Biography

Lisa Kirchner is a singer, songwriter and actress who performs an eclectic, multi-lingual repertoire that includes gems from The Great American Songbook, French, Brazilian, folk, theatre and art songs as well as her own lyrics and music.

"My father, a contemporary classical composer, conductor and pianist, took me to see Ray Charles, played and analyzed Duke Ellington songs with me, and pointed out the brilliance of a young guitarist named Jimi Hendrix, as we discussed Mozart, Bach and Schoenberg. My mother was a coloratura soprano who had performed classical lieder and show tunes in New York supper clubs. I myself have moved from classical, folk and pop music to musical theatre and ultimately to jazz."

Lisa Kirchner has appeared at Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Connecticut, and Ryles Jazz Club in Massachusetts, She is a regular on the New York City jazz club circuit, and has appeared at Iridium, Birdland, The Village Gate, 55 Bar, Maxime's, Porters NYC, Tatou, Barocco, Reno Sweeney, the Copacabana, The Ballroom, Cleopatra's Needle, and many other clubs in the city and in Paris. The invited singer to Gracie Mansion, she has performed at the White House, at Harvard University and the Harvard Club.

Lisa Kirchner 's entre into the jazz venue is preceded by her years of experience in theatre and television. She wrote her own songs for her on camera appearances on NBC's "Another World." Her varied performance background has included Broadway appearances in the role of Lucy Brown in "The Threepenny Opera", opposite Raul Julia and Phil Bosco, and various featured roles in William Dumaresque and Galt MacDermot's "The Human Comedy". Off-Broadway, Ms. Kirchner originated the role of Irma Vep in Richard Foreman and Stanley Silverman's "Hotel For Criminals" and it's sequel, "The American Imagination". She has been featured in numerous off and off-off Broadway productions at the Public Theatre, the Delacorte Theatre, La Mama Theatre and annex, Westbeth and The American Place Theatre. On television she appeared as Edith Wharton's character, Undine Spragg in the BRAVO Cable channel's "Songs from the Heart", and as a ballad singer in "Out of Our Father's House", on WNET's "Great Performances". As a dancer she appeared in Grover Dale's "Houdini", with Christopher Walken, and with the James Waring Dance Company she appeared at Judson Memorial Church.

Lisa Kirchner was Judy Collins' featured soloist at Carnegie Hall, and she has appeared singing harmony vocals with Ms. Collins at the Wheeler Opera house, The Greek Theatre. Wolftrap, and the Roxie. Lisa Kirchner's television appearances with Judy Collins include, "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, Joan Rivers, CBS "This Morning" and "ShowTime", and recordings include "Sanity and Grace", on Goldcastle Records and "Fires of Eden", on Columbia Records.

Lisa Kirchner’s albums, One More Rhyme (2000), When Lights Are Low ( 2002) and In the Shadow of a Crow (2009) on Albany Records have garnered critical and professional praise. She has just released her fourth album, Something to Sing About (2011) on Albany Records.

As executive producer Lisa has produced 4 albums of the music of Leon Kirchner on Albany Records, Leon Kirchner Piano Works (2006), Leon Kirchner Complete String Quartets/The Orion String Quartet (2008), Concert: Leon Kirchner Chamber Works, (2009) and Leon Kirchner Orchestral Works (2011)