PRE SHOW SET 

“Out of the South Blew a Wind” by Florence B. Price (1887-1953). Florence Price was an American classical composer and was the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer. She composed over 300 works including symphonies, concertos, choral works, art songs, chamber music, and solo instrument music. She was a prodigy, giving her first piano performance at 4, her first publication at 11, and graduating from high school at 14 as valedictorian despite the racial issues she experienced in Little Rock, Arkansas. She then attended the New England Conservatory in Boston with a double major in organ and piano teaching. She listed herself as from Mexico to avoid racial discrimination among her peers. in 1927, the Price family moved north during the Great Migration to escape Jim Crow laws in the south and Price was met with the Chicago Black Renaissance where her work thrived. Fun fact, in February 2025, a crater on Mercury was named after her. 

 

“Die Lotosblume” by Robert Schumann (1810-1856). Robert Schumann was a German composer during the Romantic era, composing for solo piano, voice, chamber music, orchestra, and opera. He married Clara Schumann in 1840, a woman composer whom he got much inspiration from. 

 

“The Ballad of Jane Doe” by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell. “The Ballad of Jane Doe” is from Ride the Cyclone (2008) following the stories of several choir students who perished in a freak rollercoaster accident leading them to their deaths. Jane Doe was decapitated in this event, forgetting herself and all her loved ones and left in a limbo of only questioning who she once was. 

 

Artist Statement

 

As a performer, particularly consisting of singing, acting, and dancing, having the ability to share human connection through storytelling, both with movement and through song, is my favorite part of being alive. I specialize in disability and queer research therefore it's important to me how disabled and queer people are presented on the stage, unfortunately not typically in a good light, and how that can be changed either in the realm of the production or in writing new scripts and scores. As a young artist, I have made it my priority to create and share art that is thought-provoking and challenges the stereotypes that hold us back. In college, I began expanding my horizons of vocal performance and I soon began studying opera with Emily Sinclair. The study and presentation of classical music was something completely new to me, and I jumped head first into breaking down musical composition, language structures, and performing opera. Music theory and learning how to sing in 5 different languages presented a new challenge and academic precision to my life. Ultimately, I want my life to be filled with a variety of creative performance art across the globe. I love being able to work on a variety of projects and be a part of a thriving community of connected and supportive artists. 

 

Artist Biography 

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Err Shirley is a recent University of California, Santa Cruz graduate, gaining their degree in Theatre Arts and Western Art Music with an emphasis in Vocal Performance. They plan to continue their studies through graduate school and private voice and acting teachers to better prepare themself for performing a variety of live theatre such as musical theatre and opera. They are currently a part of Chamber Singers conducted by Mickey McGushin, the Celtic Ensemble directed by Bill Coulter, and will be performing in Le nozze di Figaro as Cherubino in May through the UCSC Music department. Previous performances include Frenchie in Cabaret with Renegade Theatre Co. and Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods with UCSC Opera. Err is also presenting their vocal recital entitled Discovering Identity at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center as a series of Musical Theatre style songs on June 4th at 7pm.

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Feel free to visit my website at https://thesierrashirley.wixsite.com/thesierrashirley