Briana Hunter Unveils new Album. Music by Julián De La Chica
"METEORIC" (I care if you listen) rising mezzo-soprano Briana Hunter’s new release, 𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔, Op. 18, draws from the rich African diaspora’s cultural and spiritual traditions, featuring 12 pieces by Colombian composer Julián De La Chica, poems by Hunter and Rae De Vine and accompaniment by pianist Eric Sedgwick.
The album precedes Hunter’s extensive season at the Metropolitan Opera, including four productions.
"Artists understandably can be intensely protective toward their own creative labors. But discussing Dispersed and Transcendental Chants with De La Chica and Hunter illustrates a harmonious process of give and take, sans preciousness or defensiveness. The result is a cycle at once individual and universal: the hallmark of enduring art since time immemorial"
— Steve Smith
"The deeply emotional album forges bridges between this world and ancestral veneration, African spirituality, personal confession, grief, and strength."
— I Care If You Listen
Watch Briana Hunter during the recording of Prelude: Annunciation
The cycle integrates poems written by Hunter herself, and artist Rae De Vine. The final collection of poetry was curated by De La Chica, infusing a deeply personal touch into the musical narrative. The album artfully depicts a blend of African-American heritage and contemporary sounds, inviting listeners on a journey through the singer’s self-discovery through the lens of culture and lineage. The cycle explores the profound theme of connecting past, present, and future, offering a powerful study of the human experience and Black experience. Hunter notes, “We are everyone who came before us and everyone who will be. I think this cycle really achieves this effect.”
Dispersed and Transcendental Chants debuted in December 2022 on the stage of Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center, which commissioned the cycle. The album is produced by De La Chica and his Brooklyn-based record label Irreverence Music Group.
Following the release of the album, Ms. Hunter will return to the Metropolitan Opera, gracing the stage to sing Mercedes in their new production of Carmen, Sister Lilianne in Dead Man Walking, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, and Ruby/Woman Sinner in Fire Shut Up in My Bones. Notably, Hunter made her Carnegie Hall debut in her 2021-2022 season in an acclaimed performance of Julia Perry’s Stabat Mater with The Orchestra Now.
Currently, she is a Fellow with the Artist Propulsion Lab, WQXR’s program to support emerging and mid-level performing artists.