Album Notes

Fate of the Lhapa is the award-winning film score for the documentary feature of the same name about the last three Tibetan shamans living in a Tibetan refugee camp in Nepal. The score features performances by the renown cellist and Grammy nominee Joan Jeanrenaud (Kronos Quartet Alumnus) and Tibetan Vocalist Tsering Wangmo. Haunting and lyrical sounds of Asian and Western Music merge to set the tone for a spiritual and mystical journey about an ancient healing tradition in danger of extinction.

"William Susman's score ...create(s) an atmosphere that amplifies the wonder, beauty and melancholy of the film's story and imagery. .. richly varied in orchestration and mood... Cellist Joan Jeanrenaud's expressive playing adds a layer of soulful melancholy, and Tibetan vocalist Tsering Wangmo is especially haunting -- her keening contributes immeasurably to the score's emotional resonance." (Stephen Eddins - All Media Guide)

Note from the Film's Director Sarah C. Sifers:

Each Lhapa requested that their story be filmed. Their fear was that the next heir might not appear until after their own deaths. Subsequently, with no Lhapa alive to mentor the children, the documentary would be used to transmit the knowledge to the next generation. Their tales of nomadic childhoods, shamanic callings and apprenticeships, cosmologies of disease and treatments, and of their flight from Tibet during the Chinese occupation in the late 1950s is juxtaposed with images of present-day life in the camp, current healing practices and shared concerns of the future and the fate of their tradition.

Note from the Composer William Susman:

Scoring the documentary Fate of the Lhapa was an inspiring experience. I worked with a marvelous director, Sarah Sifers, who trusted my musicianship and gave me the freedom to compose a score that attempts to capture the place, culture, spirit and passion of the Tibetan Shamans and their broader historical context.

As with many of my scores, I look for melody and instrumentation that the filmmaker has captured on film. In Fate of the Lhapa, there were stunning musical moments including ritual chanting, a prayer vigil, bells, gongs, drumming and dance. All of these sonic elements contributed to my choice of melody, harmony, rhythm and instrumentation.

I would like to thank two remarkable musicians, cellist Joan Jeanrenaud and Tibetan vocalist Tsering Wangmo for the warmth and beauty of their brilliant performances, my engineer at Fantasy Studios, Stephen Hart for his artistry both in the recording, mixing and the mastering process and my wonderful studio assistant/engineer Scott Tusa

About the Performers:

JOAN JEANRENAUD cellist

Grammy nominated recording artist Joan Jeanrenaud is best known for the more than 2,000 concerts she performed throughout the world during her impressive tenure with the Kronos Quartet. Jeanrenaud left Kronos in 1999 to pursue different artistic directions including solo and collaborative projects. As a solo artist she has premiered more than twenty compositions written for her. Since 1999, she has composed many works for cello including Be With, which won the Isadora Duncan Dance Award for best composition in 2001-02.

TSERING WANGMO vocalist

Tsering was born and educated in a Tibetan refugee settlement in southern India. Her generation is the first Tibetan generation in exile. In 1982, she joined the Tibetan Institute for Performing Arts in Dharmsala, India, created by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1959 to preserve Tibetan culture. In 1989, Tsering graduated from there, and toured the U.S. with Sonam Tashi and Tashi Dhondup. In 1991, they founded Chaksam-Pa in San Francisco, California, dedicated to preserving traditional performing arts. Tsering has performed throughout the world.

WILLIAM SUSMAN composer

The innovative and evocative music of William Susman can be heard both in the concert hall and on film. This is his second recording with cellist Joan Jeanrenaud. They previously worked together on the award-winning soundtrack to the controversial documentary OIL ON ICE, a widely distributed film that won numerous awards including the International Documentary Association's Pare Lorentz Award and best film score at the Moondance International Film Festival.

Mr. Susman's music integrates diverse influences spanning the western classical and jazz tradition to science and numerology. Rhythm plays a strong role in his music through musical devices such as the Afro-Cuban Montuño, Medieval Hocket and Isorhythm. His orchestral works are frequently performed throughout the world. He has scored a variety of documentaries over the past several years and has received international recognition through awards and commissions. Many acclaimed soloists have performed and recorded his music.

Native New Yorker, which Mr. Susman scored and produced, won Best Documentary Short at the Moondance Film Festival, Best Film Score at the Park City Film Music Festival and Best Documentary Short at the Tribeca Film Festival.

FATE OF THE LHAPA - WINNER 2008 Park City Film Music Festival - Best Film Score for a Feature Length Documentary

FATE OF THE LHAPA - WINNER 2007 Moondance International Film Festival - Best Film Score for a Feature Length Documentary

Recorded at the legendary Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California. Engineered, mixed and mastered by Stephen Hart.