ABOUT
A NOTE FROM THE ARTISTS //
ELISA MOLES, FLUTE & MOLLY O'ROARK, HARP
Ambassadors for ancient instruments, MEMO duo makes classical music accessible by evolving the concert tradition. MEMO aims to reclaim the honest relationship between the audience and live performers, specializing in the music of 20th-century and living composers while integrating history, literature, and the full breadth of the visual and performing arts spectrum. By crafting thought-provoking programs, MEMO strives to spark sensitive and intelligent conversations about relevant philosophical and socio-political issues. MEMO duo: take note.
Elisa Moles and Molly O'Roark are award-winning musicians who seek to expand the boundaries of classical music with their chamber group. Molly & Elisa met in 2014 as graduate students at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign where both earned their Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in music performance and literature. While in school, they regularly played and performed as a chamber duo on various recitals and other university events, cementing their artistic and personal chemistry. Their first full-length chamber music concert took place on December 5, 2015 as part of the Krannert Art Museum Chamber Music Series. When Elisa was about to graduate and move back to her home state California, they were so sad about breaking up their chamber group they just knew they had to commit to making it a cross-country endeavor. They adopted the name “MEMO duo” in 2017.
Photo by JESSICA PEARCE