Soprano Renée Fleming is coming to the Tampa Bay area to perform “Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene.”
She said the project was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, when she had just moved to Virginia. That’s when she realized that being outside was the best thing for her well-being.
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Fleming said she spent a lot of time walking, hiking, gardening — even “hugging trees.”
She had been talking to conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin about working together on a recording when the thought struck her:
“I've always found it interesting that most of the song literature that we love from the late 19th century, early 20th century includes poetry that frames the human existence and human experience through the lens of nature,” she said.
Their 2023 recording “Voice of Nature” was born out of that, and it won a Grammy Award.
She expanded on the idea because she knew someone who knew someone in leadership at National Geographic.
The organization created videos of the Earth that go with each song in “Voice of Nature.”
So, she has the flexibility to change the song lineup based on what is wanted or needed.
And the concert is not limited to songs on the original album. The repertoire includes a variety of genres and music by living composers like Nico Muhly and Pulitzer Prize-winner Kevin Puts.
She explained how she always discusses text with composers she's working with because she wants to ensure she will be happy singing the words and that it's a fit for her.
“Kevin I had already worked with and love his musical language, and then he found this poem by Dorian Lux, and we actually had a phone call with her, because neither of us really knew what it was about," she said. "And that was fascinating, because she explained that it was that the subtext of the poem is really grief. But I said, ‘You know what the words work just as well for climate, because we're grieving … the loss of biodiversity and some of the other things that are happening to our planet."
Her family even weighed in on the program.
One of her daughters said, "Why aren't you performing 'Lord of the Rings'? You're on the soundtrack, and it's a real touchstone for our generation."
"I said, ‘Wow, I'd never thought about it. You're right, that the Bjork song … these are pieces that are beautiful, so they fit in really well,’” she said.
Fleming will perform “Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene” on Jan. 9 at Van Wezel in Sarasota and Jan. 14 at the Straz Center in downtown Tampa, presented by Opera Tampa.
And the Straz Center just added a free event with Fleming. As part of Straz Center’s "Arts+Health" initiative, she will talk about the power of music relative to health and the brain.
Fleming will be accompanied by arts & health industry experts and professionals. Tickets for "Renée Fleming: Music and Mind Panel Discussion" are free and may be reserved online at the Straz website. Or in person at the Straz Center Ticket Sales Office or by calling 813-229-7827 or 800-955-1045 outside of Tampa Bay. Ticket reservations are available now.
