Synergy Vocals

Synergy Vocals is an elite pool of singers able to deliver a broad repertoire in a variety of styles. The group specializes in close-microphone singing and is often associated with the music of Steve Reich, John Adams, Louis Andriessen, Steven Mackey, and Luciano Berio.

Synergy has given concerts all over the world with orchestras and ensembles including the Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, New World, and San Francisco Symphony orchestras, the Los Angeles, Brooklyn, and New York Philharmonic orchestras, Remix, Nexus, Steve Reich & Musicians, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Asko Schönberg, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ictus, London Sinfonietta, the London Symphony Orchestra, and all five of the UK’s BBC orchestras. The group has also collaborated with dance companies including the Royal Ballet (London) and Rosas (Belgium).

World premieres include Steve Reich’s Three Tales and Daniel Variations, Steven Mackey’s Dreamhouse, Louis Andriessen’s video opera La Commedia, David Lang’s writing on water, and Sir James MacMillan’s Since it was the day of Preparation…, as well as the UK premiere of Nono’s monumental Prometeo on London’s South Bank. Synergy Vocals recently provided the chorus for Ravi Shankar’s opera Sukanya at the Royal Festival Hall in London, and the ensemble is currently working with conductor David Murphy and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on a new project by New York-based composer Satya Hinduja.

As well as live concerts and recordings, the group has undertaken educational and outreach projects in the UK, the Netherlands, the United States, and South America. Synergy’s Micaela Haslam regularly coaches both professional and student ensembles for Steve Reich in the preparation of his Music for 18 Musicians, and has given numerous talks and workshops about Reich’s work.

Synergy Vocals is featured on a variety of film soundtracks, including Nanny McPhee, Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, Severance, Triangle, and Onward, and television signature tunes including the Home Fires series for ITV (UK).

Commercial recordings of the group include the Grammy-winning Dreamhouse by Steven Mackey, Since it was the day of Preparation…. by Sir James MacMillan (with Hebrides Ensemble), De Staat by Louis Andriessen (with London Sinfonietta), Three Tales by Steve Reich (with Steve Reich & Musicians), La Commedia by Louis Andriessen (with Asko Schönberg), John Adams’ Grand Pianola Music conducted by the composer (with the San Francisco Symphony), Kompendium’s Beneath the Waves, These New Puritans’ Field of Reeds, Rob Reed’s Sanctuary, and Steven Wilson’s Grace for Drowning. The group’s most recent releases are Berio’s Sinfonia with BBCSO conducted by Josep Pons (winner of BBC CD Award), Steve Reich’s Proverb with the Colin Currie Group, and The Desert Music with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Robertson and co-mixed/edited by Micaela Haslam.