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October E-News

Greetings from the east coast (I’m on the road!) Excited to share several updates with you:

album art for Canon in D Harp Trio single release

I released a new single! Stream or purchase my Pachelbel’s Canon in D Harp Trio via AmazonMusic, Spotify, AppleMusic, iHeartRadio, Pandora, YouTubeMusic, and many more platforms… (*If you cannot find the track on your platform at your storefront of choice, please check back again soon! Often it takes several days or weeks for new releases to publish across all sites.)

For those seeking copies of my earlier albums (songwriting EPs Ophelia’s Song and Puzzle Pieces plus film-scoring and concert music EP Overture to an Adventure), visit the same platforms listed above for streaming and digital downloads, or order physical copies of CDs here.

  • photo by Julie Smith
  • Photo by Sarah Van Sciver
  • Image by Ashley Becker and Alyssa Brode
  • Photo by Sarah Van Sciver
  • Photo by Julie Smith
  • Photo by Julie Smith
  • Photo by Julie Smith
  • photo by Julie Smith
  • photo by Kirsten C. Kunkle
  • Photo by Raffaella Lo Castro
  • photo by Raffaella Lo Castro

Girondines production photos by Julie Smith

On Friday October 21st, Girondines began its premiere weekend run with Wilmington Concert Opera (WCO). Girondines, based on historical fact, is a new opera in English which focuses on the story of French Revolutionaries who presumably knew one another, met in secret before the Reign of Terror, and supported one another during the political upheaval. All six of the revolutionaries are women, and of these, three are guillotined and three live. I composed the opera’s score and crafted electronic soundscapes to intertwine with the music; for this concert opera premiere production, I am the pianist, music director, and technical director. Our stellar cast includes Girondines librettist and WCO Artistic Director and co-founder, Kirsten C. Kunkle as well as WCO Executive Director and Co-founder Marisa Robinson. Kirsten and Marisa originated the roles of Charlotte Corday and Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze Lavoisier, respectively; a full Cast list is included below.

To get a preview of the music itself, you can watch short clips from rehearsals on Instagram in the music section of my channel highlights or on my Facebook page. I expect you will particularly enjoy this video from when our librettist (and amazing soprano!) Kirsten rehearsed one of her arias in the role of Charlotte Corday with piano, violin, and cello earlier this week. Finally, Kirsten and I are so grateful that OperaWire interviewed us earlier this week about writing a feminist opera – hope you enjoy reading the interview! For any folks involved with voice, opera, theater, musical theater, or other performing arts venues, companies, festivals, or university programs, please let me know if you are interested in exploring opportunities to have your own reading, concert, or staging of Girondines.

Our final performance is TODAY at 2pm EST (11am PST)! If you will be attending in person, I look forward to seeing you at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant located at 503 Duncan Road, Wilmington, DE 19809. The performance is free and open to the public (no tickets required). Due to historical content, we recommend the opera for ages 13 and up. If you are unable to see attend this opera concert in person today, our production team will have a live stream option for today’s performance which you can watch via YouTube. Shortly before the show begins, you can tune in to watch from any laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Please be advised that livestream disruptions are possible, but it is our team’s hope and expectation that today’s digital presentation will run smoothly.

*Who’s Who in our WCO Premiere Cast*

Evening Cast: On Friday, October 21st + Saturday, October 22nd at 8pm:

  • Charlotte Corday……………………………….Kirsten C. Kunkle : instagram * web
  • Olympe de Gouges…………………………………Ashley Becker : instagram * web
  • Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze Lavoisier…Marisa Robinson : instagram * web
  • Madame Manon Roland………………Alyssa Maria Lehman : website
  • Madame Germaine de Staël……………Raffaella Lo Castro : instagram * web
  • Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun……………….Tracy Sturgis : instagram * web

Matinee Cast: On Sunday, October 23rd at 2pm:

  • Charlotte Corday………………………Suzannah Waddington : instagram * web
  • Olympe de Gouges………………..Laurice Simmons Kennel : instagram * web
  • Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze Lavoisier………Alyssa Brode : instagram * web
  • Madame Manon Roland…………………………..Allison Deady : instagram * web
  • Madame Germaine de Staël…………..Kaitlyn Beth Tierney : instagram * web
  • Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun…………………….. Annie Gill : instagram * web
*WCO Premiere Also Features*
  • Pianist/Music Director/TD……………………Sarah Van Sciver : instagram * web
  • Piano understudy……………………………………..Tom Fosnocht : instagram
  • Cellist………………………………………………………..Melissa Brun : instagram * web
  • Cello understudy………………………………..César Colmenares : instagram
  • Violinist…………………………………………………….Thuy Nguyen : instagram
  • Violin understudy……………………………Caroline Stephenson
  • Stage Manager……………………………….Johanna Lynn Jones
  • Photographer……………………………………………….Julie Smith

Wilmington Concert Opera, an exclusively woman- and minority-run company, was founded on principles of diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility.

For anyone seeking a creative collaborator for music, audio, video, web/graphic design, sound, songs, jingles, film, theatre, piano, harp, ukulele, voice, a cappella, mentorship, lessons, etc., I look forward to connecting with you to learn more about how I can help!

July Newsletter

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Hey there,

Several exciting projects and events to share… if you’ll be in LA or Philly for them, hope to see you there! Always seeking creative collaborators, so please send them my way! And feel free to drop a line through the link at the bottom of the page. Enjoy the rest of your summer days!

Cheers,

Sarah

SCORE & SOUND:

STRANGE AS ANGELS

It is such a pleasure working with Born Lucky Studios (Emily Gallagher & Austin Elston), whose newest film Strange As Angels features original score and sound by yours truly. The half-hour film, which Emily aptly describes as “David Lynchian,” stars Emilie Krause, Kate Raines, and Alex Bechtel. You’re invited to join me and the creative team behind the film for an evening of screenings at L’Etage in Philadelphia on August 15th– hope to see you there! The event is open to the public, and you can RSVP (free), here. Check out additional score and sound productions on my film page.

MUSIC & LYRICS:

PETER & IONA

Among the musical theatre projects on which I am hard at work is a fantasy adventure, “Peter and Iona,” chock-full of magic, music, mystery, romance, and rebellion. Writers Patrick W. Phillips & Sara Elizabeth Woodard are responsible for its sensational script while I pen its lyrics and music for a charming cast of characters. Below are two live acoustic demo recordings of the show’s songs, with a new song added since the last newsletter. The added track is the show’s “Opening Narration.” Stay tuned for more demos and additional announcements coming soon! They will be posted alongside other theatre projects on my music for the stage page. Learn more about the project and its team, here.


UPCOMING WORKSHOP:

COPYRIGHT FOR CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS

You’re invited to join me for a workshop as copyright is defined, demonstrated, and discussed in the context of creating, protecting, and respecting original works of art in all mediums. Explore step-by-step registration instructions and discover answers to questions like:

  • how do copyrights work?
  • can copyrights protect my art and my ideas?
  • what do I do if my art was created collaboratively?
  • how much do copyrights cost?
  • what about “fair use” or mailing my art to myself and leaving it sealed?

I’m thrilled to have this workshop at Thymele Arts, launched by fellow CalArts alumnus John Henningsen. Thymele offers collaborative workspaces for LA artists, designers and arts managers; it is a membership-driven live event community that provides members access to rehearsal rooms, meeting space, private desks, studios, and event space for the development of new work. Refreshments will be provided at the talk. RSVP (free), here.

Connect on Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter ● CDs via Amazon | CDBaby | iTunes ● Contact ● Blog

Copyright © 2017 Sarah Van Sciver, All rights reserved.

May Newsletter

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Hey there!

Many songs, scores, and sounds to share, spanning the screen and stage. Always seeking creative collaborators, so please send them my way! Would love to hear your thoughts – you can click the contact link at the bottom of the page. Hope that you enjoy and have a lovely day.

Cheers,

Sarah

SCORE & SOUND:

TWO NEW SHORT FILMS

It is with great pride and excitement that I unveil two new short film collaborations, “Max” by Minkyu Kwak and “Grim” by Torey Bangi. Minkyu is a current student at the California Institute of the Arts, and Torey graduated last year from the Laguna College of Art and Design. “Max” follows an unexpected afternoon in the life of a humorous horse with handsome hand-drawn animation, and “Grim” trick-or-treats through a haunted Halloween evening in a charming town created with stunning stop-motion. As music composer for both shorts and sound creator for Minkyu’s film, I hope you enjoy watching these and others on my film-scoring page.

MUSIC & LYRICS:

PETER & IONA

Among the musical theatre projects on which I am hard at work is a fantasy adventure, “Peter and Iona,” chock-full of magic, music, mystery, romance, and rebellion. Writers Patrick W. Phillips & Sara Elizabeth Woodard are responsible for its sensational script while I pen its lyrics and music for a charming cast of characters. Below is a live acoustic demo recording of me singing one of the show’s song, “Magic,” as well as our official poster. Stay tuned for more demos and additional announcements coming soon! They will be posted alongside other theatre projects on my music for the stage page. Learn more about the project and its team, here.

CONCERT COLLABORATIONS: BAND, ORCHESTRA, & OPERA

This spring, I was lucky to perform in three concerts by friends at the Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts: Maryam Mirbagheri, Jaron Crespi, and Alysha Aurora. For Maryam’s concert which stitched together songs and stories, I sang backups for Maryama Band as we performed her original jazz music ‘with a hint of Persian spice;’ for Jaron’s interdisciplinary show “Ancient Fire Seed,” a storytelling odyssey traversing multiple genres, moods, and instrumentations, I sang in his chorus among the backing band, a funky world/rock fusion chamber orchestra; for Alysha’s original opera theatre work “the Midnite Theater,” I played harp alongside the program’s composer-pianist Diana Cioffari as singer-narrator Alysha guided the audience through dark reinterpretations of classic fairytales. Watch these and other shows on my performer page.

Maryam Mirbagheri – Recital ~ Begin at 1:00.

Jaron Crespi – Recital ~ Begin at 1:16:00.

Alysha Aurora – Recital ~ Begin at 1:12:00

Connect on Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter ● CDs via Amazon | CDBaby | iTunes ● Contact ● Blog

Copyright © 2017 Sarah Van Sciver, All rights reserved.

“Election Day in New York City” awarded in American Songwriter Lyric Contest

“Election Day in New York City” was given Honorable Mention by American Songwriter magazine during their September/October Lyric Contest!!

About the Contest: here

My award page: here

Listen to the song: here

Check out the album “Ophelia’s Song”: here

Front Cover - Ophelia's Song - EPback cover - Ophelia's Song

Thank you to everyone at American Songwriter who supported my song!

Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists in the competition.

And thank you to my band and team who recorded on “Ophelia’s Song.”

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PLEASE COMMENT, SHARE, & SUBSCRIBE!

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…Check out more music… more films…

All Original Music and Recordings ©℗ SARAH VAN SCIVER.

New Recording: “Third Planet from the Sun”

Give a listen to “Third Planet from the Sun:” 

featuring string students and faculty of CalArts, conducted by Mark Menzies.

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Here is a clip of the live recording session at R.O.D. at CalArts:

I put this together for Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick’s Writing for Strings course, last semester.

Enjoy!

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PLEASE COMMENT, SHARE, & SUBSCRIBE!

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…Check out more music… more films…

All Original Music and Recordings ©℗ SARAH VAN SCIVER.

New Film / Score: “Seven Minutes”

Check out this new film,

Seven Minutes 1

Emily Johnson’s thesis film at CalArts.
Seven Minutes 2

I contributed original music to the movie. Enjoy!

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Watch other films made by CalArtians, this year: vimeo.com/channels/calartscharanimfilms2015

PLEASE COMMENT, SHARE, & SUBSCRIBE!

film background

…Check out more music… more films…

All Original Music and Recordings ©℗ SARAH VAN SCIVER.

Concert Announcement: today! Sonic Boom rock orchestra @ CalArts

Psychedelia:

a concert of psychedelic rock song covers by Ulrich Krieger’s SONIC BOOM ensemble

today, May 9th

CalArts, Roy O. Disney Concert Hall

8PM Pacific/11PM Eastern

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Out-of-town? Can’t make it to CalArts campus? Watch the concert *live* on the ROD Webcast.
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I am performing harp and/or vocals in all of our pieces…
RSVP and spread the word on Facebook

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…Check out more music… more films…

All Original Music and Recordings ©℗ SARAH VAN SCIVER.

Concert Announcement: today! Michael Skloff recital at CalArts

Michael Skloff MFA Graduation Recital:

a concert of original pieces and arrangements by Michael Skloff

today, May 9th

CalArts, Roy O. Disney Concert Hall

2PM Pacific/5PM Eastern

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Out-of-town? Can’t make it to CalArts campus? Watch the concert *live* on the ROD Webcast.
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I am performing in four pieces: “After All,” “Face and Grankie,” “Overcome,” and “You Can Leave Your Hat On”

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…Check out more music… more films…

All Original Music and Recordings ©℗ SARAH VAN SCIVER.

New Film / Score: “Insomnibaa”

Check out this new film,

“Insomnibaa”

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Michelle Lam’s first-year film at CalArts.

A young girl’s sheep plush comes to life in the middle of the night.

Watch other films made by her classmates: vimeo.com/channels/calartscharanimfilms2015

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PLEASE COMMENT, SHARE, & SUBSCRIBE!

film background

…Check out more music… more films…

All Original Music and Recordings ©℗ SARAH VAN SCIVER.

Concert Announcement: Sarah Van Sciver MFA Performer-Composer Recital – this Sunday @ CalArts

MFA Mid Res Recital

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Out-of-town? Can’t make it to CalArts campus?

Watch the concert *live* on the ROD Webcast.

~MFA Perfotme ~
RSVP and spread the word on Facebook

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Screen Shot 2014-09-25 at 2.39.35 PM

…Check out more music… more films…

All Original Music and Recordings ©℗ SARAH VAN SCIVER.

Concert Announcement: TONIGHT! Anne Cleary Recital @ CalArts

Make Music, Not War:

a graduation concert consisting of original songs and personal favorites by/from Anne Cleary.

today, February 24th

CalArts, Roy O. Disney Concert Hall

8PM Pacific/11PM Eastern

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Out-of-town? Can’t make it to CalArts campus? Watch the concert *live* on the ROD Webcast.

calarts2

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Screen Shot 2014-09-25 at 2.39.35 PM

…Check out more music… more films…

All Original Music and Recordings ©℗ SARAH VAN SCIVER.

Concert Announcement: this Sunday! Jesse Vandenkooy Recital @ CalArts

Putting Words in Your Head:

a concert of original pieces by Jesse Vandenkooy and Kelly Furniss

this Sunday, Feburary 22nd

CalArts, Roy O. Disney Concert Hall

8PM Pacific/11PM Eastern

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Out-of-town? Can’t make it to CalArts campus? Watch the concert *live* on the ROD Webcast.
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I am performing in a choral piece “Clocktower,” composed by Jesse.
RSVP and spread the word on Facebook

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…Check out more music… more films…

All Original Music and Recordings ©℗ SARAH VAN SCIVER.

Concert Announcement: today! OK Composer @ CalArts

OK Composer:

a concert of original pieces by current CalArts students

today – Sunday, January 8th

CalArts, Roy O. Disney Concert Hall

2PM Pacific/5PM Eastern

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Out-of-town? Can’t make it to CalArts campus? Watch the concert *live* on the ROD Webcast.
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I am performing in an choral original piece “Грустная Земля” composed by my friend Luke Morin.
RSVP and spread the word on Facebook

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…Check out more music… more films…

All Original Music and Recordings ©℗ SARAH VAN SCIVER.

Spotlight: Vocal Arranging

Check out some live performances of the vocal arrangements I have put together throughout this past year:

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Angel With A Shotgun (The Cab)

Burn (Ellie Goulding)/Lose Myself (OneRepublic)

Bust Your Windows (Jazmine Sullivan)/Why Don’t You Love Me?(Beyoncé)

Counting Stars (OneRepublic)

I Really Want It (A Great Big World)

I Want You Back (Jackson Five)

Miss Me (Andy Grammer)

You and I (Johnnyswim)*

*…the original artist, Johnnyswim, liked this arrangement!

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For an up-to-date listing of arrangements I have done, check out Vocal Arranging.

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Happy holidays to you and yours!

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Holiday shopping left to do? CDs make great gifts! iTunes * CDBaby * Amazon

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…Check out more music… more films…

All Original Music and Recordings ©℗ SARAH VAN SCIVER.

Video: OK Composer @ CalArts

You can now watch Sunday’s OK Composer performance!

We performed a piece I composed for choir called “Titania’s Lullaby.” Its lyrics come from a scene in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in which fairies lull their queen Titania to sleep with a song. It was originally commissioned for an experimental theatre company’s production of the play.

Oberon, Titania, Puck, and fairies. Painting by William Blake, 1796.

Special thanks to CalArts/Nicolas Bejarano for the video; to Edward Park and Justin Scheid for curating and running the concert; and to the ensemble: Amy Golden, Diana Cioffari, Drew Corey, Gina Kodel, Edward Park, Julian Karahalios, and Luke Morin.
And thank you to everyone who tuned into watch OK Composer on Sunday!

~

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…Check out more music… more films…

All Original Music and Recordings ©℗ SARAH VAN SCIVER.