A Unique Guest Artist
Hailed by the New York Times as “tremendous,” American percussionist Lisa Pegher joins the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra for the second concert of the Masterworks series, Beethoven Discovers America. Music Director José-Luis Novo leads the Symphony through two performances on November 8 & 9, 2019 at Maryland Hall.
Paving the Way
Percussionists rarely appear as soloists with a classical orchestra, but Lisa Pegher has performed internationally as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. She is known for pioneering percussion as a solo instrument within the orchestral realm, making it her life’s work to commission new compositions that bring percussion to the front of the stage.
Orchestral Involvement
Featured in Symphony magazine as one of the top six performers of her generation, Pegher has accompanied numerous orchestras, wind ensembles, and chamber groups across the globe. Some notable orchestras include the Thailand Philharmonic, Orchestré Symphonique de Trios Rivieres, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Mission Chamber Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Asheville Symphony Orchestra, and Louisiana Philharmonic.
Premiering Works
Pegher has premiered several concertos that were created specifically for her by composers such as Richard Danielpour, David Stock, Mathew Rosenblum, Paul Dooley and Brett Dietz. For Danielpour’s “The Wounded Healer” with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, she was named “an ideal interpreter of the work; receiving a vigorous ovation” by the New Jersey Star Ledger.
“The Wounded Healer”
“The Wounded Healer” revolves around the archetype of the same name, which is initiated into the art of healing through personal hardship. Pegher will feature this piece again during her performance with the Annapolis Symphony. The work is segmented into five movements, each based on different guises that the archetype might appear as across different cultures: The Prophet, the Trickster, the Martyr, the Shaman, and the Mystic. Each movement takes on the characteristics of its title. For instance, the second movement alternates between harmonic lines and fast rhythms, like a Trickster playing jokes with speed and manipulation.
Other Projects
Currently residing in New York City, Pegher also spends time composing original works for amplified acoustic instruments, electronics, and live animation. Her most recent multimedia project, “ImPerFecTion,” was created after she founded The SideFire Trio in 2017. She has been the percussionist for many indie-rock, avant-jazz, and cross-genre bands throughout her career and has recorded with labels such as Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Albany Records, AKM Productions, and her own label, Lisa P. Music Productions.
