Merwin Conservancy Returns to the MACC with Green Room Series, featuring Sound Artist Lanzilotti, April 14

The Merwin Conservancy’s Green Room series returns with composer and sound artist Leilehua Lanzilotti on Sunday, April 14, 2024 at 6 p.m. in the McCoy Studio Theater.

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. These songs provide valuable insights into the mind and spirit of this dethroned, imprisoned Queen still actively engaged in a fight for the sovereignty of her native lands.

Lanzilotti’s work is characterized by expansive explorations of timbre, the unique quality of the sound that a musical instrument makes. Lanzilotti’s practice explores radical indigenous contemporaneity, integrating community engagement into the heart of projects.

Tickets are $25, $10 (Students with ID) plus applicable fees. Tickets to on sale online only at MauiArts.org Thursday, March 21 at 10 a.m.

The MACC will be a collecting donations the night of the event for the Maui Food Bank for those impacted by the wildfires. Donation bins will be located near the entry gates to the McCoy Courtyard.