Thomas Hampson’s Hampsong Foundation and the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance have formed a new partnership to strengthen the work of both organizations in the art of classic song, or art song, which is poetry set to music. The collaboration, called the Classic Song Research Initiative, will focus on projects related to performance, research, and education through art song. The partnership was made possible through funding from an anonymous donor and the School.
The Classic Song Research Initiative is the formalization and expansion of many collaborations between Hampsong and U-M. Since 2014, Hampson and faculty members have collaborated on performances, such as the “Poets and Patriotism” concert at the Library of Congress, and research for the Hampsong Foundation’s Song of America project. In February 2020, Hampson also visited the School to teach a masterclass to voice students, as well as a session for K-12 students at the School at Marygrove, the U-M School of Education’s “cradle to career” program with the Detroit Public School System.
For more information about the partnership and our upcoming projects, please visit the Classic Song Research Initiative project page.