The Lost Voice in the press: Read the Seattle Weekly's preview.

Supported by a grant from 4Culture, and presented in partnership with the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute.
World Premiere: April 6, 2014 at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute in Seattle, WA.
Jonathan Silvia, baritone; Aaron Grad, narrator; Julia Tai, conductor; Seattle Modern Orchestra.
Masks by Mary Levinsky.

The Lost Voice, with words and music by Aaron Grad, tells the story of a boy who loses his voice when faced with life’s hardships. To find his voice again, he journeys to a magical forest, where he encounters animal allies and reclaims his own true song. During the 25-minute work, a bass-baritone singer and a chamber ensemble of flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion move and interact on the concert stage, at times wearing fanciful animal masks created by an artist for this production.

The Lost Voice aims to speak with equal relevance to children and to adults. In this realm, Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals and Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf stand as prime inspirations. The sound world of The Lost Voice is bright and whimsical, playing up the humor and dramatic turns of the story. The lone vocalist sings all roles, including the boy, a songbird, a bear and an ant, while the instrumentalists play themes that mimic various other animals. A narrator guides the action and leads a section of audience participation during the work’s climax.