Lori Laitman’s work is performed by others all over the world, but she is rarely informed. “Usually, I discover performances by typing my name into Google,” she said.
A Potomac resident, Laitman, recently won a $1,000 grant from the Maryland Arts council in music composition.
The arts council grants awards to state residents in the amounts of $1,000, $3,000 and $6,000 annually. Artists submit their work to the arts council who then send it to an out-of-state jury. “They make recommendations based solely on the work,” said Theresa Colvin, Executive Director of the council.
Colvin said the council gives out approximately $250,000 per year in a variety of categories.
Laitman is no stranger to the Arts Council. “I started applying for this in 1995,” she said. Laitman won a grant in ‘95, in addition to winning in 1997, 2001, and 2003.
Laitman works in an area she calls Classical Artsongs.
“Artsongs are when you take an existing poem and set it to music,” Laitman said.
Laitman works with a variety of poets. In this year’s submissions she used the work of three different writers, for six songs. “One of my cycles was called ‘Men with Small Heads,’” she said. The cycle, a group of songs, consisted of four songs using the poetry of Thomas Lux.
Her other two were entitled “Barter” using the poetry of Sara Teasdale and “Little Elegy” using the work of Elinor Wilie. “‘Little Elegy’ was written in honor of a friend’s son who died of cancer,” she said.
Besides developing the songs, Laitman keeps busy touring.
“I perform all over the country,” she said.
In a twist, the artist who uses the work of others is herself being used by another.
The Cleveland Opera will premier an opera created from Laitman’s songs in 2004. The composer is going to juxtapose Laitman’s songs into a narrative.
“The characters from different songs will talk to each other,” Laitman said.
Laitman’s musical facility has been passed on to all three of her children. Her oldest two children James and Diana Rosenblum are both Churchill grads who have gone on to distinguish themselves in music in college.
Her youngest, Andrew Rosenblum, a 17-year old incoming senior at Churchill has won several piano competitions. He was also accepted into several highly competitive intensive music study programs.