ELDERFLORA
IF TREES COULD TALK, THIS IS THE TALE THEY’D TELL.
Elderflora is a song cycle on the life of a tree from birth to death. Told from the perspective of the tree itself, Elderflora (“old trees”) follows its journey from tiny seedling born by fire, to towering megaflora in the sky, to decaying nurse log on the ground. Elderflora is also a metaphor for the human experience. Trees, like us, want to feel the sun on their faces. And trees, like us, sometimes climb too high.
Conceived and written by Majel Connery, a Classical vocalist turned electronically curious, Elderflora is steeped in Classical resonances filtered by modern technology. For audiences, the cycle is an immersive 1-hr experience through technicolor soundscapes, ethereal vocals, and the stirring strains of electric cello (played by Felix Fan).
Inspired by the Native American belief that we must relate to the environment as our kin, Elderflora harnesses the human capacity to personify the world helping us see humanity in a tree.
About the composer:
Majel Connery is a composer, performer, podcaster and musicologist. Her music has been called “superb” by the New York Times and “thoroughly Schubertian” by the Wall Street Journal, and has appeared on Radiolab, Kennedy Center Live, and New Sounds radio.
The Rivers are our Brothers, Connery’s song cycle on ecological responsibility, was commissioned by Musica Sierra and is being toured by Grammy-winning choir Chanticleer. This fall, Connery toured Rivers as a duo with electric cellist Felix Fan in the Southwest, in Italy, and returns in the spring to Ohio and California with Australian duo Bowerbird.
Connery is the host and producer of A Music of Their Own, an interview podcast on NPR about women in the music industry. She appears frequently as a solo artist, and with NYC-based art-rock band, Sky Creature.
Felix Fan is a versatile cellist known for his dynamic performances and collaborations. He has performed with renowned musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Gil Shaham, and Janos Starker in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center. His solo engagements include appearances with the San Diego and Pacific Symphonies, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and Munich Chamber Orchestra. In 2006, Fan recorded Gordon Chin's Double Concerto with violinist Cho-Liang Lin and the Kansas City Symphony.
Fan's passion for contemporary music has led to collaborations with leading composers like George Crumb and Tan Dun. He has performed with the Bang on a Can All-Stars and joined the Flux Quartet in 2008. In 1998, he founded Muzik3, a series dedicated to modern music, leading to the formation of the trio Real Quiet, which has premiered over 20 works.
Fan's diverse projects include radio plays with actors like Steve Buscemi and Meryl Streep, and collaborations with choreographers such as Karole Armitage. He studied under prominent cellists and plays the 'Haussman' Stradivarius of 1724.