Eliza Bagg
Soprano
Eliza Bagg is a Los Angeles-based experimental musician. Along with her own work, she has collaborated with a number of prominent composers on projects ranging from Meredith Monk’s epic wordless opera Atlas with the LA Philharmonic (dir. Yuval Sharon) to chamber motets by John Zorn. Other recent projects include Michael Gordon’s avant-opera Acquanetta directed by Daniel Fish at Bard Summerscape, a premiere by Ellen Reid with the New York Philharmonic, new works by Caroline Shaw, David Lang and Bryce Dessner with Roomful of Teeth, a collaboration with Daniel Wohl for voice, electronics, and string quartet, and new works by Ben Frost and Julianna Barwick for a performance on the Liquid Music Series.
Bagg writes, produces, records, and performs a solo future-pop performance project as Lisel, whose music has been called “otherworldly, warped” (Stereogum) and “billowing, crystalline” (Gorilla vs. Bear). Lisel’s debut album, Angels on the Slope, was released July 26 on Luminelle Records and received critical acclaim from publications such as Pitchfork, Billboard, and The Fader. Bagg has been noted for her use of extended techniques and unique vocal sound, which Pitchfork compared to “a lovelorn alien reaching out from the farthest reaches of the galaxy” and is the basis for the ethereal, otherworldly landscape of her music.
Bagg sings regularly as a member of Roomful of Teeth and ModernMedieval trio. She has performed as a soloist on new music series of major symphonies including the Chicago Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the North Carolina Symphony, and the San Francisco Symphony.
Bagg has performed at venues around the world such as Walt Disney Hall, Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, International Theater Amsterdam, Art Institute of Chicago, the Kitchen, the Guggenheim, Tanglewood, Iceland Airwaves, and the Ecstatic Music Festival.
She has sung with groups like Bang on a Can All-Stars, Trinity Wall Street, NOW Ensemble, TENET, Conspirare, and Victoire (among others). Recent work with electronic, pop, and indie-rock artists include Lorde, Tim Hecker, GABI, Olga Bell, Nick Zammuto, Helado Negro, Julianna Barwick, and San Fermin. Other recent performances include Michael Gordon’s opera Acquanetta at the 2018 Prototype Festival, and appearances at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s musicNOW series, and Duke Performances.
Bagg graduated in 2012 with a BA in Music from Yale University. She was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina where she spent most of her time playing violin and studying modern dance.