in the shadow of her locks
A intimate salon concert exploring hair through song, poetry and art, in all its shades of beauty, desire, memory, identity and agency.
Sarah jo kirsch, soprano
Taryn Plater, mezzo-soprano
Anna sagalova, piano
anna pidgorna, mc
Next Event
November 14 + 15, 2026
The Highbrow, New Westminster
In the Shadow of Her Locks is an evening of song exploring hair in the work of classical and contemporary poets and composers. Soprano Sarah Jo Kirsch, mezzo-soprano Taryn Plater, and pianist Anna Sagalova move through the erotic, melancholy, humorous, and absurd dimensions of this deeply intimate subject, guided by composer and curator Anna Pidgorna.
The journey will start in the 19th century with works by Johannes Brahms, Hugo Wolf, Franz Schubert and Mykola Lysenko, travel through the turn of the 20th century with Claude Debussy and Rita Strohl, pay an homage to Nina Simone, and arrive at the colourful works by contemporary composers Jocelyn Morlock, Emily Doolittle, Libby Larsen and Gloria Xia, exploring hair in all its hues.
Presented in an intimate salon setting and surrounded by visual art centred on the same theme, the concert brings music, poetry, and art into conversation around the meanings we attach to hair—and the stories it can tell about beauty, desire, memory, identity, and agency.
program
JOHANNES BRAHMS
“Spanisches Lied” from Gesänge Op. 6
(poetry by Pedro Arias Pérez, translated to German by Paul Heyse)
HUGO WOLF
“In dem Schatten meiner Locken” from Spanisches Liederbuch: Weltliche Lieder
(poetry by Pedro Arias Pérez, translated to German by Paul Heyse)
FRANZ SCHUBERT
“Versunken” (poetry by Johann Wolfgang Goethe)
MYKOLA LYSENKO
A selection of songs
FRANZ LISZT
Die Loreley (piano solo)
CLAUDE DEBUSSY
“La chevelure” from Chansons de Bilitis (poetry by Pierre Louÿs)
The girl with the flaxen hair (piano solo)
RITA STROHL
“La chevelure” from Douze chants de Bilitis (poetry by Pierre Louÿs)
NINA SIMONE
“Black is the colour” (a traditional song in an arrangement inspired by Nina Simone)
JOCELYN MORLOCK
Selections from Perruqueries (poetry by Bill Richardson)
EMILY DOOLITTLE
“Nicely” from Child’s Play (poetry by Erik Satie)
LIBBY LARSEN
“Blond Men” from Love after 1950 (poetry by Julie Kane)
GLORIA XIA
“Shavers” from Good Hair, Bad Hair II
performances
November 14, 2026 | 7:30 PM
The Highbrow (2-1019 Third Ave, New Westminster, BC)
A intimate salon concert exploring hair through song, poetry and art, in all its shades of beauty, desire, memory, identity and agency.
Tickets: $40-65
NOVEMBER 15, 2026 | 2:00 PM
The Highbrow (2-1019 Third Ave, New Westminster, BC)
A intimate salon concert exploring hair through song, poetry and art, in all its shades of beauty, desire, memory, identity and agency.
Tickets: $40-65
artists
sarah jo kirsch | soprano
Sarah Jo Kirsch (they/them) is a highly versatile vocalist/soundmaker based in the region of unceded Coast Salish territory colonially referred to as Vancouver. Steeped in Western European classical traditions and their evolutions,SJ has performed song, oratorio, and opera across Turtle Island and beyond. SJ is a sought-after premiere interpreter of new works, a composer of their own sound/text works, a session vocalist, and an active part of the local sound/noise improvisation community. SJ also offers their insight on song/voice as instructor/lecturer/facilitator/pundit for various arts organizations and academic institutions.
taryn plater | mezzo-soprano
Taryn Plater is a versatile singer and creator, recognized for her “dramatic and vocal thrust” and “velvety vocal texture” (Opera Canada). Driven by an interest in opera’s relationship to different genres and mediums, her portfolio focuses on Ukrainian art song, collaboration with dance, and the intersection of jazz and classical music. As a founding member of Opera Unbound, Taryn pursues projects that open new avenues for artistic collaboration. She was an emerging artist with Manitoba Opera and has been part of developing new works with Paper Rabbits, Good Mess Opera Theatre, Belle Spirale, and Against the Grain’s National Opera Intensive.
Photo by Anya Chibis
ANNA SAGALOVA | PIANo
Anna Sagalova is a renowned Ukrainian pianist and Honoured Artist of Ukraine. She completed her Master and Doctor of Arts degrees in Kharkiv I.P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts (Ukraine) and also a postgraduate course in the University of Music Franz Liszt in Weimar (Germany). Anna is a laureate of many musical competitions in Italy, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Canada and Germany. She frequently plays as a soloist with symphony orchestras throughout Ukraine with conductors from Ukraine, USA, Switzerland, Great Britain, Austria, etc. She has participated in a number of festivals, including the Days of Ukrainian Culture festival in Poznan (Poland), Music festivals in Vigo (Spain), Trier (Germany), the International Music Festival in Lubostron (Poland), the International festival of chamber music in Shanghai (China), Kiev-Music-Fest (Ukraine), and Kharkiv Assemblies (Ukraine).
Photo by Anya Chibis
ANNA PIDGORNA | mc
Anna Pidgorna is a Ukrainian-Canadian composer, vocalist, multi-media artist and producer who combines sound, visual arts, and writing to create works that are dramatic and picturesque. She works extensively with opera and voice, draws inspiration from Ukrainian folk singing and the natural soundscape, and incorporates visual elements into some of her manuscripts. Her work has been commissioned, performed and recorded by soloists and ensembles in Canada, USA, Uruguay, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece, Poland, Ukraine and South Korea. She holds a PhD from Princeton University, an MMus from the University of Calgary, and a BA from Mount Allison University. Anna is the founder and Artistic and Executive Director of Pickle Underground.
production team
PRODUCER + CURATOR | Anna Pidgorna
GRAPHIC DESIGN + SOCIAL MEDIA | Roksolana Uhryniuk
donors
Friends of Pickle Underground
sponsors
We acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
Pickle Underground Artist Society (Incorporated under BC Societies Act, Incorporation No: S0080384)
Copyright © 2025 Pickle Underground Artist Society – All Rights Reserved.