Leilehua Lanzilotti, Sound Artist & Composer (April 2024)

The Merwin Conservancy welcomed composer and sound artist Leilehua Lanzilotti for a residency in April 2024.

Lanzilotti was joined by the core creative team of Liliʻu —including Kahanuola Solatorio, Anthony (Tāne) Aiu, and representatives from Roomful of Teeth Cameron Beauchamp and Amanda Crider—a new opera celebrating the legacy of the last Queen of Hawaiʻi. Set in 1895, when Queen Lili‘uokalani was imprisoned for almost a year in ʻIolani Palace for her alleged knowledge of an attempt to take back the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, Lili‘u tells the story of the Queen’s life at a time of great upheaval. The libretto is sourced entirely from the writings of Lili‘uokalani, including her newly published bilingual diaries, historical research, and in particular, the seven prison songs. As were the Queen’s writings, the libretto is bilingual in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and English.

In addition to the support of the Merwin Conservancy, this residency was made possible through support from the Atherton Family Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Leilehua Lanzilotti (b. 1983) is a Kanaka Maoli composer / sound artist. A “leading composer-performer” (New York Times), Lanzilotti’s work is characterized by expansive explorations of timbre. Lanzilotti’s practice explores radical indigenous contemporaneity, integrating community engagement into the heart of projects. By world-building through multimedia installation works and nontraditional concert experiences/musical interventions, Lanzilotti’s works activate imagination around new paths forward in language sovereignty, water sovereignty, land stewardship, and respect. Uplifting others by crafting projects that support both local communities and economy, the work inspires hope to continue. Lanzilotti was a finalist for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Music and is a 2023 SHIFT – Transformative Change and Indigenous Arts Awardee.