Picosa
Laura Strickling is a two-time GRAMMY® nominee for Best Classical Vocal Solo Album (Confessions, 2022 and 40@40, 2024). Praised by The New York Times for her "flexible voice, crystalline diction, and warm presence," she specializes in art song performance and promotion, with a focus on new music. She launched the 40@40 Project to commission new songs and has been featured in Classical Singer Magazine for her advocacy work. Peter Ferry is an acclaimed percussion soloist known for reimagining classical performances through contemporary repertoire and innovative collaborations. He has performed numerous percussion concerti and given TEDx talks. His collaborations include work with choreographer Nick Pupillo and glass artist Carrie Fertig. Ferry serves as Artistic Director of Artistic Planning with Alarm Will Sound and is an Eastman School of Music alumnus. Picosa is a mixed chamber ensemble specializing in contemporary classical music. The conductor-less group performs at venues including the Chicago Cultural Center, Ear Taxi Festival, and Constellation Chicago, with live broadcasts on WFMT. They maintain residencies at Elmhurst University and North Central College. The ensemble actively champions Chicago composers and has premiered numerous works, including Redlin[ing] by Shawn Okpebholo through a Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning grant. Their Composer-in-Residence, Jonathon Kirk, regularly contributes original compositions and orchestral transcriptions to their repertoire.
