Lara Somogyi: a [time] patterned (Chicago premiere)

8:30pm. $30 ADV / $35 DOS

Constellation hosts the Chicago premiere of a [time] patterned, taken from harpist Lara Somogyi’s second full-length work: a contemporary harp album constructing sonic environments, exploring how time is felt, shaped, and experienced through sound. Built from harp, pedal textures and electronics, virtuosic arpeggios, stacked tape machines, ambient processing, contemporary extended harp techniques, graphic scored symphonic language, string orchestra, and field recordings, the album constructs time not as a linear experience—but as an emotional landscape. Through the process of writing, Somogyi found that time is not something she perceives linearly, but sensorially — through patterns, texture, resonance, and subtle shifts in feeling. In this way, the album centers on an idea that soon emerged: music decorates time. Rooted in a classical and symphonic sensibility, the work expands through a contemporary lens, as Lara continues to stretch the traditional forms and shift how harp is heard. A central pillar of the record was to parallel innovative time-based processes into light, exploring how these approaches can shift the way time is perceived through sound. Writing this record opened a door to composing a world through tape loops, delays, granular repetition and glitches in time, through patterns unfolding and refracting upon each other. Rather than leaning on traditional harmonic structure, the music prioritizes tactile form: a sonic architecture where textures carry meaning and rhythm acts as emotional meter.

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A harpist and contemporary classical performer-composer, Lara Somogyi is known for her work in forging a new artistic identity for the harp. Born and raised in Kauai, Hawaii and New York, Lara is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London, and was awarded as an honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) for her contributions to her field. With an unwavering dedication to sculpting a world of sonic exploration, Lara has seamlessly integrated electronics and pedal effects with her deeply classical roots, redefining the artistic possibilities of the harp. Cultivating an individual sound - she brings a fresh, passionate, modern sonority to the instrument. 

Years of sculpting her sound and developing her set of contemporary expressions on the harp led her to write compositions for solo harp and electronics. Finding company and comfort in vast sonic expanses and exploration ushered her to a renewed clarity of expression and identity with the instrument. Her debut full-length album ! released under Decca Records’ Mercury KX, stands as a testament to Lara's innovative approach, seamlessly blending traditional harp with electronics and pedal effects. Praised by BBC 6’s Mary Anne Hobbs as “an artist who takes the harp into contemporary worlds,” Somogyi’s album was met with acclaim by Pitchfork for its innovation, and showcases Lara's mastery in pushing the boundaries of the harp's expressive capabilities. In 2023, Lara released an "expanded" version of ! which featured new orchestral expansions, new music, and remixes, and in fall 2024, Lara released a new EP entitled blueprints, a reflection on life’s cycles—the way we lay the groundwork, make decisions, adapt to change, and eventually look back to see the design of it all. 

Lara's scoring work includes the Sundance Film Festival premiere of Better Angels: The Gospel According To Tammy Faye, the latest documentary from Academy Award–nominated director Dana Adam Shapiro with an original soundtrack spanning 4 episodes scored by Lara and composing partner Cyrus Reynolds. Producers include Elton John and VICE. Beyond her role as a composer-performer, Lara's sonic footprint resonates across a myriad of acclaimed records including in Bonobo’s Grammy Nominated record Fragments, Ólafur Arnalds & Loreen 's SAGES Remix album, and seamlessly traverses genres in recording sessions for film and TV. She also features heavily on scores for A24's Eddington, Death of a Unicorn, Disney’s The Lion King, The Color Purple, Green Book, Haunted Mansion, Netflix’s Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte, King Richard, When They See Us, The Simpsons, Charlie’s Angels, Spike Lee’s film with Oscar-nominated score Da 5 Bloods, Marvel film Birds of Prey, and Coming 2 America. Notably she played a pivotal role in exploring harp textures and effects for the score to Blue Planet II by Hans Zimmer featuring Radiohead with her signature use of electronics and harp heavily noted on the score.

Her collaboration also extends to the realm of live performances, where Lara's playing has graced stages alongside luminaries like Anderson. Paak, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Daniel Caesar, H.E.R. Camila Cabello, Ashanti, Rufus Wainwright, Josh Groban, Sarah Brightman, Son Lux, and more. In every note she plays and every composition she crafts, Lara Somogyi propels the harp into uncharted territories, creating a symphony that seamlessly marries tradition and innovation. Her musical odyssey continues to captivate audiences, making her a trailblazer in the contemporary classical landscape.

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