October 17, 2025

London-based Duo Atlantis—a American-British classical music duo comprising mezzo-soprano MSM alumna Rachel Payne (BM ’04) and pianist Jack Tyndale-Biscoe (in photo above) — will make their Carnegie Hall debut and feature a premiere by Emmy-winning composer Bear McCreary.

Read our Q&A with Rachel Payne below.

The Duo’s program entitled Echoes Across the Atlantic will take place on October 26 at 1 PM at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.

In addition to performing a British and American art song repertoire, Duo Atlantis will premiere a new work written for the duo by the Emmy-winning American composer Bear McCreary with lyrics by screenwriter J.D. Payne, augmented with cello, harp, and percussion.

MSM Alumni are offered discounted tickets by using the code ABC53914 at checkout on the Carnegie Hall website.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The description of Echoes Across the Atlantic on the Carnegie Hall event web page calls the program “a journey through British and American art song, from Elgar’s lyrical depths to Copland’s wide horizons. Mezzo-soprano Rachel Payne and pianist Jack Tyndale form Duo Atlantis, bringing this tradition to life with a world premiere by Emmy-winning composer Bear McCreary: Dragon’s Blood, a new song cycle spotlighting children impacted by cobalt mining in Congo. This program bridges continents, exploring travel, love, memory, and humanitarian stories through song.”

Taking part in the performance of Dragon’s Blood with Duo Atlantis are Karen Tay on harp, MSM alumna Wangshu Xiang (MM ’23, PPD ’25) on cello and MSM current student Grace Goss (MM ’26) on percussion.

How did you and pianist Jack Tyndale-Biscoe meet and eventually form Duo Atlantis?

Rachel: Jack and I first met while preparing for a performance, introduced by a colleague who sensed we shared similar artistic goals. When we began collaborating at the Royal College of Music in London, where Jack was completing his master’s at the time, it quickly became clear that we were on the same musical path. We both wanted to build something meaningful and lasting. From the start, it felt like a true musical partnership, and I have been grateful for it every single day.

Given the overlap of the song cycle’s lyric themes and the mission of presenting sponsor Floodlight, can you tell us more about your partnership for this upcoming premiere?

Rachel: Dragon’s Blood was born from a shared commitment to raising awareness of the humanitarian and environmental toll of cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Partnering with Floodlight felt natural because their mission is rooted in partnering with global companies to shape economies and build a more sustainable future for the people at their foundation, including kids in the DRC.

As artists, we have a responsibility to engage with the world around us. To open hearts and start conversations. At its core, this collaboration is about the intersection of art and integrity. Music tells human stories that need to be heard.

Was there someone during your time at MSM who stood out as a mentor? Please share experience(s) or advice you received during your time at MSM that contributed to where you are today.

Rachel: There are so many. I often tell people that my professors wrote the music books everyone uses, and yet they let us call them by their first names. They taught as though they had nothing to prove. The joy was in the learning, and that joy and knowledge were passed on to us with such generosity.

One of my dearest friends and mentors from MSM was my long-suffering remedial theory teacher, Reiko Füting (DMA ’00). We later recorded an album together, and I will never forget his joy in teaching and the quiet brilliance that gave so many of us the chance to truly learn.

I would also be remiss not to mention the late Lisa Laskowich (MM ’83, DMA ’03), my vocal coach who taught me how to study. She showed me how to break down a score, manage the process of understanding a role, and approach every piece with curiosity and respect. She was dogged in her perfection of interpretation, wonderfully kooky and imaginative, and she never let me get away with anything, in the very best way.

What are your favorite few pieces of art song repertoire to perform? What developments do you imagine or desire in the art song realm?

Rachel: You’ll actually hear some of them at this concert. [Ralph] Vaughan Williams’ Silent Noon is especially moving, and from the American side, [Samuel Barber’s] Nocturne captures a similar kind of tenderness. We love doing that in our Echoes Across the Atlantic program, pairing pieces that reflect shared experiences and emotions from different perspectives.

We’re drawn to songs that feel honest, vulnerable, sometimes even funny, and always beautiful. I love finding a piece and thinking, “I dare you not to like this!” We look for music that tells stories and invites people in. Art song can be so personal and specific, yet somehow universal at the same time.

One of the most rewarding parts of this tour has been seeing young people in our audiences who have never experienced classical vocal music before, but who find something in it that resonates. I really believe art song can be meditative and transportive, intimate and at times overwhelming in the best way. It gives audiences something truly special if we let it. I’ve loved how warmly people have received this tour so far, and I’m excited to see how New York responds. It feels good to be returning to my musical nursery.