Voices and Verses is celebrating its 20th anniversary!

Voices and Verses was founded by composer and director Karel Suchy in 1995. The group has adopted a wide range of styles and genres throughout its history. The members have changed over time, but the atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation has remained.

Our recent focus is on the new and innovative, although we perform works from many genres and periods. We strive to promote aesthetic and spiritual enrichment through the arts and foster collaboration across disciplines. Our performances and events incorporate a variety of art forms.

Participants:

Karel Suchy: founder and main instigator.

Composer Karel Suchy integrates musical composition and performance with his photography, video and engineering design. He collaborates with other artists and their work, including poetry and prose – both spoken and sung, visual art, music improvisation, dance and drama.

Karel was born in Czechoslovakia, where he studied piano, organ and composition, and earned his M.S. in Engineering. He led and composed for avant-garde ensembles, including Tlön, performed in major venues, for radio, television and studio recordings. He won awards for composition, including the Prague Jazz Festival. Jazz was considered subversive by the communist authorities. The group was often scrutinized, leading to his escape from communism.

Suchy performed electronic and computer-aided classical music at ISU and U of I ̶ Champaign, directed a Wisconsin performance of the Czech Christmas Mass, and was commissioned by the Choral Arts Society of SE Wisconsin to write “Sound Poem, inspired by Nosferatu” and other works. His “Blues Liturgy” and “Rock Liturgy” were introduced in Emmanuel Lutheran Church, where he is Director of Music. He founded, and directs Voices and Verses, and has composed for and facilitated collaborative, multi-media performances.

Nancy Eggert: singer, actress, writer, researcher

Win Germanotta: singer, actress

Georgine Kudrna: singer, actress

Carol Larsen: singer, actress

Jennifer Lautz: singer, actress, writer

Wilhelm Matthies: instrument builder, musician, artist

Joseph Papenfuss: actor, singer, literature consultant

Susan Stein: singer, actress, writer

Dan Stika: actor, historian, writer

Julia Suchy: singer, co-instigator