{"id":123172,"date":"2026-04-07T12:12:55","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=123172"},"modified":"2026-04-07T14:00:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T18:00:02","slug":"interview-soundstreams-want-tell-everything-composer-nicole-lizee-talks-karaoke-karappo-okesutura","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/04\/07\/interview-soundstreams-want-tell-everything-composer-nicole-lizee-talks-karaoke-karappo-okesutura\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Soundstreams: I Want to Tell You Everything \u2014 Composer Nicole Liz\u00e9e Talks About Karaoke &amp; Karappo Okesutura"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_123174\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-123174\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-123174\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-04-07T120746.948.jpg\" alt=\"Soundstreams performing Love Songs from Love Songs by classical composer Claude Vivier @ Purcell Room, Southbank Centre (Opening 07-05-2022) (Photo: \u00a9Tristram Kenton)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-04-07T120746.948.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-04-07T120746.948-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-04-07T120746.948-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-04-07T120746.948-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-123174\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Soundstreams performing Love Songs from Love Songs by Claude Vivier @ Purcell Room, Southbank Centre (Opening 07-05-2022) (Photo: \u00a9Tristram Kenton)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Soundstreams\u2019 next concert is titled I Want To Tell You Everything: An Anthology of Love Songs. Featuring seven singers, piano, and percussion, the concert explores notions of love, identity, connection, and expression through the works of Canadian composers <strong>Nicole Liz\u00e9e<\/strong>, <strong>Thierry Tidrow<\/strong> (who wrote the title song, a world premiere), <strong>Claude Vivier<\/strong>, and <strong>Ana Sokolovi\u0107<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>It takes place April 9, 2026, emphasizing vocal storytelling with the talents of Vania Chan (soprano), Carla Huhtanen (soprano), Lindsay McIntyre (soprano), Robin Dann (mezzo-soprano), Bud Roach (tenor), Keith Lam (bass), and Alex Samaras (bass).<\/p>\n<p>On the program:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Claude Vivier\u2019s Love Songs and Shiraz \u2014 inspired by his travels through Japan, Indonesia, and Iran.<\/li>\n<li>Ana Sokolovi\u0107\u2019s Dring! Dring! \u2014 an imaginative work that turns smartphone obsession into musical satire;<\/li>\n<li>Nicole Liz\u00e9e\u2019s Want Want Want, Ironic Butterfly, and Break-Up Music \u2014 excerpts from her Karappo Okesutura, Vol. 3, which draws from pop culture and music, and nostalgia;<\/li>\n<li>Thierry Tidrow\u2019s I Want To Tell You Everything \u2014 the world premiere of a work that pushes the sonic envelope.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The performance includes <strong>David Fallis<\/strong>, Music Director, <strong>Gregory Oh<\/strong>, piano, and <strong>Noam Bierstone<\/strong>, percussion.<\/p>\n<p>LV caught up with composer Nicole Liz\u00e9e to talk about the work.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_123175\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-123175\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-123175\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Nicole-Lizee.jpg\" alt=\"Canadian composer Nicole Liz\u00e9e (Photo courtesy of the artist)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Nicole-Lizee.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Nicole-Lizee-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Nicole-Lizee-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Nicole-Lizee-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Nicole-Lizee-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-123175\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Canadian composer Nicole Liz\u00e9e (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Nicole Liz\u00e9e<\/h2>\n<p>Canadian composer Nicole Liz\u00e9e was born in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan. She earned a Master of Music degree from McGill University, and is now based in Montr\u00e9al.<\/p>\n<p>Liz\u00e9e has built an international reputation with imaginative compositions that often take their inspiration from diverse pop culture sources such as films by Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick, rave culture, and MTV videos.<\/p>\n<p>Her works have been commissioned by the Kronos Quartet, the San Francisco Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Gryphon Trio, the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 de musique contemporaine du Qu\u00e9bec, and Eve Egoyan, among others.<\/p>\n<h3>Nicole Liz\u00e9e: The Interview<\/h3>\n<p>Karappo Okesutura Vol 3 was commissioned by the Australian Art Orchestra, her third commission from the ensemble. But, Karappo Okesutura first began back in about 2005.<\/p>\n<p>In an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aao.com.au\/project\/2021\/10\/19\/karappo-okesutura-volume-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">interview with David Jaeger<\/a> about the project, she describes it as something like singing karaoke with a broken machine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s exactly it,\u201d says Liz\u00e9e. \u201cI\u2019m really drawn to events and phenomenons or microcosms that are sociological,\u201d she continues. \u201cKaraoke \u2014 it requires equipment and it requires preparation. It\u2019s very serious.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When her fascination with karaoke began, it was still gaining popularity in North America as a widespread entertainment option.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the time, Karaoke was such an experience,\u201d she says. The organized, even ritualized, aspects of it became a point of interest. \u201cThe fact that karaoke tapes and tracks exist primarily for those events \u2014 but I could also order them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She began amassing a collection of karaoke tracks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen i started collecting them, certain things happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Without the lead vocals, she explains, the songs take on a different identity. Any melody can be superimposed on it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI started to mess with the tapes and splice them. The identity of the song was still there, but it went down a portal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The original track was transformed, and elements like the back-up vocals and other supporting musical lines that would normally be obscured by the lead vocals, came to the fore. Live performance brings it back to its original purpose.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the end of this, I wanted to place the karaoke singer, the star of the event, back into the equation,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>The vocalist sings over a \u201cdeeply flawed and problematic tape\u201d, but in the end, keeps up with all the changes. \u201cIt touches on the identity of the songs, and also the performance. The songs are still there, but it takes on a whole new shape.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As Nicole explains, the primary elements that make up the song are still present, but the live performers reinterpret and reharmonize the melody. She also like to take elements of the original song that were present, but in the background, and put them in centre stage. \u201cThe background harmonies became the lead roles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other include elements can include hand claps, which, along with the ooohs and aaahs of background vocals, were carefully crafted, she points out.<\/p>\n<p>With three volumes of the work, the karaoke inspiration has obviously proved a fruitful source. \u201cI went down a huge rabbit hole,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Karappo Okesutura, performed in 2015:<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vKs8ODNXVrs?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>Where It Began, How It\u2019s Going<\/h3>\n<p>As her fascination grew into a collection of altered and transformed karaoke tracks, Liz\u00e9e looked for a performance opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wanted to have a karaoke night to showcase all the research I\u2019d done. My obsessions!\u201d she laughs. She says the first karaoke night was supported by a number of organizations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was really well received. Nothing had been done like that at the time,\u201d Nicole says. \u201cIt led to Volume 2.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Like Volume 1, the effort was supported by multiple organizations, and was essentially an extension of Volume 1. Volume 2 was performed at a few locations. Volume 3 was directly commissioned by the Australian Art Orchestra in 2019, and developed at Banff Centre for Arts in early 2020. It was premiered by Soundstreams in Toronto, and subsequently released as a recording in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey had performed Volume 1 and 2, and they really wanted their own,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n<p>The decision was made to focus on karaoke tracks of Canadian and Australian pop songs of the 1990s. It was a return to the music of her teenage years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy favourite bands were Canadian, and as it turns out, Australian as well.\u201d She notes that both Canadian and Australian pop songs had a distinctive presence and character. \u201cIt was a no brainer.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/B0bvd5bo3Vw?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>Choosing The Tracks<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s always a very extensive, very laborious process of narrowing them down,\u201d Nicole explains.<\/p>\n<p>For the purposes of the AAO commission, Volume 3 was to be about 90 minutes long. Along with the transformed karaoke tracks, Liz\u00e9e incorporated excerpts from Canadian films.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo select those songs was very, very difficult. I create a pile of many, probably 100 songs, and go from there. It\u2019s a very painful process,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n<p>Choosing the final list boiled down to what worked best. \u201c[I] just went with what took shape, and I could imagine the singer and the ensemble. Honestly it could have been three hours long.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Want Want Want, Ironic Butterfly, and Break-Up Music are the excerpts that Soundstreams will present as part of the concert. The titles may or may not refer to the original song.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPart of this is also that I create my own titles. When they come out the other end, I don\u2019t use the original title.\u201d As she explains, with the background vocals taking over from the original track\u2019s lead, with missing parts and disrupted rhythms, and the electronic glitches she often inserts, they really can\u2019t be presented as the original song.<\/p>\n<p>She bases her titles on the finished product. \u201cAfter that process, what do these mean to me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It also refers back to the original idea \u2014 the various elements that go into a karaoke night in a club.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt also taps into the fact that, when you go into a karaoke night, you don\u2019t know what the next song will be,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s part of the surprise. Sometimes it\u2019s wrong on the screen too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Liz\u00e9e adds to the effect by introducing other unexpected elements like duets.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do always like the idea of a special guest. There has always been a special guest, an audience member [or other person].\u201d She notes the prominence of duets in pop music of the 1970s and 80s. \u201cThere\u2019s something very beautiful about that. You don\u2019t know who the guest is, or when they\u2019ll come in. There\u2019s always that element of mystery and surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Ironic Butterfly, she pushes the role of the bass line. \u201cI wanted to take that supporting bass line and put it in the forefront.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n<p>The Karappo Okesutura project in all its iterations has been a hit with both audiences and performers. Volume 3 has an added appeal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[It really resonates], sonically and with people. I think there\u2019s a lot in Canadian music and Australian music that\u2019s very meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Volume 3 also takes the idea into new dimensions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was important for me, with each subsequent volume, I wanted to delve deeper and do something different.\u201d That means more damage and alteration to the original track.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s the aspect of virtuosity,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat does it mean to have to synchronize and dialogue and harmonize with an increasingly glitchy machine?\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEssentially, everything became more difficult and virtuosic. It really showcases the skill set of the performers, and the singers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The music sometimes skips beats, and the singers have to keep up with all the changes. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to smooth over any of the glitches,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>In Karappo Okesutura, the live performers add the human element to the modified track. \u201cWhat it means for a human performer, a fantastic performer, what it means to exist with a machine \u2014 to transcend the machine,\u201d Liz\u00e9e says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the same time, I wanted to keep the spirit of the karaoke tape.\u201d Karaoke, as she points out, is about connecting with other people, and allowing yourself to become vulnerable. \u201cThere is definitely a support system, and a judgment. It\u2019s an emotional experience,\u201d she says. There is an element of ritual and ceremony about a karaoke night that goes beyond what its original creators imagined. \u201cIt\u2019s like nothing else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an experience that continues to inspire her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow, I want to go and do karaoke,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find tickets and show details about Soundstreams I Want to Tell You Everything on April 9 at Jane Mallett Theatre [<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/soundstreams.ca\/events\/i-want-to-tell-you-everything\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong>].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? Have a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/masthead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>news tip<\/u><\/a>? 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