In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Diana Syrse.
Diana Syrse
b. 1984
Diana Syrse is a Mexican composer and singer, who studied composition at the Facultad de Música, further obtaining two Masters Degrees at CalArts and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Munich, Germany. Her focus is on musical composition for new musical theatre, opera, staged concerts, and interdisciplinary collective creations characterized by an influence of jazz, rock, fusion, traditional music from around the globe, avant-garde, as well as the use of non-Western instruments, theatrical elements, and electronics. Her works have been performed throughout Europe, Canada, Latin America, the USA, Africa, and Asia. Syrse came to Minneapolis in 2009 for VocalEssence’s program, ¡Cantaré!, and worked with several schools throughout Minnesota. Additionally, she composed music for VocalEssence including choral pieces for children and more advanced compositions for high school students. Her piece, Popurri a la Mexicana, remains a VocalEssence favorite and features melodies cherished throughout Mexico. Syrse’s accomplishments include the Musikpreis der Landeshaupstadt München, among others. She currently resides in Munich, Germany, where she continues to compose.
Suggested choral pieces:
- Popurrí a la Mexicana (unpub.)
- Tierra de Maiz (unpub.)
- La Iglesia de San Juan (unpub.)
For more information about Syrse, please visit her website: https://www.dianasyrse.com/