Diana Syrse
Her catalog contains works written for choirs, orchestras, ensembles, electronics, electroacoustic music, dance, opera, and new musical theatre. Her music has been performed in Europe, Canada. Latin America, the USA, Africa, and Asia. She has worked as a composer and singer with the Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the Staatsoper Hamburg, VocalEssence, the Babylon Orchestra Berlin, Kinderkinder, and Túumben Paax. She has been invited to international festivals in the United States, Mexico, Germany, Holland, and Latvia. Her compositions have been performed by the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cuban National Orchestra, the Anne Arbor Symphony Orchestra, the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra, Nemian Dance Company, Dance On Ensemble, Oktopus Ensemble, among others. In the area of opera and theatre, she has worked as a composer in residence at the Kammerspiele München, Schauspiel Frankfurt, the Berliner Ensemble, and the Staatsoper Hamburg. She was also the founder and artistic director of The Breakout Ensemble in Munich.
Some awards and recognitions include the Musikpreis der Landeshaupstadt München,, the FONCA Study Abroad Programme, the Residency at the Banff Centre in Canada, the Counterpoint of Tolerance Project (LA), and the Cité Internationale des Arts Residency in Paris. He was a member of the Young Creators program, the Akademie Musiktheater heute of the German Bank, the Academie d´Aix en Provence, and the European Network of Opera Academies. Diana Syrse lives in Munich
Diana Syrse obtained her Bachelor Degree in Composition at the Facultad de Música (UNAM) in Mexico City. She obtained a Master Degree in the "Performer-Composer Program" at CalArts and a second Master Degree at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Munich, Germany. She is currently pursuing her PhD in composition at the University of Birmingham with Daria Kwiatkowska and Scott Wilson. She studied composition with Gabriela Ortiz, Moritz Eggert, Wolfgang von Schweinitz, Don Freund, Marc Loweinstein, Andreas Kissenbeck and voice with Edith Contreras, Carlos Montane, and Jacqueline Bobak. She has taken master classes with Pascal Dusapin, Bryan Fernyhough, George Lewis and David Rosenboom.
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I wanted to create something that was fun, that had to do with Mexico and that talked about two very basic things that unite all human beings regardless of their origin, orientation and religion, which are music and food. I imagined creating a song in which the choir would invite the audience to their table to share music and flavors. I imagined a piece that was also educational mentioning different dishes, many of them in Nahuatl, and that through music we could share a moment together to heal pain and sadness.
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I loved the idea of doing something special for the Gay Men's Chorus of San Francisco because it is not a conventional choir, there is a strong idea behind its creation that is related to political activism. That's why I thought of a theme that was fun but at the same time had a touch of provocation by inviting everyone to a table which is easy to say, but in reality doesn't happen often in real life in the world we live in today. While composing I found amazing to think that I would have the voices of 100 men singing together an idea that I created alone in the studio. Before starting to write I thought about what we have in common that we could celebrate it together and there were many things. I then decided to share with them and the public what I like the most, the love to music, food and especially mezcal.
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That they have fun, have a good time, enjoy the music and get to know Mexican dishes. I would also like to include the Latino community into this celebration so that they can identify themselves with this song, which is partly in English and partly in Spanish. I think identification and also being represented on a stage through language, or a song is very important.
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I believe that music and art saves our lives in many ways. It gives me hope to see that even though the world is collapsing no matter what, human beings are still creating, imagining panoramas and using their voice, their body and their ability to be able to create music whether it's from seed, composition to performance or conducting. I have also witnessed the effect of music in people. In this specific example I am very moved to know that in spite of the circumstances the choir continues to move forward. We don't have to take going to a concert or listening to a choir like the Gay Men's Choir for granted. On a personal note, it is already a privilege for me to be able to listen to my music in an international environment and to have traveled with it considering that I was born in one of the most dangerous places in Mexico City. I believe that every time my music is presented I feel that my life takes on a deeper meaning and when it comes to choirs, I enjoy that every human being has in his body and soul what I have imagined, that is a gift for me. Humanity goes on in spite of everything and the things we take for granted now were struggles that happened before so that beautiful and wonderful things could be born, that's how I imagine the Songs of the Pheonix program. For me this program means hope, love, dedication, freedom and brotherhood. I am very glad and it was a honor to have composed for the Gay Men´s Chorus in San Francisco and I wish music keeps on going breaking frontiers so that we can all be eating on this same table that is the world we are living in.