Kristin Pankonin American Art Song Award Showcase
Program
David Conte: The Dying Californian
from American Death Ballads
Kurt Erickson: Selections from Here, Bullet
Here, Bullet
Curfew
Heidi Moss Erickson, soprano
Kevin Korth, piano
Xingyue Song 宋星樾: The Journey of Poets 诗神远游 (WORLD PREMIERE: Winner, 2025 Pankonin American Art Song Award)
I. Ballad of the ancient bright moon 李白 《古朗月行》
II. Above the Dock 码头之上 托马斯·厄内斯特·休姆
III. Calming the Waves Caught in Rain on My Way to the Sandy Lake 定风波·莫听穿林打叶声（宋）苏轼
IV. Let this Darkness be a Bell Tower 让这黑暗成为一座钟楼
Mila Zhou, mezzo-soprano
Wang Niyang, piano
Matt Boehler: The Great Gramophone of Puzzling Existence (WORLD PREMIERE)
I. Blandeur
II. Another Lullaby of insomniacs
III. Dog
Matt Boehler, baritone
Kevin Korth, piano
Zoe Yost: The Tyger (WORLD PREMIERE: Runner-up, 2025 Pankonin American Art Song Award)
Charles McGregor, baritone
Dale Tsang, piano
Jake Heggie: Crossing Borders
I. Suitcases (Paris)
II. Crossing Borders (Lisbon)
III. To my Diary (New York)
Catherine Cook, mezzo-soprano
Jake Heggie, piano
About the Kristin Pankonin Art Song Award
The Kristin Pankonin Art-Song Award was endowed at SFCM by Kristin’s friends and fans to honor her legacy of collaborative music-making, and her passion for new vocal work. Each fall student consortiums composed of a composer, vocalist, and collaborative pianist submit proposals for new English-language art-song cycles. The proposals–which include samples of previous works, the selected poem or text, and vision for the cycle–are vetted by SFCM faculty, with the assistance of outside judges. The winning consortium receives a cash prize, and then creates and rehearses the new piece, which is premiered the following spring at the annual Kristin Pankonin Art-Song Showcase Concert.
About Kristin Pankonin
A long-time staff accompanist at SFCM, Kristin Pankonin drew students, faculty members, and guest artists into her orbit by force of her compelling artistry, skill, commitment, and humor. She moved audiences around the world through countless recitals. Those fortunate enough to share the stage with her would say that she had “it,” a hard-to-define quality that made for particularly rich and satisfying music-making. A champion of new music, Kristin became a first-choice pianist for composers who appreciated her uninhibited and insightful approach. Her discography for Pentatone includes world premiere recordings of pieces by John Corigliano, David Garner, Gordon Getty, Jake Heggie, and Luna Pearl Woolf, many written for her and her collaborative partners. A master of many genres, she was particularly inspiring with vocal music.
Composition
Elinor Armer
Mason Bates
David Conte
David Garner
Jake Heggie
About SFCM’s Composition Department
Prize-winning faculty develop and refine the skills of the next generation of great composers. The composition department both honors tradition and encourages innovation. Our four versatile faculty members closely mentor students while maintaining high-profile composing careers. We strongly emphasize interdepartmental collaboration, matching composers with performers, as well as offer frequent concerts and readings of student works. Every year, SFCM hosts the Highsmith Competition, an internal composition contest that grants the winner a performance of the submitted work by the Conservatory Orchestra. You'll be able to take advantage of the extraordinarily rich musical life of San Francisco, home to some of the most groundbreaking musical activity of the past half-century.
About SFCM’s Voice Department
Find your voice—and your community. A tight-knit group, voice students work closely with all-star faculty who have performed at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Paris Opera, Milan’s La Scala, and many others. As a student at SFCM, you'll have the opportunity to regularly attend dress rehearsals at the San Francisco Opera and take advantage of performance opportunities around the Bay Area.
Upcoming Events
