Today we’d like to introduce you to Danaë Xanthe Vlasse.
Following our initial interview with you back in Oct 2021, we’re so glad to be able to revisit your remarkable creative journey and celebrate your GRAMMY®-win (in 2022) for Best Classical Vocal Solo Album with the MYTHOLOGIES album, which you composed!
WOW who made that gorgeous gown you wore on the red carpet, and tell us about the jewelry?
Thank you – this was a Vera Wang! The jewels (necklace and ring) were loaned by Ming Song Paris; the snake pendant and ring worked to help convey the theme of Mythologies and I felt empowered by it because the snake is an ancient symbol of eternal renewal!
What a stylish woman you are! What fashion or beauty advice can you offer to our readers?
A: Always make sure your smile is memorable, and that your eyes are brighter than your jewels!
What was it like standing on that GRAMMY® stage and accepting an award in front of such a distinguished audience?
I was not alone on the stage and although there was a lot of energy in the room, I felt very well supported by the amazing people around me. I was blessed to accept the award in tandem with my beloved team, including my soul sisters who sang on the album; Sangeeta Kaur and Hila Plitmann. I did my best to stay calm and focused; there is always so much an artist wants to say when given a platform to express gratitude, but I really couldn’t say it all in the very limited time on stage.
What were you not able to say, which you wished you’d had time to express?
Of course I wish I’d been able to name each of my parents; Claire and Marcus Vlasse (especially because the album was inspired by my father’s birthplace in Greece), but instead of naming individuals I had to keep things very general by thanking “my family” and so forth. I also think it’s important to mention the teachers and institutions that nurtured my learning; the marvelous people at the University of Alabama Huntsville, and University of Houston, and of course all the friends, family and colleagues who supported me along my professional path after my academic training; none of what I do is created in a vacuum so everyone I interact with is contributing to my work! We must remember that all it takes is kindness to build a world with greater compassion.
What is next for you now that you’ve achieved the highest award in the world of music?
I am planning concerts and already writing music for the next album of course! I will continue the lineage of the MYTHOLOGIES Album by writing more stories inspired by ancient Greek Mythology; honoring both my personal heritage and an ancient civilization which is still a cornerstone of Western Culture today. I don’t feel the need to reach for anything more than my own “most inspired creativity” in an effort to serve the world through my music.
What did you learn in your musical journey that you will rely upon as you look ahead?
Don’t rush the process; great art takes time. We need to nurture what I call “Cultural Patience” in order for art to thrive, and for individuals to benefit from a healthier model of existence.
Can you elaborate on that idea? What is “Cultural Patience?”
Cultural Patience is a term I came up with to make a point about honoring what we value by giving art time to develop and then having the patience to engage with that art even if the story takes more than 30-seconds to tell. (What would be the point of sprinting through the Louvre museum?) The creation of art and the consumption of art is a dialogue that must be approached with responsibility on the part of the artist, and with patience on the part of the audience.
I believe it’s incredibly important for our “fast-food / fast-entertainment” culture to learn to slow down and experience a deeper relationship with human potential. Tiktok and Twitter are marvelous for momentary entertainment, but these platforms are too constraining for substantive art to be expressed. Both the creation and consumption of art should be mindful and thought-provoking; ideally art should invite reflection, connection, and collective elevation.
How might we get there as a society?
I urge people to take into account the painstaking process (often decades of training) that yields quality work, and then honor that by supporting the arts with proper funding. The nation of Germany spends 15x more per capita on funding the arts than we do here in America; it makes a palpable difference in cultural output and historic contributions to cultural expression. What we value grows, and what we neglect withers. We must decide to make the arts an integral aspect of what we value in this world. Why? Because a surgeon may revive a stopped heart, but a great artist can give that heart a REASON to keep beating.
Contact information:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merlot.caline
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danaevlasse/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanaeVlasse
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