Episode 86 — February 11, 2021
Liz Faure: "Stealing Air" for guitar
Performed by Liz Faure

Guitarist Liz Faure performs her piece, Stealing Air, from her living room in Portland, Maine for this House Music series video. Onscreen, we see her still backyard frozen over with snow as she delicately plays guitar in a cozy den. The music she plays is simple and poignant: She wanted to perform in a way that felt intimate to go along with the theme of the House Music series.

Faure has worked with Metropolis Ensemble once before, when she performed with the group on their Soloicity concert, which was curated by composer Molly Joyce. It was early on in her time as a freelancer in New York after graduating from the Yale School of Music, and it sticks out. Freelancing in a city as big as New York can be intimidating, but with Metropolis, Faure was made to feel comfortable and supported by her peers.

She’s been living in Portland for the past eight months, and making this particular video felt nostalgic. The music she plays was originally a guitar etude that she’d put down for a while—it sometimes feels like it’s not showy enough. But for her, this is music that keeps her honest, that reminds her how to simply express what she’s feeling through sound. To her, Stealing Air feels wistful, sad, and hopeful all at the same time, reflecting the complex emotions we’re feeling right now with grace.

Notes by Vanessa Ague

 
House Music: Bite-sized concerts recorded at homes around the world

In 2020-21, we created a weekly video series featuring short-form concerts of newly-commissioned works, supporting 208 artists around the world during the pandemic.