Name: Clarissa Lyons
Instrument: Voice
Friday night indulgence: Nearly any baked good or good ice cream and as much Law and Order SVU as I can ingest.

Favorite piece that's being performed at PCMF 2016 and why:
Chausson's Chanson Perpetuelle. This was the first piece I performed at the Tanglewood Music Center in 2011, and was one of my first real experiences with chamber music. The piece not only reminds me of my two magical summers in the Berkshires, but reminds me to listen and learn from new collaborators and new sound worlds.

What are you looking forward most about spending a week in the Bay Area?
Spending time with my friends and family and EATING! Zachary's, Ici, Fenton's, and wandering Telegraph are all high on my list.

What's the craziest or most memorable thing that's happened to you during a performance?During a performance at St. Mark's in Berkeley with the UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus, I noticed a cat begin to walk up the center aisle. I was just about to sing a solo in a piece by Meredith Monk, so I turned my focus to the music ahead of me. As I began to sing, I noticed my mom and friends (who were sitting in the front pew) hiding laughter behind their programs. I was so irritated and annoyed when intermission finally arrived. My fellow choristers alerted me to the fact that the cat had been coughing up a hairball during my solo just to the left of the singing area, thus leading to the laughter.