2015 in Review
It has been another exciting year with successful premieres around the world. In addition, to starting an MMus in Composition at the Birmingham Conservatoire in Birmingham, UK, I had four major premieres in the United States and the United Kingdom. Two new chamber works, a still life in blue-green and From Dreams, We Emerge premiered in Syracuse, NY and San Francisco, CA. The sound installation, dis- and the orchestra work, A horizon intoxicates a body premiered in the United Kingdom. Learn more below:
In May 2015, a still life in blue-green, premiered as part of Society for New Music's annual fundraising gala event. This event was streamed throughout the world and was included as part of the American Composer Forum's 40th Anniversary celebration. The work was premiered by the Society for New Music All-Stars.
Over the summer I worked on a major new work for the San Francisco based group, Wild Rumpus. The eventual work, entitled From Dreams, We Emerge, premiered in October 2015 at the Berkeley Arts Festival in San Francisco. Cited as 'gorgeous' and 'enthralling', From Dreams, We Emerge is a 9 minute piece for bass flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, electric guitar, and electronics.
A photo from the rehearsal of From Dreams, We Emerge.
Also in October was the premiere of the sound installation dis- at The Eden Project in Cornwall, UK. The Eden Project is a nature sanctuary comprised of an outdoor garden and two biomes. dis- was installed inside the world's largest indoor rainforest! Commissioned by the National Union of Students, dis- was designed to disrupt the way listeners experienced The Eden Project's lush, beautiful surroundings. The field recordings were all collected from my final day living in New York City and were complemented by an electronic soundscape that slowly degraded.
A photo of the waterfall inside the rain forest biome at The Eden Project.
November saw the premiere of my first orchestral work, A horizon intoxicates a body. Written for the Composer's Orchestra Project, the work premiered at the Adrian Bolt Hall in the Birmingham Conservatoire. Having the legendary Edwin Roxburgh conduct the work was a dream come true. It was a tremendous learning experience and a great chance to learn about orchestration. The work was written in September 2015 as I was preparing to move to the UK and reckons with the darker side of wanderlust.