Vocal Artist, Teacher, and Interfaith Musician
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Click on "News" for new June 2008 performance and class dates.Elisabeth Commanday’s warm soprano, generous stage presence, and flexible vocal artistry have given life to music by composers on both coasts of the US, including Bettina Sheppard, Eric Moe, Amy Beth Kirsten, Mark Winges, and Alan Smith. The Berkeley native sang the voice of Russia’s beloved Cheburashka doll on Kronos Quartet’s latest CD release Terry Riley: The Cusp of Magic (Nonesuch) for .(Nonesuch). Other recent appearances include creating the roles of Jane and Lydia Bennet in scenes from Kirke Mechem's Pride and Prejudice at Davies Symphony Hall and commissioning Appetites: Songs on Poetry by Edna St. Vincent Millay from Brooklyn composer Bettina Sheppard; Commanday sang the world premiere of Appetites in recital for Les Arts George V at the American Cathedral in Paris. Earlier this year she created the title role of Teatro Ambulante’s traveling puppet show Carlitos and the Magic Garden, which promotes healthy eating and multicultural awareness in East Bay schools. The soprano currently teaches voice and musicianship in San Francisco at Million Fishes Art Collective and this summer joins the faculty of the Community Music Center.
Commanday moved to San Francisco from New York City after celebrating her graduation from Hunter College’s M.A. program in music. While in New York she helped to create Sheppard's score for the collaborative musical TraumNovela at the Barrow Street Theatre.
A passion for Latin music has led Commanday to study Afro-Cuban folk song, Flamenco "deep song," as well as Brazilian Jazz. She speaks an array of languages ranging from French and Italian to Hebrew and Mandarin Chinese. Commanday holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Swarthmore College and in her spare time enjoys yoga, hiking, dancing, and reading.
She is a member of the professional new music ensemble Volti (from the Italian for "turn the page").
For more information on booking, teaching, and upcoming performances, please click here to send an email.
Commanday maintains a web log on Sound Healing at http://tonein.blogspot.com