The Green Room

Sparking conversations about nature, language, and the imagination.

Upcoming in the Green Room:

Virtual Screening: Composer & Sound Artist Leilehua Lanzilotti

Thursday, May 30, 2024 | 2 PM HDT/ 5 PM PDT/ 8 PM EST | Zoom

Join us for a virtual screening of composer & sound artist Leilehua Lanzilotti’s recent Green Room presentation at the historic Washington Place, which coincided with her residency at The Merwin Conservancy. A finalist for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Music, Lanzilotti will speak about Liliʻu, a new opera celebrating the legacy of the last Queen of Hawaiʻi. Set in 1895, when Queen Liliʻuokalani was imprisoned for almost a year in ʻIolani Palace, Liliʻu tells the story of the Queen’s life at a time of great upheaval. Lanzilotti will share excerpts from her libretto, sourced entirely from the writings of Liliʻuokalani—including her newly published bilingual diaries, historical research, and in particular, the seven prison songs. With a live introduction by Executive Director Sonnet Coggins, the program features readings from the libretto of Liliʻu, and includes a performance by choreographer Anthony Aiu, and music by Roomful of Teeth.

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 is a 2023 Native Arts & Cultures Foundation (NACF) SHIFT – Transformative Change and Indigenous Arts Awardee.