Gods of the Earth explores nature not as backdrop but as divine force — elemental, mysterious, and alive with spiritual presence. Featuring songs from Mahler to Monteverdi, this program reveals what happens when humankind confronts a natural world that is sacred, untamed, and ultimately beyond our control.
A highlight of this program is the Midwestern premiere of Vivian Fung's Lamenting Earth, which was premiered in 2023 at New York’s Kaufman Music Center. The cycle is scored for tenor, string quartet, and piano. Anchored by a poem by climate activist-poet Claire Wahmanholm's "O", it’s expanded through high-school students' voices on climate change with poetry that was commissioned from the extraordinary students of the Kaufman school. It foregrounds youth perspectives often left unheard, transforming lament into testimony.
Performance by Nicholas Phan, Jasper Quartet, and Brent Funderburk.