charge and
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Maya video excerpts now on YouTube
“I’m The King of the Cats” Aria — with Alex Smith as the Cat and Bethany Jelinek as Maya — and “Nobody Trusts a Genie” — with Luke Harnish as the Genie Maya alone — discovering the ring — with Bethany Jelinek as Maya What Grandmothers Know — the opening aria for Grandmother — with Virginia Reed as
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Laura Strickling’s 40@40 Anthology
The first volume of Laura Strickling’s 40@40 Anthology has just been published by NewMusicShelf. A few years ago, Laura, a champion of American art song, commissioned 40 new works for her 40th birthday. One of those works is my Thanks a Latte, to Caitlin Vincent’s wonderfully humorous poem. Laura recorded the first 20 songs on
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Yale School of Music Alumni News Profile
I am honored to be featured in the Yale School of Music Alumni News for Spring 2025. My thanks to Jennie Chen, Director of Communications at Yale School of Music and Katherine Darr, Director of Development and Alumni Affairs, for contacting me.