Morten Lauridsen artist-in-residence at Arcosanti urban laboratory

Morten Lauridsen, Distinguished Professor of Composition at USC Thornton and National Medal of Arts winner, was the artist-in-residence at the Arcosanti urban laboratory in rural Arizona from Sep. 14-19. The residency culminated in a concert celebrating Lauridsen’s choral works, including his beloved “Lux Aeterna,” featuring Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix, the NAU Shrine of the Ages Choir, Prescott Chorale, Community Chorus Joyce and guest artists under the baton of conductor Michael McCall.

Arcosanti is an experimental urban installation in the rural Arizona desert founded by Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri in 1970. Today, the community hosts a variety of esteemed guest artists and musicians throughout the year, staging popular events and concerts in its avant garde amphitheater space. A follow-up to Lauridsen’s Arcosanti concert was held at the Scottsdale, AZ, Performing Arts Center, in addition to screenings of the biographical documentary, “Shining Night: A Portrait of Composer Morten Lauridsen.”