2011/12 NC Symphony Pops Series
Tuesday, May 29, 2012, 7:30pm
Meymandi Concert Hall, Raleigh
James Bagwell, conductor
Perhaps best known for her work with the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs, singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant joins the North Carolina Symphony for a single performance. Over the past 30 years, her distinctive voice, gift for storytelling through music and unique stage presence have earned her a place among America’s most respected artists.
About Natalie Merchant
From the NC Symphony website:
Over Natalie Merchant’s thirty-year career, she has earned a distinguished place among America’s most respected recording artists with a reputation for being a prolific songwriter with a compelling artistic vision and a unique and captivating performance style. With her latest and highly acclaimed Nonesuch recording, Leave Your Sleep, which debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at No. 17, Natalie Merchant embarks on a new artistic path, creating songs from literary inspiration which are composed for expanded musical ensembles and orchestra. In conjunction with her next orchestral recording (release planned for spring 2012), Natalie Merchant will undertake an extensive touring project performing with symphony orchestras throughout the world.
Natalie Merchant began her musical career as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the pop music band 10,000 Maniacs and released two platinum and four gold records with the group between 1981 and 1993. Together with artists like REM, they defined college rock and created the first wave of alternative rock bands and what became known as the alternative rock format on FM radio.
In 1994, Natalie Merchant began her solo career with a self-produced debut album, Tigerlily (1995). In the years following, she released Ophelia (1998), Natalie Merchant Live (1999) and Motherland (2001). In 2003, Merchant independently released an album of American and British folk music, The House Carpenter’s Daughter, on her own label, Myth America Records. In 2005, she curated a collection of her own work for a double album, Retrospective and another for her former band, Campfire Songs.
Natalie Merchant has collaborated both on stage and in the studio with a wide range of artists including Philip Glass, Wynton Marsalis, David Byrne, The Chieftains, Mavis Staples, REM, Daniel Lanois, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Tracy Chapman, Dan Zanes, Billy Bragg and Wilco. Throughout her career, Merchant has also been dedicated to supporting a variety of non-profit organizations by lending financial support and raising public awareness. Scenic Hudson, Riverkeeper, The Center for Constitutional Rights, Doctors Without Borders, Tibet House, Greenpeace, The Southern Center for Human Rights and Planned Parenthood are among the social justice groups to which she has been devoted. Merchant has also served as an appointed member of the prestigious New York State Council on the Arts (2007-11).