Amy Levy was a 19th century Anglo-Jewish lesbian poet, novelist, and essayist, much admired in her lifetime by Oscar Wilde and many others. The second Jewish woman at Cambridge University and the first at Newnham College, Cambridge—where she experienced considerable sexism and antisemitism– Levy’s literary output explored the early feminist ideal of the “New Woman,” insisting on greater independence for women and the removal of behavioral constraints. While there has been a resurgence of interest in her work since the 1990s, owing largely to feminist scholars, Lubet’s composition is the first professional musical setting of her poetry.

Mezzo-soprano Victoria Vargas, a member of the University of Minnesota faculty, has sung over twenty-five roles for the Minnesota Opera and has performed with the Opera Theater of Saint Louis, Chautauqua Opera, Sarasota Opera, Ash Lawn-Highland Festival, and many others. Her concert credits include performing with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Chautauqua Symphony, and more. Well known for creating new roles, Ms. Vargas will premiere in 2026 the world premiere of the opera Ofrenda with Austion Opera, and will sing the role of Baba in The Medium with Opera Carolina. She has placed seven times at the formerly-titled Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions at both the district and regional levels.

University of Minnesota Center for Jewish Studies and School of Music faculty member Alex Lubet has composed and performed in many idioms and across a wide range of influences. A multi-instrumentalist, his more recent emphasis has been instruments of American folk and vernacular cultures, transcending their customary styles and techniques. Since 2015, his focus has been on mountain dulcimer, for which he has created a “new music” repertoire with many extended techniques and over seventy-five tunings. His works have been heard on six continents, and he has concertized in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Recognized for his use of music to both document and create cross-cultural journeys, including encounters between Jewish music and other traditions, Morse Alumni Distinguished Teacher Professor Alex Lubet has taught composition at the University of Minnesota for many years while also teaching local communities about Jewish music.

Timothy Lovelace is a pianist and conductor whose performances have taken him to Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, the Kennedy Center, Merkin Concert Hall, Chicago’s Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, and series presented by major American orchestras, including the Minnesota Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Minnesota Orchestra under Osmo Vänskä. For thirteen years, he served as a staff pianist at the Ravinia Festival’s Steans Institute. An advocate of contemporary music, he has performed and premiered works by leading composers. Lovelace is head of the Collaborative Piano program at the University of Minnesota.

Reviews of the recording:

“A bold artistic choice….Lubet coaxes sounds from the simple instrument that sometimes shimmer gently like a lute, and at other times wail rawly like a blues guitar.”

“Victoria Vargas brings these verses to life with a powerful yet vulnerable mezzo-soprano voice that cuts through each word with glassy precision.” (Am:plified Mag)

The music “breeds a soundscape that wraps itself around you and takes you on these immense musical journeys and emotional pathways.” (Recording Artists Guild)

Presented in partnership with the Minnesota JCC, The Center for Jewish Studies, and The School of Music at the University of Minnesota.